Expert Interview with Angel Kwiatkowski
Angel Kwiatkowski is the founder of Cohere (Fort Collins, Colorado / USA). Her passion: connecting people. For us she is not only an absolute expert in the worldwide coworking community but also a great support. We had a chat with Angel. Read how she is involved in coworking:
Interview
Hey Angel! Thanks for finding the time to chat with us and share your thoughts on coworking.
When did you first get involved in the coworking movement??
I started Cohere at the end of 2009 after I had been fired from what I thought was my dream job. I wanted to be around smart creative people and I thought coworking was the answer.
What does coworking mean to you?
To me, coworking means friendship. It’s connection and community and a social safety net all rolled into one. I think it’s life-changing.
What are your learnings from running a coworking business for almost a decade?
First, {as a future coworking space owner} I would ask {myself} to really soul-search about why {I} want to start a coworking space. What pain {am I} solving? Do {I} really need to start a space or can I just plug in to an existing community?
Second, {I} would do a deep-dive on what pain {I} will solve for others. If {I} can’t describe in detail what the pains of my community members are, then I have no business trying to create a solution for others.
Third, {future space owners} should spend A LOT of time getting to know people, joining other groups and gathering people together for a year or more before signing a lease.
“Connection and community and a social safety net all rolled into one. I think it’s life-changing”
– Angel Kwiatkowski about Coworking
Which developments are you seeing in the area of coworking and new work trends?
I think regional alliances and conferences among coworking space owners will create the next big shift in collaboration between nearby spaces. Once this is solidified, we’ll be better positioned to unite independently-owned spaces across the globe. This unified voice will be larger and more influential than any franchise or chain coworking company.
How are you involved in the international movement?
I feel that I’m super connected with other owners in the US and Canada. I’m very active online answering questions in a variety of formats for folks who are starting up coworking spaces. One day, I’d like to be able to attend Coworking EU but it hasn’t been in the budget… yet. I have also written 3 books and multiple inexpensive resources to help people start coworking spaces at diycoworking.com.
What kind of news feeds, etc. are you following to stay up-to-date?
I can recommend setting a Google alert for both “coworking” and “co-working” every day, looking for outlier articles beyond new space announcements. I also keep my ears open for articles about #loneliness, #friendship, #neighborliness and #sharing.
How can newcomers get involved in helping the coworking community grow?
Attend a coworking conference, whether it’s a small regional one or any of the many GCUCs around the world. If possible, attend the GCUC Canada one coming up this fall.
Who else do you think, should people talk to or have heard about?
Pay attention to what Cat Johnson, Alex Hillman and Susan Dorsch write on Twitter.
Is there a special project you are currently working on and that you would like to get people involved with?
I’m excited that my local coworking alliance, fo(co)works, partners with a non-profit for each of our events. We collect money for the organization. We’re close to having raised $2,000 in just three events in the past 2 years.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Keep adding stuff and improving Cobot. I like it very much. ☺
You can find Angel and Cohere online here: