As soon as he heard that WeWork would soon be opening a new coworking space in Northeast Washington, Chris Lundberg “put on a hardhat and toured the space.” He picked the office he wanted and “moved in on opening day.”
That’s how the founder of Frakture became one of the first members of the newly opened WeWork Apollo. Lundberg and his team occupy an eight-desk office with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in lots of light.
He loves the location, and not just because it’s in the historic H Street corridor north of Capitol Hill. He also happens to live in the same building.
“My commute is six floors on the elevator,” he says.
WeWork Apollo is one of 10 WeWork buildings in and around D.C. It opened its doors at the beginning of July. Next on the roster is WeWork 80 M SE, set to open to the public in August.
Lundberg had long been a fan of WeWork — if fact, he became a member four years ago and has been based in four different locations. Today he couldn’t see himself working anywhere else.
WeWork is a global network of more than 150 coworking spaces that are specially designed to foster creativity and collaboration. WeWork’s mission is to encourage members to “make a life, not just a living,” and it accomplishes that through modern workspaces, opportunities to network with other professionals in their field, and connect with potential customers all over the world.
Those perks are important to Lundberg, who says he also loves the month-to-month leases and flexible spaces that can expand as his cutting-edge tech company adds more staff. Lundberg says his team “can just grow at our own pace, which has been fantastic for us.”
With its two new buildings, Lundberg says WeWork has “dramatically changed the startup environment in D.C.”
In WeWork’s 10 locations in and around D.C., there are spaces to accommodate companies of all sizes, from one-person startups to well-established corporations with hundreds employees.
Each WeWork location has its own personality, drawing different types of members. WeWork K Street, located on one of the best-known thoroughfares in Northwest, has a wide range of members, including lobbyists to law firms. WeWork Dupont Circle, on the other hand, has quite a few tech startups and nonprofit organizations.
The newly opened WeWork Apollo already has its own vibe. It’s attracting a younger crowd, many of them involved with consulting firms, educational groups, and socially conscious organizations. It’s also a favorite of foodies, being surrounded by great bars and restaurants.
WeWork 80 M SE is in an up-and-coming area near Nationals Park, home of baseball’s Washington Nationals. This location on three floors of a beautifully renovated building is great for government contractors and others who need easy access to the Capitol or Congressional office buildings.
Darius Baxter is a cofounder of the nonprofit GOOD Projects, which pairs young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods with inspirational mentors. He and his team will be moving into WeWork 80 M SE.
Baxter, originally introduced to WeWork through its co-living space WeLive in Crystal City, feels that having the support of the WeWork community helps organizations like his grow.
“The convenience of having everything there for us and having people there to support our vision is great,” he says. “You can’t replace that.”
