DreamWakers Office Testimonial
Monica Gray Logothetis
Company: DreamWakers, a national education technology nonprofit. We bring diverse and dynamic career professionals into classrooms all across the country in hopes of exposing students to the breadth and depth of all different types of careers that are out there that they could possibly aspire to be when they grow up.
Role: Co-founder and Chairwoman
Office address: 1069 Thomas Jefferson St NW
Employees: 4 full-time employees, plus contractors and interns
In Georgetown since: Summer 2019
Why Georgetown?
DreamWakers was originally based in Manhattan. What made you relocate to Georgetown?
We wanted to be in the national and global center for nonprofits, which is DC. I went around and looked at a number of different office spaces all around town, and the second that I walked into the Georgetown space, with the tree-lined streets, picking up Baked and Wired, and walking down by the Potomac River, we felt so fortunate to be able to be in Georgetown. There was no comparison to the other parts of town that we looked at.
One of the things we were nervous about was we were preparing to host our first fundraiser in DC in October of 2019, and we would have only been here a few months. We were so pleasantly surprised and felt like we were immediately welcomed into this local community. Georgetown Cupcake provided cupcakes for our fundraiser, and Four Seasons gave a very generous silent auction gift. We immediately felt like we were in our new home.
What are the most unexpected benefits of working in Georgetown?
First and foremost, Baked & Wired. We’re really lucky to have their coffee and cupcakes. We also started a tradition of celebrating milestones at Il Canale. Whenever we have a new employee’s first day, we’ll welcome them with a pizza lunch. That’s become a really fun tradition. For a team outing one day, we took a water taxi along the Potomac to the Wharf.
How do you get to work?
I live in Georgetown so I typically walk. We had the office space in Georgetown and then my husband and I looked for a place to live. We walk up and down the hill every day, about a mile each way. Every single day I feel grateful to be able to have that stroll. Some of our employees bike or take the Circulator, others drive.
What are the benefits of your office space?
There’s a stark contrast, coming from Manhattan. I can remember so clearly the first days working in this Georgetown building, opening the windows, hearing birds chirping, a breeze coming in the window, and seeing tree-lined streets,. It was just lovely. I remember feeling like we were in the country. It’s a very peaceful vibe and such a happy place to be. We talk about environmental psychology and we feel like we are in such a unique place with the historic building, fireplaces, high ceilings, original molding – it’s really special. And then of course at DreamWakers we’ve added our own flair, so you have that contrast of old and new. Additionally, we have decks on every floor of the building so we’re able to go outside and have lunches or take out laptops outside and work.
Out-of-Office Favorites
Coffee Shop: Baked & Wired
Lunch Spot: Il Canale for team lunches, and Chez Billy Sud for special occasions.
Happy Hour: The Alex Speakeasy at the Graham Hotel
Walking Spot to Clear Your Head: Georgetown Waterfront Park. I feel so lucky being able to walk down there. You can look out over the water and see the Kennedy Center to the left and Key Bridge to the right. I’ll often take a notebook and turn my phone on airplane mode, and have a minute to disconnect and think big picture. Even for a half an hour, you can get a lot of good thinking done.
