Podcasts about cohip

Ashley Proctor, Founder of Creative Blueprint, Coworking Canada, and COHIP, is one of the founders of the coworking movement. She shares her experiences designing coworking environments as catalysts for creative and business synergy with economic sustainability and social impact. Ashley explains the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and how intentional community-building leads to long-term success. She emphasizes how coworking represents a shift in how people connect, co-create, and thrive together shaping the future of work.      TAKEAWAYS   [01:45] Ashley Proctor chooses to study art and design for its creative problem solving.   [02:34] Ashley feels at home with people at college who are all ‘a little bit weird'!     [03:42] Space issues during a renovation lead Ashley to create a shared study and learning environment.   [04:55] XSpace is created to provide an external, student-run environment which has lasting impact.    [06:22] Coworking for artists looks different than for information workers with laptops.   [06:51] The Foundry building creates a maker space for artists, entrepreneurs, and tech startups.    [07:53] Cross-industry coworking results in artists being more entrepreneurial and entrepreneurs being more creative in problem-solving.   [09:49] 312 Main transforms a former police building into a coworking hub focused on social impact.   [12:18] A bold vision and complex situation requires extensive community consultation and is a slow build.    [13:34] Co-creation stimulates the necessary transformation supported by the local community.   [14:40] Thoughtful coworking design includes harm reduction, de-escalation strategies, and cultural inclusivity. [24:00] The coworking movement is rooted in accessibility, inclusion, and empowering independent workers. [26:30] COHIP (Coworking Health Insurance Plan) emerges to address gaps in coverage for freelancers. [29:00] Ashley's personal health crisis highlights the need for sustainable, independent health coverage.  [31:30] COHIP expands to serve artists, entrepreneurs, and small businesses across Canada. [34:00] The IDEA Project challenges coworking spaces globally to enhance inclusivity and accessibility. [37:00] Coworking is about fostering connections and collaboration, not just providing office space. [39:30] Larger organizations can benefit from coworking's agility and cross-pollination of ideas. [42:00] Companies are increasingly funding coworking memberships to support hybrid work needs. [45:00] Employees thrive with autonomy in choosing coworking spaces that suit different tasks. [47:30] Coworking hubs in rural areas provide professional environments without long commutes. [50:00] Ashley shifts focus to mentorship and ensuring long-term sustainability of coworking models. [53:00] Community land trusts and coworking hubs can serve multiple civic and emergency functions. [56:00] Larger organizations should see coworking as a strategic investment, not just a perk. [58:30] Flexible workspaces help companies reduce costs, improve retention, and boost productivity. [1:01:00] Coworking spaces offer expertise in workplace design, benefiting both employees and companies. [1:03:30] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Your company can benefit from coworking by realizing lease cost savings, the coworking provider's informed use of assets, tools, and space, and improved employee wellbeing and retention.  This episode emphasizes how coworking drives innovation, inclusivity, and economic growth while providing practical benefits for individuals and organizations alike.  RESOURCES  QUOTES  Verbatim Quotes from Ashley Proctor Episode Title: Coworking as a Catalyst for Innovation and Community  "Working as a movement."  "I feel like I'm solving problems and sometimes founding an entity is the way to do it, to continue to solve it for other folks."  "When we build those spaces with intention, we can have a lot of layered impact."  "I've been saying from the beginning that what we're doing really is about what we're doing when we're working together."  "The magic that happens when we work together."  "It was a massive vision for a very complex space in a complex neighborhood."  "The key pillars, like I said, is that essential upfront communication, so the design and what we're working towards is fully community-led and then community-centered."  "Coworking is about what happens when we work together."  "The coworking movement and industry remains inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible."  "The diversity and the collaboration is what makes it work."  "To empower their employees to do their best work, they need to give them that flexibility of choice as well."  "I'm seeing a lot of growth in rural communities or outside of the urban core, where people don't want to commute all the way downtown to go to work."  "Happy and healthy employees are productive and loyal employees."  "We don't need to maintain headquarters in these office spaces around the world that are mostly empty."  "We are really just starting to see this blossom around the world."   

Ashley Proctor is the Founder of Creative Blueprint, Coworking Canada, and COHIP. Creative Blueprint collaborates with local citizens, community organisers, unions, collectives, coworking leaders, community groups, lawmakers, activists, allies, and government representatives as they shape the new work landscape. Ashley joins Alex for this episode as they talk about the upcoming Coworking Europe Event: How To Transform Diversity And Inclusion Into A Driver Of Growth that is going to be live-streamed on the 1st of December at 14:15 - 15:05 CET. Ashley will be hosting the event with our very own Director, Jeannine van der Linden.

