New Rules

What New Rules does

New Rules is a Minneapolis-based real estate collective founded in 2015 by Chris Webley that acquires underutilized buildings and land in Black and Brown communities, particularly in North Minneapolis, and transforms them into multi-use innovation hubs. The company operates a flagship 3,000 SF site at 2015 Lowry Avenue N that integrates three revenue-generating components: Live (artist live+workspace apartments in 1, 2, and 3-bedroom configurations), Work (subscription-based shared workspace with Full-Time memberships at $250/month, Dedicated at $360/month, and an annual Exclusive tier), and Play (curated event venue rental across Studio I, Studio II, and Entire Space configurations with a 4-hour minimum). In 2024, the company expanded with TAP IN, a fast-casual restaurant and community innovation hub at 2618 Lowry Avenue N on a former SuperAmerica gas station site, adding food and beverage, additional workspace, and outdoor gathering space to the portfolio.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring subscription revenue (workspace memberships), transactional revenue (event rentals and restaurant operations), and project-based professional services (owners representation and development consulting). Customers include SMB workspace members such as artists, designers, photographers, and small business owners; event hosts seeking curated venues; food businesses and entrepreneurs activating through TAP IN; and enterprise partners such as First Avenue, for which New Rules serves as Owners Representative on the $20M Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment covering 4.9 acres of riverfront property. Marketing is community-first and largely organic, relying on Instagram, a mailing list, earned media including a Forbes feature, and event-driven demand generation, including hosting Shark Tank auditions at the venue. The company also operates a Mentorship to Ownership program to build community capacity for real estate acquisition and development, and has Historic Bell Lofts in its development pipeline. New Rules is a private company with 1-10 employees and no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.

Name

New Rules

Legal name

NEW RULES

Website

https://newrulesmn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Rules is a Minneapolis real estate collective that acquires underutilized buildings in Black and Brown communities and converts them into multi-use innovation hubs combining artist housing, workspace memberships, event venues, and restaurants, serving local artists, small businesses, and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Real Estate Development

NAICS

Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617), Lessors of Other Real Estate Property (531190)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

New Development / Declarant Transition Management (BPAJAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB), Association Maintenance, Vendor & Capital Project Management (BPAJAHAM), Pre-Sale / Move-In Whole-Home Refresh & Modernization (HSAPAEAJ)

Keywords

• Community real estate development
• Workspace memberships
• Event venue rental
• Innovation hubs
• Artist live-work housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Workspace Memberships: Monthly subscription memberships providing access to shared workspace facilities. Full-Time Membership offers weekday access (Mon-Fri, 7am-7pm) for $250/month. Dedicated Membership provides 24/7 access for $360/month. Exclusive Membership offers annual access to all NR locations.
2. Event Venue Rental: Revenue from renting event space including Studio I (intimate gatherings up to 40 people), Studio II (40-75 people), and Entire Space (100-150 people). All bookings require a 4-hour minimum. Pricing is quote-based.
3. Restaurant Operations (TAP IN): Fast-casual restaurant featuring food and drinks, operating as an innovation hub for entrepreneurs and community gathering space.
4. Real Estate Development Services: Owners representation and development services for community-oriented real estate projects, including the $20M First Avenue Riverfront development project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

New Rules is a real estate collective that acquires unproductive and overlooked buildings in Black and Brown communities in North Minneapolis and converts them into mixed-use innovation hubs. Its current offerings span workspace memberships (Full-Time, Dedicated, and Exclusive tiers), event venue rentals in three studio configurations, artist live-work apartments, the TAP IN restaurant and community innovation hub, and owners-representation services for community-oriented real estate development projects.

Product overview

NEW RULES is a real estate collective operating a portfolio of innovation hubs in Minneapolis, MN. The company offers three main location-based products: the flagship NEW RULES hub (combining artist live+workspace apartments, shared workspace memberships, and event hosting), TAP IN (a restaurant and community innovation hub), and Historic Bell Lofts (upcoming). Membership products include Full-Time ($250/month weekday access), Dedicated ($360/month 24/7 access), and Exclusive (annual multi-location access). Event hosting spans three studio configurations (Studio I for 40 people, Studio II for 40-75, Entire Space for 100-150). The company also offers a Mentorship to Ownership educational program for real estate development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TAP IN: A new restaurant and community space opening Spring 2024 at 2618 Lowry Ave N, serving as an innovation hub for entrepreneurs with shared workspace, event space, fast-casual restaurant, and outdoor green space.

