DUMBO — DUMBO companies are coming up with creative ways to address lack of commercial office space in the small but booming tech neighborhood on the river.
Dumbo Start-up Lab rents out desk space in their 2,300 square foot loft, Green Desk provides monthly office space rentals, and coffee shops such as the Archway Café offer free Wi-Fi for the first few hours of work.
On Thursday, the DUMBO Improvement District launched Pop-Up Loosecube, providing workers with workspaces on the picnic tables under the Manhattan Bridge Archway.
Anna Thomas, co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Loosecubes, which was founded in 2010, compares her company to a dating site. But instead of finding a love match, members find co-worker and space matches.
“We try to match workers with workspaces that fit their professional and fun needs,” Thomas said. “If we do our job right, coworkers will have productive work days and serendipitous interactions.”
What else makes Loosecubes different? It's all free. Hosts provide their desk space in exchange for access to 1000 plus workspaces that Loosecubes provides around the world. From a converted church in Stockholm to a hammock on the beach in Panama, these spaces are like gold to the traveling worker.
Hosts also get networking opportunities that could lead to great new partnerships.
“One of our members recently met a web designer that he will begin work with,” Thomas said. “We create those types of opportunities.”
And for the month of August, Loosecubes is taking the show on the road, or under the bridge to be more exact.
On Thursdays all month, Loosecubes members can sign up for one of 30 workspaces. Along with the space, they also get free Wi-Fi and next-door access to food (and beer) from Brooklyn Flea food vendors. And they'll sit alongside other artists, web designers, tech industry workers, and freelancers.
“Who you work with really matters,” Thomas said. “With the right mix, a magical coworker experience can occur.”
Become a member and sign up for workspace under the bridge here.
