Coworking: a value proposition for neighborhoods (2015)

This 2016 slide deck outlined OPEN’s approach to connecting collaborative workspaces, entrepreneurship and member communities. Prepared for a coworking meetup on 5 February 2016, it described workspace connections as a way to support innovation, job creation, proximity and collaboration among entrepreneurs, corporations, professionals and policymakers. The presentation framed community building as distinct from conventional networking and emphasized neutrality, trust, equal participation and cooperation across economic, social, cultural, geographical and professional divides. It also introduced the my.open virtual platform as an operational and social layer linking multiple spaces. Proposed functions included membership administration, meeting-room bookings, purchases, member and organisation directories, discussion, idea exchange and access to financial and non-financial benefits. The deck argued that member self-service could allow workspace teams to devote more attention to community building while expanding connections beyond individual locations. Photographs illustrated OPEN and Workshop17 environments and events, while a platform screenshot showed a searchable member directory spanning locations. The slides did not identify an individual presenter or provide quantitative evidence about the claimed benefits.

Key findings

• OPEN positioned entrepreneurship as a driver of change, innovation and job creation that could connect entrepreneurs, corporations, professionals and policymakers.
• The my.open platform combined membership administration, room booking and purchases with member connections, discussion and idea exchange.
• The deck stated that self-provisioning could shift attention toward community building and help enlarge the community through social and member benefits.

Presented at Coworking Europe 2016