Elevator, a co-warehousing and coworking startup in Nebraska, announced in November that it plans to expand its Midwest presence in 2026 to five locations by launching a new site in St. Louis. The news comes as the company opened both its North Kansas City and Lincoln locations Dec. 1.
Elevator was founded in 2021 by business partners and married couple Shannon and Emiliano Lerda. The startup began with its first building in downtown Omaha in 2022. Elevator has since made a name for itself in offering resources, logistics support and a sense of community to small businesses, founders and creatives in Nebraska and beyond.
Recent milestones include securing a $1.6 million seed round raise, establishing its first out-of-state location in Des Moines and receiving statewide recognition through the 2024 NBDC Business Awards for its contributions to the Nebraska entrepreneurial ecosystem.
When looking at expanding outside of Omaha, Elevator CEO Emiliano Lerda said they identified about 10 metropolitan areas that demonstrated economic development to tap into and niche opportunities for Elevator to fulfill.
Locations such as North Kansas City, Lincoln and now St. Louis presented a combination of these factors, including “the right building in the right location in the right condition at the right price,” Lerda said.
Shannon Lerda, Elevator president, said the startup also benefited from the assistance and collaboration of local stakeholders, such as Greater St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis Development Corporation and Missouri Partnership in the case of St. Louis.
“We’re excited to see Elevator continuing to grow in Missouri while supporting St. Louis’ vibrant entrepreneurial community,” Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a blog post by Elevator. “Expansions like these underscore our state’s reputation as a prime location for innovative businesses.”
The St. Louis location touts 67,300 square feet and will offer micro-warehouses, private offices and shared amenities under month-to-month membership — all in order to provide flexibility to entrepreneurs for their ever-evolving business needs. Emiliano Lerda said they plan to open the location in spring 2026.
Shannon Lerda said the same launch date of Dec. 1 for both North Kansas City and Lincoln was more of a coincidence due to the Kansas City space requiring more time with renovation efforts and unforseen challenges that pop up when revitalizing a building.
The Kansas City location offers 42,276 square feet of space. The Lincoln location, on the fifth floor of the Atrium Building, offers 25,077 square feet of space. Shannon Lerda said individual units at the Lincoln location range from 100 to 500 square feet.
North Kansas City and Lincoln each will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the upcoming year, Elevator leadership said.
Supporting entrepreneurs who support them
Elevator plans to grow its annual recurring revenue sixfold in the next 12 months, Emiliano Lerda said. As the team grows and builds upon its operational capacity with its new locations, Lerda said he sees a future where Elevator explores other markets, such as the East Coast.
Shannon Lerda said Elevator tries to adapt to the startup and business hubs they are in, seeking to act as an additional resource for entrepreneurs to turn to rather than compete with other initiatives. For example, their Des Moines location currently serves as the host for the local 1 Million Cups meetup.
Shannon Lerda said Elevator has benefited from forming connections and doing business with the founders and business owners they serve. For example, Elevator received help from an Omaha member — 316 Strategy Group — to launch its new website.
Elevator leadership said members of the Lincoln entrepreneurial ecosystem can expect similar events, gatherings, educational opportunities and free coworking days as seen at its Omaha location and elsewhere. As the rooms fill at the Atrium, Shannon said, there is space in the building for further expansion if the demand presents itself.
“I want small business owners to know that if the microeconomic climate is in any way presenting uncertainty to them — how they’re projecting their sales, their growth, their needs into the future — I really hope that they reach out to us and talk to us,” Emiliano Lerda said.
“We allow members to size up or size down within the building,” Shannon Lerda said. “If they got too much space or they lost a big contract and they need to downsize, we’re very accommodating.”
Elevator leadership said future company updates and events can be found on Elevator’s social media.
