GCUC Podcast - Coworking, Hospitality & The Future of Work

For a year now we have gotten so comfortable having the choice around our workspace, but could it possibly all end in the upcoming months, or will we be able to continue? Eager for the continuous change, John Williams, CMO of The Instant Group, explains the need for community within corporations and what flex could do for corporations. He uncovers what it means for corporate employees to have anim...

Melissa Schilo, JLL Flex America Solutions Lead for Flex Workspace, speaks on the time for disruption in the real estate industry. We explore what Schilo learned about her needs, mental health and how they became a habit post-pandemic, Schilo dives into if flex is the biggest trend to look out for in corporate real estate. Leaning into her vast knowledge and experience, Schilo delivers on how indu...

Signing onto long-term and even short-term agreements with no room for shrinkage or expansion is exactly what flex is trying to get corporations to move away from. Join Jerome Fried, Director of Real Estate for Industrious, who talks about the changes in corporate real estate and how flex is changing the game in regards to office leasing. He examines the need for a communal work environment and ho...

Leading like-minded people in Costa Rica, Liran Rosenfeld, creator of Yoko Village, shares his vision for a coworking community that is all about living a balanced lifestyle. Dive in and learn how Yoko Village came to be and why Liran believes community is a vital part in the evolution of workspace and real estate. Pointing out the positives in the community, Liran gives insight into how the works...

Angie O'Grady and Liz Elam talk about how Angie became a maven in recruiting for the coworking/flexible workspace industry. We cover where where she looks for talent and how to retain good talent. We talk about he importance of a thank you, mental health and the most common hiring mistakes. It's a dense podcast. Be sure to like and follow for more! #coworking #hiring #flexible #workspace #realesta...

From the executive suites of the 1960s, the business centers of the 1980s, to the coined named “coworking” of 1999 – our industry has steadily grown with a continued focus on community and collaboration. The pandemic brought on the largest WFH experiment of all time and was the tipping point coworking needed to be fully embraced by the real estate market as flexible workspace. Work from home, work...

After rediscovering her love for cooking, Aassia Haq, Vice President of Talent Marketing at MBO Partners, talks about the efficiency behind lean technology models that allow for complete engagement. We explore what keeps Aassia focused, travel through an armchair experience, and the reluctant inevitability of artificial intelligence. Aassia talks about creating channels of engagement, the state of...

Join Chris James, Vice President of Business Development at essensys as he talks about digitally, secured network infrastructure, perfecting the simplification of operations and the flexibility that comes with it. Chris talks about improving the offering for tenants to create a positive user experience, the changing work cadence, and technology for real estate. We explore the importance of work cu...

With New Zealand leading the pack, Jessica Knapp, Founder at Bright Work talks about the big coworking bounce back, and how landlords are trying to get in on the game. Jessica talks about the importance of connectivity, technology consulting for coworking spaces, and supporting the internal member experience. We explore how branching out on her own made Jessica feel professionally more adrift than...

The acceleration and opportunity of technology, the importance of voice communication, and how to stay psychologically solid amidst a global crisis is all unpacked by Brian Meece, CEO at GreenlightGO. Brian talks about his journey from his back of napkin ideas to watching a full fledge movement through his new lense, the content boom, and his dual sided marketplace platform for production. We expl...

Explore technology advancement during the pandemic, how people are adjusting to working outside of the traditional office, and the role of company culture. Join Liz Elam and research team leader, Melissa Gregg, Chief Technologist, User Experience and Sustainability at Intel as they talk about transitions to remote work, agile work practices, and distributed work locations as the new normal. Meliss...

Aassia Haq, Vice President of Talent Marketing at MBO Partners talks with Liz Elam about the importance of optimism during this time of extreme flux, the Texas snowmageddon, and 2021 being all about resilience. We explore the commitment to flexibility as businesses continue to operate under the single, core principle of uncertainty, growing with the fluid industry, and serving customers in an opti...

Daan van Rossum, CEO at Dreamplex talks with Liz Elam about what happens when you put a strategist in a coworking space and the innovative perspective that comes with it. We explore workplace experience as a service, the 5 years of research behind it, expanding in a post COVID world, and tips on breaking the mold to do something different. As the Chief Experience Officer, Daan talks about the univ...

