Consulting

Anyone can lease a building.
I help you build a creative
economy inside it.

Every city has one: the “creative hub” that opened with a press conference and closed with a padlock eighteen months later. They didn’t fail for lack of capital — they failed because nobody designed for real community and the economy inside the architecture. The building was never the hard part.

(01)

The model

Membership economics, studio pricing, programming mix, and the revenue stack that keeps a creative hub alive after the ribbon-cutting — sized to your market, not ours.

(02)

The buildout

What actually goes in the rooms: studio program, acoustics, technical spec, and the sequencing that gets doors open before the capital plan gets nervous.

(03)

The partnerships

The brand, civic, and institutional partners who fund creative infrastructure — how to structure deals they renew, not just announce.

(04)

The programming

A building full of gear is not a scene. Community architecture, founding-member strategy, and programming that makes the room the place to be by month three.

(05)

The proof

The metrics that convince councils, boards, and lenders: retention, workforce development, violence prevention, and the reporting cadence that keeps everyone funded.

Who this is for

Cities

Developers

Institutions

Brands

Universities

Case 01 · Camden

Parkside Business & Community in Partnership

The South Jersey CDC brought Will in before ground broke, while architects were still at the table. He worked with Parkside, its vendors, and community stakeholders to shape the space design, build the business model, and set the operational and programming plan the space would launch and run on.

“You’re making this vision seem like it’s possible and can become a reality… you certainly set us on a path. I think that’s invaluable.”

Bridget Phifer · CEO, Parkside Business & Community in Partnership

Case 02 · Philadelphia

Cue

Will was engaged just after the owner purchased the building, before a roadmap existed. He educated the team on the foundations of a working creative hub: revenue streams, programming, and marketing strategy drawn from a decade of running one.

“Getting a firsthand understanding of the different revenue streams, programming and marketing strategies… from someone who has done it for 10 years was so valuable for my team and I at this stage. The clarity and effectiveness of Will’s consulting style is special.”

Roi Albo · Owner, Cue

Tell me about the room
you’re imagining

No pitch deck required. A paragraph about the project and where it stands is enough — you’ll get a straight answer about whether this is a fit.

Have a project in mind? Email Will to start the conversation.

Email Will →

will@thewilltoms.com

Anyone can lease a building. I help you build a creative economy inside it.