Icarus Coworking
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any of you may remember the story of Icarus and his father Daedalus from Greek mythology. Daedalus built a labyrinth to contain the Minotaur and was then imprisoned by the King so no one would learn of it. He gathered feathers and built two sets of wings, using wax to hold the feathers in place, and he and his son escaped their prison by flying away. Icarus, however, did not heed his father’s warnings and flew too close to the sun, melting the wax holding his feathers together and fell to the sea and drown. For many people, the moral of this myth is do not reach too high, stay grounded and comfortable where you are. For others, the story is a tragedy. Amanda Chils never thought of Icarus as a story about the dangers of flying too high - she came to see it as a story of the human condition (wouldn’t you also test your limits when granted ultimate freedom?) She thinks it is a perfect analogy for chasing freedom and the importance of testing inventions. Pursuing freedom means that you may sometimes fail, this requires both wild courage and the ability to manage risk - something entrepreneurs know all too well. “We reimagine the story of Icarus as a reminder that
8 | asheboromagazine.com
soaring and experiencing freedom, that daring to take risks in and of themselves is not the problem, they are worth risking everything for. But we take heed to the warning to test our inventions and remember that freedom with no boundaries can be dangerous.” Amanda Chils grew up in Florida. She moved to North Carolina in February 2014. She searched the entire state for over two years for a farm to purchase to launch her equine therapy business before settling in Asheboro, and now runs a private practice therapy from her farm. Once she moved here, her mother and father soon followed and built a home on the land behind her, and they now manage the farm together. Connecting people is one of her strengths, and one of the reasons she is opening Icarus, so she can help businesses and entrepreneurs support each other. With that in mind, she wants to create a space that will help entrepreneurs reach their dreams, and also provide a comfortable, creative space for nomadic workers. She wants to offer an environment that is conducive to work but will not make you want to stab your eyes out from boredom.