Products and services

• New Rules Flagship Hub Mixed-use innovation hub at 2015 Lowry Avenue N combining artist live+workspace apartments, shared workspace, and a curated 3,000 SF event venue for the Minneapolis creative and small-business community.
• TAP IN Restaurant and Innovation Hub Fast-casual restaurant and community innovation hub at 2618 Lowry Ave N featuring food and beverage service, shared workspace, event gathering space, and outdoor green space, positioned for entrepreneurs and the North Minneapolis community.
• Full-Time Workspace Membership Recurring monthly workspace membership providing Mon-Fri 7am-7pm access to the flagship hub for artists, creatives, and small-business owners at $250 per month.
• Dedicated Workspace Membership Recurring monthly workspace membership providing 24/7 access with a key fob, including access to all New Rules locations, priced at $360 per month.
• Exclusive Workspace Membership Annual membership providing access to all current and future New Rules locations for members seeking the full ecosystem of resources and properties.
• Event Hosting at the Flagship Hub Rental of the New Rules flagship 3,000 SF curated aesthetic space for social impact events, weddings, corporate meetings, community gatherings, birthday parties, and pop-up shops, available in Studio I (up to 40 guests), Studio II (40-75 guests), or Entire Space (100-150 guests) with a 4-hour minimum and quote-based pricing.
• Mentorship to Ownership Program Educational and capacity-building program designed to transfer knowledge about real estate acquisition, land development, and building activation to community members, removing traditional barriers to ownership.
• Owners Representation and Development Services Owner's-representation and development-partnership services for community-oriented real estate projects, turning unproductive and overlooked buildings in Black and Brown communities into innovative landmark destinations co-created with the community.
• Artist Live+Workspace Apartments Rental of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom live-work apartments at the flagship hub with high ceilings, onsite laundry, parking, and outdoor green space for practicing artists.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• First AvenuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEW RULES is partnering with First Avenue as the Owners Representative for the $20M Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment project on the Northside. This 4.9-acre riverfront development will include a publicly owned, privately managed community performing arts center with up to 10,000 seats. The partnership aims to advance values of disrupting gentrification and displacement, racial equity and justice, community ownership, environmental justice and sustainability, affordable housing, and valuing public space.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Industrious: Premium flexible office and coworking operator with membership and event venue offerings across multiple U.S. markets. Comparable workspace and events revenue model, though targeting enterprise rather than community-focused segments.
• WeWork: Global coworking incumbent offering flexible workspace memberships and event space at scale. Overlaps with New Rules' workspace and event revenue streams, though WeWork operates a much broader portfolio without New Rules' community-development focus.
• Workbar: Regional coworking operator offering memberships, event space, and flexible offices across multiple U.S. locations. Comparable workspace + event venue revenue mix, though operating at greater scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• BRIC Arts Media: Brooklyn-based community arts and media institution combining workspace, performance venues, and programming for artists and creatives. Comparable hybrid real estate + cultural programming model in an urban underserved context.
• The Riveter: Coworking operator built around a social mission for women and diverse communities, with multiple revenue streams including memberships, event space, and programming. Comparable community-centered coworking concept targeting underserved founders.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused co-working and innovation spaces serving entrepreneurs and creatives. Closely comparable operating model (workspace + events + community programming) with a similar social-mission framing.
• McCormack Baron Salazar: National community development firm focused on transforming distressed urban neighborhoods through mixed-use, mixed-income development. Comparable mission-oriented real estate development in Black and Brown communities.

Emerging players

• Galvanize: Hybrid coworking + education/incubator operator with locations serving entrepreneurs and tech communities. Comparable workspace-meets-innovation-hub positioning, though with a tech/education focus rather than community-led real estate development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NewRulesNorth
• Facebookfacebook.com/newrulesnorth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Rules