Ste Fania, Italia

1) Could you introduce yourself?

With other 4 people we are coworking managers of www.lab121.org a nonprofit italian association.

2) Please tell us about your coworking space?

lab121 it’s both a community and a coworking space based in the North of Italy, between Milan, Genoa and Turin. We have an open office space, a closed office, a meeting room and a kitchen. Our community it’s made of about 160 coworkers. The coworkers have the opportunity to work in our space, to network using our web site, to participate to coworking business meetings, training courses, programs on the radio and write on lab121’s blog about their professional skills and business interests.

3) Do you have some special plans (events) during worldwide jelly week?

We coordinate the italian Jelly, all the coworking centres in Italy will work on: people exchanges between coworking centers (mobility between coworkers), writing a Manifesto of coworking values, amelliorate the graphic impact of the jelly’s logo and web site. Moreover on the 16 of January anyone can go to a coworking in italy (between the one that participate to the event) and cowork or participate to the jelly for free.

4) What is your unique points to improve community relations? / How do you improve community relations?

Using the web site, organizing events and connecting the coworkers by knowing their personal and professionals skills and working projects.

5) please tell us your references you got the above skills to manage community.

We are 5 coworking managers and we have different skills. Two of us have worked in the training sector, one as a graphic design, another in a Industry as a Manager and the last in the administrative area.
Managing a community needs organizational skills and be “people oriented” and we are, we believe in what we do, in the power of people and of coworking.

6) Generally, do you organize weekly and monthly events at your space? (ex, Friday-jelly, Sunday-reading club)

Yes, generally monthly events, like business speed meetings, present yourself and projects in 5 minutes, art exibitions, business games, meetings about the freelancing world, are just some examples.

7) Let us know the most exciting project for you launched from coworking space.

Business pills. 4 coworkers have decided to give a support the the members of our coworking nonprofit association by giving advices on startupping, career coaching, web communication and fundraising.

8) What is the most interesting as a space owner/ communication manager?

Know a lot of interesting people, learn about different projects and type of business, fell you’re doing something good for others.

9) Your visions and hope for coworking in the future.

In the future the paradigm of work will change and we will have more people working in coworking centres. That means that people will have a good work life balance, will have the opportunity to be involved in different business projects and work as freelancers. Our hope is that coworking centers can be partipate from the Institutions but managed by the coworkers.

10) Let me add a few words to conclude.

lab121 is just a year old, but it seems older thanks to the amazing partecipation of the coworkers. Thanks everybody.