A nonprofit in Camden opened a new space on Thursday for young professionals to learn and grow their businesses.

“I think it’s just valuable to have a space where you can confidently and comfortably work and feel like you’re actually getting something done,” says Corey Thorpe, alumni coordinator of the nonprofit Hopeworks.

And this is what the Burton R. Cohen Technology Center will provide. The space is part of Hopeworks, which helps teens and young adults find their way professionally.

“I had no idea how to do any sort of coding or website design or Photoshop and things of that sort, so they provided those skills to me. But more importantly, something I’d really struggled with before was interacting with people and that goes into part of the networking portion of Hopeworks where you learn to meet people and how to navigate conversations with people who you haven’t spoken with before,” Thorpe says.

The center is set up like an office and will not be open to those who may need a dedicated quiet space to work or study. There are desks and private rooms for video and conference calls. Burton Cohen and his wife Mindy sponsored the space.

“I think it’s important for the students to know that people outside of the community care about what happens to them,” Cohen says.

“People have written off Camden as one of the worst cities in the country – sometimes even the world…But seeing that you have a place for young people can be proactive in their lives and take control of it,” says Thorpe. “To be able to say, ‘Hey, there’s a space where I can work so I can be productive or I can get back to my community,’ I think that’s one of the most important things about the space for Camden.”

Hopeworks officials say that they are currently in the process of filling spots in the co-working space. Memberships for Hopeworks alumni are free.