Founded by Irene Lehrer Sandalow, SketchPad is part of a limited collection of global Jewish-themed co-working spaces, including
New York,
Encinitas (California),
London, and
Melbourne. The concept took shape in 2015, a year after Lehrer Sandalow relocated to
Chicago with her husband. Engaged in remote work on a project for the
Union for Reform Judaism during that period, she conceived the idea of SketchPad. Following collaborative discussions with local Jewish organizations and successful grant acquisitions, she established SketchPad in 2017.[6][7][8]