Week 21, 2025

Veery, co-founded by Johnny Yeh and Vickey Li (both previously at coworking brand OnePiece Work), has developed an innovative approach to office management by "fractionalizing" the role for companies with 5-25 employees. The company focuses on transforming affordable Class B buildings into premium Class A experiences by providing comprehensive office management services to the tenants, at approximately 25% of the cost of a full-time on-staff manager.

Veery’s process involves understanding each client’s culture and needs through an intensive month-long onboarding process, creating spaces that reflect company values and making offices truly "commute-worthy." The startup has built strategic partnerships with venture capital firms and property managers, positioning itself as a solution for the post-pandemic workplace where companies need quality office experiences but can’t justify full-time management staff.

We’re seeing new services like Veery, Codi and Tandem fill in various voids within the CRE market for small businesses that are looking for dedicated space of their own, but with the amenities or flexible terms of coworking. Industy leaders have been exploring spinning out coworking-perfected solutions to provide enterprise-level type services without the enterprise-sized price tag.

Josh Dane of Runway East delivered a passionate appeal at the recent Flexible Space Association Conference, urging coworking companies to consider hiring teachers seeking career changes.

Drawing from his own challenging transition from education to the flexible workspace industry, Dane highlights how the valuable skills teachers possess—exceptional time management, attention to detail, emotional intelligence, clear communication, and "customer service" experience with parents—make them ideal candidates for various roles. Despite applying to 70 companies during his career change with fewer than 10 even responding, Dane eventually found success at Runway East when their CEO, Natasha Guerra, took a chance on his "rogue" application.

Now thriving as Business Operations Manager, he advocates that "there are no junior, and very few mid-level, roles that a teacher couldn’t do," encouraging hiring managers to see beyond traditional experience and recognize the transferable skills educators bring to the workspace sector.

At the Flexible Space Association conference, Yardi‘s Justin Harley sparked industry debate by suggesting flex workspace operators should "disintermediate the brokers" to improve profit margins, noting that only 46% of flex operators are currently profitable according to Deskmag research. Harley proposed creating a Rightmove-style platform for the flex market, though he acknowledged such development could take up to 10 years.

However, Workthere‘s Tom Leahy countered that intermediaries democratize market access and level the playing field for operators of all sizes through their knowledge and efficient user experience.

The debate reflects growing tension in an industry where nearly 20% of operators aren’t profitable and another 36% barely break even, raising questions about whether direct-to-consumer models are inevitable or if brokers remain essential in the fragmented ecosystem.

Graham Clarke, CEO of Baseworx, shared a very thoughtful and insightful take on the importance of offering a trial day to prospective customers.

In today’s experience economy, allowing your space to speak for itself through direct interaction honors the human and tangible aspects that cannot be conveyed through websites or listings. The key to success lies in implementing seamless systems—from booking to check-in to follow-up—that prioritize a pressure-free, natural experience without aggressive sales tactics, ultimately letting the workspace’s genuine qualities drive conversion.

The Trampery, a mission-driven workspace provider dedicated to making business a positive force in society, marked significant growth in 2024 with the addition of two locations, Wood Green in Haringey and Peckham Levels —a 95k sqft workspace transformed from a multi-storey car park into a thriving hub for arts, enterprise, and community action in Southwark.

Founded in 2009 as London’s first Tech City startup workspace, the organization now hosts over 700 members across its six London locations, with more than 50% being purpose-led businesses including social enterprises and charities. Beyond providing physical space, The Trampery runs learning initiatives like Evo Fashion and Evo Pioneers while maintaining community space programs in Tottenham that connect with local businesses. Their B Corp certification and Good Business Charter accreditation (maintained for over three years) demonstrate their commitment to social and environmental standards, with a pledge that by 2027, 75% of their members, partners, and suppliers will be purpose-led organizations.

The Trampery’s impact extends beyond workspace provision, having helped launch successful companies including Etsy, Citymapper, and Oatly, while reinvesting revenues into providing free training and discounted workspace for underrepresented groups.

