Building a thriving coworking community means forging real, meaningful connections with your local ecosystem. That is everyone from yoga instructors to coffee roasters and executive coaches.
In a recent Coworking Convo, Cat Johnson brought together four industry experts to discuss how coworking spaces can create local partnerships that elevate their brand and deepen their impact.
Joining Cat were Anne Olsen from The Shop Workspace, Tim Hasse from General Provision Work Club, Sarah Athanas from Groundwork, and Hector Kolonas from Syncaroo and This Week in Coworking.
They shared insights, strategies, and plenty of real-world examples to inspire coworking operators to think bigger and partner smarter.
"You're bringing people who live near each other to work together. That's exciting," Anne said. And partnering with local businesses, nonprofits, and cultural institutions helps operators add value beyond the four walls of their space.
According to Anne, successful partnerships should achieve mutual amplification — where both parties talk about and support each other. She emphasized having a clear framework when evaluating opportunities, focusing on:
Anne recommended actively hunting for partners instead of waiting for them to come to you. She shared, "If I ever have a free 30 minutes, I'll scroll through Instagram or LinkedIn and just say, 'Hey, let's collaborate!'"
Anne also reminded attendees not to underestimate the power of swinging big. From offering free tickets to the local music festival to booking suites at NBA and NHL games, Anne has found creative ways to turn partnerships with major brands into member perks and community-building moments.
"These are the people driving your neighborhood’s economy," Anne said. "You have a whole ocean of business owners — and people will pay good money to get in front of them."
"We've thrown a lot at the wall over the last 10 years to see what sticks," Tim said. "But outbound, intentional partnerships tend to work best."
"Cast a wide net with relationships, then get discerning about which turn into partnerships," Sarah advised. "Trust is hardest to build when you need it the most."
Sarah outlined three types of partnerships:
She also reminded operators to align their vendors — banks, coffee suppliers, and more — with their mission for deeper community integration.
Hector also dropped a powerful tip: Measure the economic impact of your coworking space.
"Even if you just sit down with members and map out their day, you’ll start seeing how much money they spend locally," he said. "Put a number to it. You’ll be amazed — and it makes future partnerships and sponsorships way easier."
Building local partnerships isn’t just a nice idea — it’s a strategic move to grow your brand, deepen your community, and provide more value to your members.
As Cat Johnson wrapped up the session, she reminded us: Everything you do — every partnership you choose — sets a tone for your brand. Your members and your community are paying attention.
Coworking Convos is a monthly virtual event series hosted by Cat Johnson. In each conversation, a different topic is presented by guests with real experience, who are subject matter experts and walk the walk in the coworking and flex space industry.
Coworks is a proud sponsoring partner of Coworking Convos, and we have the privilege of sharing these dispatches afterward — spotlighting the juicy tidbits and powerful takeaways shared in the hour-long conversation.
But by no means does this replace the real value of being there! Check out the next Convo and be in the room when it happens.