Coworking

In the last few columns, I was talking about how we need to stop seeing ourselves as consumers and start thinking and acting as citizens. Being a good citizen means striving for social, environmental, and economic justice through sustainable activity. The critical element is the economic side. I don’t think any activity can be truly sustainable if it doesn’t provide a livelihood for those that tend it in addition to creating common wealth for all of our web of life. I want to report on a new way for us to be more productive citizens locally.
 
Island resident Carolyn Amick would like to introduce us to a new working arrangement that would enhance community, encourage new island business startups, save a great deal of time and energy spent commuting to the mainland, and allow for cooperative interaction that could improve the individual productivity of many that work there. This new concept which is taking root across the country and in Europe is coworking.
 
From Wikipedia: "Coworking is a style of work that involves a shared working environment, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike in a typical office environment, those coworking are usually not employed by the same organization. Typically it is attractive to work-at-home professionals, independent contractors, or people who travel frequently who end up working in relative isolation.
 
Coworking is also the social gathering of a group of people who are still working independently, but who share values, and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with like-minded talented people in the same space" In the coworking world it is known as "accelerated serendipity".
 
Coworking offers a solution to the problem of isolation that many freelancers experience while working at home, while at the same time letting them escape the distractions of home."
 
A coworking center can incorporate the printing, conferencing, and any other media/internet capability that would allow or enhance the ability of both employees and independent workers to do their job without having to go to the mainland.
 
Bolstering our community, our local economy and our nonprofit and for-profit productivity while lowering our carbon footprint is exactly what we need to be doing right now.
 
Carolyn is not given to idle talk; her resume includes an impressive history in the business world as well as being a founding board member of numerous Vashon organizations including our credit union, PSCCU, and the Burn Design Lab. Her current mentor is Brian Howe of the nearby coworking business, HUB Seattle, located in Pioneer Square, www.thehubseattle.com.
 
Some inspiring words from the HUB Seattle website: "For our civilization and planet to survive and thrive, entrepreneurship must mean more than simply creating products that drive profit. It must be about driving value for society and doing it in a way that is as sustainable as possible – either nonprofit or for-profit – that supports the ecosystem of our communities and economy, and that measures how ventures add to the common good with the same fervor by which we measure profit."
 
It goes on: "While for-profit companies risk a myopic focus on shareholder profitability to the detriment of the true reach and impact they could have, nonprofits companies risk relying too much on noble intentions and historic charity dollars that are quickly dwindling. Both business models have the opportunity to learn from each other in terms of tracking metrics, building value for customers, earning revenue, and increasing efficiency."
 
Caroline is well along on launching Vashon’s HUB, to be known as HUB070. It will be located in the Spinnaker Building just north of Chase Bank. About half way toward registering enough launch partners to get it off the ground, she is looking for 4-6 more launch partners who will receive six months worth of prepaid 24/7 desk space at a discounted rate of $250/mo. Once established, other arrangements, part time usage, etc. could cost less.
 
For starters she envisions a modest, but sufficient office space, but eventually HUB070 could include classrooms and community meeting spaces, and incorporate physical productive capacity as well. Actually the model is wide open and could evolve here in any number of ways. It seems to me that a cooperative organization like this could be an excellent use for the K2 facilities.
 
Many of us who commute to the mainland for work are extremely happy to have the opportunity to experience the stimulation and change of pace that city life offers. Others of us have no choice in that we have to be physically present to perform our jobs. For the rest of us, being able to work on the island would be a winner for Vashon as well as for the planet.
 
If you are interested in finding out more about this project, you can get in touch with Carolyn. Phone; 206 755 9972 or email: camick@gmail.com.
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terry@vashonloop.com