CO+HOOTS was named among the top 10 coworking spaces in the world last week by Ubiq, a San Francisco-based marketing company.
The collaborative working space, located on 11th and Washington streets, was listed ninth among spaces in Amsterdam, Thailand and Berlin. CO+HOOTS co-founder Jenny Poon said she believes the culture among the entrepreneurs helped the organization earn this recognition.
“We quickly realized the space isn’t about the physical space but the people,” Poon said. “We’re a space that really support entrepreneurship. We support people chasing their dreams. We create a culture that supports it.”
The 5-year-old company started when Poon was looking for a work space for her company eeko studio. The lack of affordable spaces for a small business attracted the company to the idea of sharing a space.
Sharing space with other businesses is how Poon fell in love with the idea of launching and assisting businesses, creating the culture CO+HOOTS has today. She said the open floor plan allows for a collaborative atmosphere.
Poon said a lot of coworking spaces value the structural beauty of the offices. “That’s not what builds a community,” she added.
According to Poon, other work spaces lack the environment provided by CO+HOOTS. She said it is special because it brings together people from all different backgrounds.
Sahil Saini of Akos, a marketing company with a space at CO+HOOTS, said he was not surprised by its top 10 placement.
“The culture they built is more than just the companies, more than entrepreneurship,” he said. “It’s growing with Phoenix rather than just making your company grow.”
Freelance graphic designer Vince Baarson said it was the environment that first attracted him.
“Aesthetically, I liked the look of it,” he said. “Everyone’s not totally separated in booths or cubicles. It’s much more open and friendly.”
He also named the different events CO+HOOTS provides, such as networking opportunities and “lunch-and-learn” sessions, as some of the space’s many attractions.
CO+HOOTS has several levels of membership designed to work for various types of members. Those who want to drop in for the day can do so for $15. For more frequent visitors, there’s a membership that allows unlimited access during open hours for $50 per month. Nest members get a permanent desk, alarm code, and key access anytime for $350 a month.
Nest membership is especially used by businesses looking to scale or expand into the area because they have a permanent address and are able to build connections in Phoenix, Poon said.
From the open floor plan and community culture right down to the in-house coffee shop run by one of CO+HOOTS members, the space is designed for the creative class, startups, big businesses and everyone in between.
“This is a space that gets people to share ideas and help people through the struggles they have,” Poon said. “A lot of companies that fail, fail because they don’t have the resources.”
This failure is something CO+HOOTS and Poon want to prevent.
“We create a culture of sharing here,” she said. “We provide resources in the form of collaboration and connection and access to a lot of amazing people.”
Contact the reporter at Kara.Carlson@asu.edu
