Community Highlights: Meet Tara Massey of Fox Den Third Space

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Massey.

Hi Tara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I attended the College of Charleston and earned a degree in Business Administration with the original goal of opening a vegan restaurant. During college, I interned and helped with the opening of a restaurant, which gave me valuable hands-on experience. Through that experience, I realized the restaurant industry was not the right fit for me, but it strengthened my interest in entrprenuership and creating community-centered experiences.

After college, I worked briefly as an event planner, where I discovered my love of bringing people together. After starting a family, I became deeply involved in my local community of Athens, GA. As a homeschool parent, I spent years volunteering and planning events for local nonprofits and the homeschool community. I later taught classes at a homeschool co-op and eventually opened a nonprofit homeschool community with other parents. These experiences allowed me to further develop skills in leadership, program development, event planning, and community building.

While I found this work meaningful, I felt there was still a gap in the opportunities available to children and teens. I envisioned a space where kids could congregate autonomously outside of school and home, a space where young children could create, explore interests, build friendships outside of their circles, and develop confidence. That vision became Fox Den Third Space.

Drawing on the business planning skills I had learned years earlier, I developed a business plan and brought it to the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. With their guidance and support, I began turning the idea into reality. What started as a concept grew into a community-centered space offering classes, camps, clubs, creative opportunities and social connections for children and teens.

Today, Fox Den Third Space serves families throughout the Athens area by providing a welcoming environment where young people can play, create, learn, and belong. My journey has been shaped by entrepreneurship, education, event planning, and community engagement, and Fox Den is the culmination of those experiences. As we approach our first anniversary this August, I am incredibly grateful for the community that has embraced my vision and excited to continue growing and serving Athens in the years ahead!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. The biggest challenge was finding and securing the right location for Fox Den Third Space. I signed a lease on my first location and invested significant time and energy, only to discover that zoning and permitting issues would prevent the project from moving forward as planned. Losing that location was both financially and emotionally difficult. I then pursued another promising space, but the lease was denied because the owners chose not to allow children’s businesses. Those obstacles ultimately led me to the location Fox Den calls home today, which happens to be in the area I originally hoped to be located. What felt like rejection at the time was actually redirection, leading me to the right location and reaffirming how deeply I believed in the vision.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think my first question answered everything but in addition to that, I put a lot of thought into getting the branding right from the beginning. I knew Fox Den Third Space’s branding needed to appeal to children and parents. I enlisted the help of a local branding studio, Calor Creative, and they nailed it. I continue to get so many compliments about our logo and overall branding.

At Fox Den Third Space, we offer classes, clubs, and camps for kids and teens ages 5+. We, also host teen nights and community events. Kids can drop in to use our facilities: bouldering wall, makerspace, library nooks, fort building, Dungeons and Dragons room, and teen lounge or take one of our classes, like miniature crafts, snack making, inventor’s lab or instrument petting zoo. We offer memberships and drop-ins, so families can utilize our space based on their changing needs. No commitment to taking the same class every week or coming at the same time.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think every entrepreneur has to be a little in denial. If you fully focused on all the reasons something might fail, many great ideas would never get off the ground. You have to believe wholeheartedly that your vision can work and that the risks you’re taking will ultimately be worth it. For me, risk-taking is not about being reckless. It is about having faith in your vision, doing your homework, and being willing to move forward even when you cannot see the entire path ahead. Meaningful things, like opening Fox Den Third Space, requires taking meaningful risks.

Pricing:

• $15 an hour
• Various Membership Options which come out to ~$4 to $8 an hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.foxdenthirdspace.com/
• Instagram: @foxdenthirdspace
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566803425716