Traditional lead generation strategies no longer work for coworking spaces in 2025, as customer journeys have become more fragmented and comparison-heavy. Spacebring recently highlighted how effective modern approaches include creative referral programs with tiered rewards and exclusive events, targeted email marketing with behavioral triggers and micro-segmentation, and authentic social media storytelling that showcases community soul over amenities.

Successful spaces are also offering rebranded free trials with creative names like "First Monday On Us," optimizing Google Business Profiles with regular updates and local SEO, and creating conversion-focused websites with live chat and virtual tours. The key shift is moving from generic mass marketing to precision targeting with personality, allowing spaces to be "unforgettable to the right few" rather than appealing to everyone.

Are you a coworking operator facing member complaints about address-related rejections when opening bank accounts, registering for government codes, or setting up business profiles? Sofia Stolberg of PilotoMail shares that the core issue stems from confusion between postal addresses (which require PMB numbers) and business addresses (which need physical office designations), as government agencies and financial institutions automatically reject PMB-formatted addresses.

Operators should educate members about when to use each address type, ensure business addresses include distinct suite numbers showing physical presence, and price virtual office services appropriately for serious business requirements. Clear communication about address compliance helps prevent member frustration and ensures coworking spaces serve clients who truly need legitimate business addresses rather than just convenient mail handling.

Lucy McInally shares some interesting facts we’d not previously heard regarding Charlotte Kirby and the story behind The Village Hive – like that a sold out TED event and a nearby coworking space who was showing the live feed led Charlotte deep into coworking communities.

Beyond flashy perks and Instagram-worthy interiors, what truly retains coworking members is the often invisible work of creating genuine belonging. Coworking champion Bernie Mitchell, speaks to how members stay for the "minor acts of social repair"—community managers who notice off days, fellow members who save seats without being asked, and predictable daily rhythms that create emotional safety. He highlights how cognitive load from complicated booking systems and unwritten social rules can overwhelm those with mental health challenges or neurodivergent individuals, causing them to quietly disappear. Mitchell emphasizes that successful spaces prioritize predictable rhythms and diverse representation, creating environments where people can "be seen without being watched."

On the heels of the news of expanding their network, The Malin knock it out of the park with a "Neighborhood Icon" campaign to promote the first of their new locations in a creative way… by recording and sharing thoroughly enjoyable videos featuring small business icons from around their neighborhoods.

Darin Andersen from The San Diego CoWorking Alliance (SDCA) announced two major initiatives following their recent meeting: CoWorking Week (August 9-16), which will open member spaces to the local business community, and the AI Reinvention Initiative that will transform coworking spaces into educational hubs for workforce development.

Operating since 2011, the SDCA brings together workspace leaders dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation through collaborative environments. Eight member spaces Ansir Cowork, Aquillius Innovation Hub, CoWork + Connect, Firestation Innovation Cowork, Ivy Street Cowork, NEST CoWork, Downtown Works, and Hera Hub, will participate in these initiatives designed to showcase the value of shared workspaces and advance technological skills throughout San Diego.

FlexWorld Series 2025 delivered key insights across sessions focused on shaping flexible workspace strategy amidst economic volatility and technological advancement. Industry leaders emphasized focusing on core offerings during turbulent times, with OfficeRnD‘s CEO Miro Miroslavov highlighting how coworking emerged stronger from the 2008 financial crisis.

Benchmarking emerged as a crucial tool, with the introduction of FlexIndex tracking key performance metrics across 3,000+ spaces globally and the Workspace Intelligence Network pooling data from 250+ UK locations to establish industry standards.

Another session explored AI and smart technology integration, featuring panelists who demonstrated how predictive occupancy models, dynamic pricing, and IoT-driven systems are transforming operations. Executives urged operators to adopt an experimental mindset toward AI implementation while ensuring solutions integrate properly with existing systems rather than implementing shallow chatbot solutions.