Advocacy around race, culture, ethnic identity and the flexibility that should come with it. Melissa Marsh, Founder and Executive Director at PLASTARC talks about her career dedication to helping buildings and people work better together. We explore the hybrid work environment, the number one problem we face in the future of the workplace experience, asking people what they want, and security. We...

With Australia leading the charge, Tori Shepherd, WELL Faculty, LEED GA talks about air quality as a human right, the science behind it, and how the focus of building design and health is changing the future of our world. Tori talks about how she facilitates the implementation of WELL building standards to help buildings reach their environmental, ESG, and general workplace wellness goals. We expl...

Everything changed, 15 years ago when Philip’s big picture view went from technology fueled to human driven. The founder at Ozadi, Philip Vanhoutte, talks about how his childhood journey in a full force quality customer service upbringing helped foster his altruism and enthusiasm about the potential of human beings. We explore how he got involved with WELL, what spaces actually need for us to work...

Explore the number one lifestyle risk that impacts work, how to design around it and how to pay closer attention to it. Join Liz Elam and award winning, Kay Sargent, Senior Principal & Director of WorkPlace at HOK as they talk about design for the neurodiverse, the neurotypical, how most of us are grossly unaware of our sensitivities and how that affects our work. With no fear of speaking her...

Liz Elam and Larissa Murphy, Co-Founder at Contrast talk about how she turned the design approach upside down to achieve high density coworking without a bunch of straight boring corridors - think origami. Together they talk about the importance of challenging design in new and innovative ways to create an experience and moving away from oppressive work environments. As a guest lecturer in psychol...

Liz Elam and Jenny Poon, founder and CEO at CO+HOOTS talk about where it all began, where it is now, and where Jenny is going next. We explore how Jenny’s parents continue to fuel her love for creating equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems with their own inspiring story of perseverance and persistence. We talk about the importance of lowering the risk of entrepreneurship and small businesses, espec...

Liz Elam and Jean-Yves Huwart, founder at Social Workplaces and the Coworking Europe Conference talk about how they met and how Jean-Yves began. We explore the survival of coworking during the pandemic and how to keep high quality connection through each lock down wave. We talk about future offerings, high coworking demand and how we are going to handle the “coworking bonanza”. You’re going to lov...

Liz Elam and Nick Clark, founder and CEO at Common Desk talk about how they met and how Nick eventually bought Liz’s coworking brand. We explore tactics Nick is using to raise morale and check in on all of the Common Desk team during the pandemic. We talk about expansion, deals, and how GCUC was a major player in Common Desk’s early years. You’re gonna enjoy it! #gcucpodcast #NickClark #CommonDesk...

In this episode, Liz Elam interviews Claire Carpenter, founder and CEO at The Melting Pot – Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation. We explore the motivations guiding the genius behind the first coworking space in Scotland, the accelerating trajectory of coworking and the human ecology driving it all. Claire discusses the highs and lows that are plaguing us all, taking care of oneself and keeping...

In this episode, Liz Elam interviews Reeves Wiedeman, contributing editor at New York Magazine and author of Billion Dollar Loser. We got a first look at the inside story of the rise and fall of WeWork and CEO, Adam Neumann. Whether positive or negative, it is undeniable that WeWork changed the world and facilitated a massive shift in coworking culture. What do you think? Don’t forget to order Bil...

In this episode Liz Elam interviews Neal Gemassmer, Vice President International at Yardi Systems. We talk about how COVID is impacting Yardi and their employees. We discuss why Yardi is strategically focusing on Coworking and the Flexible workspace industry. We also learned about Yardi's impressive commitment to giving back. Give it a listen!

We facilitated a conversation (on zoom) about communication during racial unrest with three accomplished and notable black leaders who specialize in Diversity and Inclusion. Valerie Williams formerly led Diversity & Inclusion efforts at Airbnb and Stripe and is now the Managing Partner and Founder of her own practice the Converge Firm. Rory Verrett served as head of talent acquisition of talen...