This week I spoke with Ashley Proctor from Creative Blueprint, COHIP (the Coworking Health Insurance Plan), and GCUC Canada. Ashley is one of the pioneers and champions of the coworking movement. She's been building community for

In this conversation, Ashley Proctor and I we talk about the difference between the coworking industry and the coworking movement. There are a number of things that stood out for me in this episode. Build something for community larger than you. Build something for people. Ashley points out that she is driven to build things for people. Essentially, that is the difference between coworking the industry and coworking the movement. The industry focuses on the Real Estate play while the movement focus on the people. For the movement, it is not about the space, it about the people. What drives Ashley is building something bigger than herself and building something for people. Building something for a larger community. Work towards dismantling loneliness, accelerating serendipity, and making meaningful human connections. For Ashley, Coworking firstly a verb. It is a shared office space for people who work independently or remotely. It is about having the freedom to choose where and when you working. Ashley gets a lot of meaning from her work because its not about subdividing space, it is about people. Focus on the mission or purpose of what you are doing, and it will help you build great things. She things of building spaces like planting a flag where people can meet connect and build the future. Surround yourself with people who care about you have your success in mind. At the heart of building coworking spaces is building a community where you surround yourself with people want you do well, people want you to be the best, they want you to be strong. Instead of saying no, show people what you are building. I asked Ashley about how they say no, when curating communities. Ashley pointed out that sometimes you do not need to say no. Let people self-select. Show them the space, explain what you are trying to build and if it works for them, they will opt-in. You build big things one tiny step at a time. When you are trying to build something that people think is impossible you do it one step at time. Focus on putting one tiny piece after another and rally more people together. Bring people together to build the future with you. When bad things happen to you separate what happened from your identity. An event or misfortune does not thing does not define you. I found this to be a very profound reminder and I have seen many people struggle to not let bad things define them. It is a very privileged things to say but it is important that we not let misfortune consume us and define who we are. You can reach Ashley and learn more about all of her projects (including COHIP and GCUC Canada) by visiting her website www.CreativeBlueprint.caYou can learn more about the 312 Main project by visiting www.312Main.ca

In this conversation, Ashley Proctor and I we talk about the difference between the coworking industry and the coworking movement. There are a number of things that stood out for me in this episode. Build something for community larger than you. Build something for people. Ashley points out that she is driven to build things for people. Essentially, that is the difference between coworking the industry and coworking the movement. The industry focuses on the Real Estate play while the movement focus on the people. For the movement, it is not about the space, it about the people. What drives Ashley is building something bigger than herself and building something for people. Building something for a larger community. Work towards dismantling loneliness, accelerating serendipity, and making meaningful human connections. For Ashley, Coworking firstly a verb. It is a shared office space for people who work independently or remotely. It is about having the freedom to choose where and when you working. Ashley gets a lot of meaning from her work because its not about subdividing space, it is about people. Focus on the mission or purpose of what you are doing, and it will help you build great things. She things of building spaces like planting a flag where people can meet connect and build the future. Surround yourself with people who care about you have your success in mind. At the heart of building coworking spaces is building a community where you surround yourself with people want you do well, people want you to be the best, they want you to be strong. Instead of saying no, show people what you are building. I asked Ashley about how they say no, when curating communities. Ashley pointed out that sometimes you do not need to say no. Let people self-select. Show them the space, explain what you are trying to build and if it works for them, they will opt-in. You build big things one tiny step at a time. When you are trying to build something that people think is impossible you do it one step at time. Focus on putting one tiny piece after another and rally more people together. Bring people together to build the future with you. When bad things happen to you separate what happened from your identity. An event or misfortune does not thing does not define you. I found this to be a very profound reminder and I have seen many people struggle to not let bad things define them. It is a very privileged things to say but it is important that we not let misfortune consume us and define who we are. You can reach Ashley and learn more about all of her projects (including COHIP and GCUC Canada) by visiting her website www.CreativeBlueprint.caYou can learn more about the 312 Main project by visiting www.312Main.ca

[01.06] Kassem and Hugh Background. The Idea behind Good Gorilla [04.35] The Majority Demographic of Good Gorilla Member [06.16] The process to be Good Gorilla Member [07.27] Mentorship in Good Gorilla [10.55] The Healthcare COHIP [11.55] Coworking Space Landscape in Toronto [13.53] Funding [17.24] The Meaning of the Station Name [21.18] The Future of Good Gorilla

In this episode, Tony talks to Devon Carr, a dynamic advocate for indie workers in Vancouver. He's managing director of COHIP, founder of the Livelihood Institute, and has some amazing stories to share about his own entrepreneurial journey. Tune in, and get your ticket to meet Devon, myself, and so many more great folks at GCUC Canada now! http://canada.gcuc.co

Ashley Proctor joins me to chat about GCUC Canada, now in its second year. We chat about the people attending, speaker topics and my favorite, the unconference! I also ask Ashley about COHIP - the coworking insurance program she founded, and managing life and work between three cities and two countries. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Tony interviews Ashley Proctor of GCUC Canada, COHIP, Foundery, Creative Blueprint, Coworking Toronto, Coworking Ontario, and more. Among other things, we'll talk about the intersection of coworking and artist studios and the value of diversity, as well as the upcoming conferences in Beijing and Montreal.