Urban Co-Works curates meaningful connections

The Opportunity

Their journey began in March 2017 with the launch of their flagship location in Schenectady, New York. Since then, Urban Co-Works has  opened a location in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Holyoke in Western Massachusetts. Each location reflects their mission to foster connection, growth, and opportunity in communities poised for renewal.

When Goronkin set out to launch Urban Co-Works, coworking was still a relatively new concept. Especially so in upstate regions outside major metro areas. Most people didn’t understand what coworking spaces entailed beyond simply shared office rentals.

But Goronkin envisioned coworking as far more than just desks and wifi. He envisioned communities centered around hospitality where members felt genuinely cared for — where a cup of their favorite coffee would be waiting when they arrived in the mornings, and where they could strike up a casual conversation with the community manager if they hit an afternoon lull.

While typically focusing their growth to markets with minimal options for coworking, Goronkin has seen this opportunity play out in Western Massachusetts at their Holyoke location and in Scranton Pennsylvania.

The Experience

Five years since opening (and relocating) their flagship Schenectady location, the Urban Co-Works team continues prioritizing hospitality as a core tenet. They've discovered it helps cultivate loyal members who feel more like family than customers.

Director of Operations Tiffany Cross-Luciani sees it play out every day. She explained,

“One of our members literally tells me he likes to decompress at the front desk. He comes over and talks about the weather outside — it really changes his whole day. And the person at the front desk makes all the difference.”

From troubleshooting tech issues to adding sound panels for noise reduction per member requests, the Urban Co-Works team emphasizes responsive care. They also look for innate hospitality skills when hiring community managers.

As Goronkin explained, “It's very hard to institutionalize hospitality. It’s a feeling — if you see a member struggling, you jump in to help.”

The Results

The team chose Coworks software to manage members, check-ins, automate billing, send announcements and more — and connect their campuses for a seamless experience.

At the end of the day, Urban Co-Works locations feel as much like second homes as workplaces thanks to the people-first approach instilled across their hospitality-driven operations. Whether they ultimately expand to five sites or 50, providing top-notch member experiences will remain priority one.