Interview with Lauren Anderson: Collaboration Movement

Some time ago, I came across an interesting article on PSFK.com, Working Alone and Together by Rachel Botsmann, author of Collaborative Consumption.

Collaborative Consumption describes the rapid explosion in traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping reinvented through network technologies on a scale and in ways never possible before.

I got triggered by the philosophy, that is quite similar to what we at Jelly say about coworking. Sharing. A few days after I read the article and after some research, I dropped Rachel and her team a few lines in order to have an interview. Lauren Anderson from the Collaborative Consumption team, and  Enterprise Hub Coordinator at Vibewire Youth Inc., a coworking space, answered all our questions about Collaborative Consumption, sharing, coworking etc. Enjoy the following interview that the  Jelly.gr’s team got with Lauren.

Jelly.gr: «Sharing is Contagious» - During the last years we see a trend of sharing goods, knowledge, ideas, spaces. We see communities offline and online gaining more and more impact even if they are of a very specific interest or because they are.
Collaborative lifestyles are becoming a common place. The question is if it is just an side effect of the economic crisis or is it a socioeconomic need?

LA: While the economic crisis has certainly encouraged people to be more economical and look for cost-saving solutions, there is a much greater driver of community and connection behind the surge in collaborative lifestyle choices. With Collaborative Consumption, we’re suddenly seeing neighbors reconnecting over a shared garden bed, people meeting up to share a common interest and travellers choosing to stay in other people’s houses for a more authentic experience. Online tools such as social networking platforms have also given us the opportunity to use the internet to enable real-life connections.

Jelly.gr: Coworking seems to be a new way of reorganizing work that has to be done, to develop projects in a more social way, empowering teamwork, social and communication skills. Some call it a “virtual company”, some think of it as a movement.

LA: The appeal of coworking lies not only in being part of a space where you can work on your own projects and be motivated in a more formal environment than home or a cafe, but also being surrounded by similar like-minded individuals looking to collaborate on or contribute to other projects.

Jelly.gr:Tell us how your coworking space was born? What is the story behind it?

LA: The Vibewire Enterprise Hub was established three years ago as part of  Vibewire Youth Inc, an organisation providing media and arts opportunities to young people. The Enterprise Hub provides desk space for creative and social entrepreneurs in Sydney, Australia. It began out of a realisation that often the biggest barrier to people starting their social change projects is the lack of a dedicated space where they can work. Cafes can be very distracting, and serviced offices are often too expensive for a new organisation. Starting a new project can also be very isolating, which is why Vibewire offers affordable space rental and a fantastic young entrepreneurial community to its members.

Jelly.gr: Running a coworking space: Community vs. Consumers? Is it only about business?

LA: A true coworking space has to be focused on community first and foremost. While it is possible to run a sustainable coworking business, the real benefits and appeal of a coworking space is the sense of community created by its members, with the support of the space manager. The value of this community is what establishes the value of the space itself.

Jelly.gr: What do you think is the most important thing about running a coworking space/community?

LA: For me, the most essential part is building relationships with each resident individually, and also fostering connections between residents. Looking for opportunities to share, collaborate and learn more about the work of all Vibewire Hub members means that people love coming to the space each day – not just so they can progress their work but so they can spend time with their coworking colleagues.

Jelly.gr: I am thinking of coworking spaces as hubs of innovation and creativity, places that develop the circumstances for social and economic change. What do you think?

LA: The spontaneity that exists when a group of people come together to work on different things creates a natural breeding ground for innovation and creativity. For this reason, coworking spaces are definitely hubs that cultivate these things. Because so many different people from different backgrounds, skillsets and viewpoints come together, it can also be a place where new ideas for social change emerge.

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