When DeShawn Brown stepped into the world of technology, it wasn’t just to build software. It was to solve real-world problems—problems he had encountered firsthand.
Today, as the founder and CEO of Coworks, Brown has taken his passion for community and innovation to the next level, creating a platform that helps coworking spaces thrive by integrating management, data, and growth strategies.
In an insightful conversation with Paul Clark, Managing Director of VentureSouth and host of the podcast *Venture In The South*, Brown shared his entrepreneurial journey, the birth of Coworks, and his vision for how flexible workspaces are shaping the future of how we work.
You can listen to the full interview here.
Brown didn’t start out as your typical tech entrepreneur. In fact, his early years were spent pursuing the arts, with a love for theater and creativity. "I’ve always wanted to be creative," Brown said. “I guess the jury’s out on how creative I really am, but I love problem-solving." It’s this love for solving problems that steered him toward technology. But unlike many who follow the traditional path of tech to entrepreneurship, Brown’s journey was the reverse.
“I didn’t get into tech and then become an entrepreneur. I got into entrepreneurship, which made me go into tech,” he explained. While studying computer science at NC State University, Brown’s entrepreneurial spirit took shape in the university’s entrepreneurship program, where he was part of a small group of students experimenting with new ideas and coding prototypes in the campus’s innovative workspace, affectionately called "The Garage."
The Garage, with its mix of couches, whiteboards, and budding entrepreneurs, planted the seeds for Brown’s fascination with coworking spaces—places where people could come together, collaborate, and build something bigger than themselves. It was the beginning of an entrepreneurial career that would one day lead him to create Coworks.
Before launching Coworks, Brown cut his teeth on his first entrepreneurial endeavor, Lithios, a mobile and web development agency he co-founded with friends at NC State. Lithios quickly grew from building apps for startups to working with Fortune 500 companies, which Brown refers to as his “PhD in application development.”
But as Lithios grew, Brown faced a problem that many startups encounter—finding office space that met their needs without breaking the bank. The team eventually rented a modest office in downtown Raleigh, where one intern promptly pointed out, “Hey, there’s no sink. Also, no coffee maker.”
While Brown was focused on Wi-Fi and desks, these simple comments made him realize how much goes into creating a functional, comfortable workspace—something beyond just a room with a few desks. It reminded him of his time in The Garage at NC State, where everything a young entrepreneur needed was readily available. “That’s when I had my ‘aha’ moment,” Brown said. He realized there was a growing demand for flexible workspaces, but no real technology to support them.
That’s when Coworks was born.
Coworks wasn’t just another software solution. It was designed to solve real pain points for coworking space operators. When Brown first looked into the industry, he was shocked at how many spaces were being run manually. “These spaces were growing, buzzing, but they were still managing everything with pen and paper,” he explained. "It was clear there was a need for a technology platform that could bring all these moving parts together."
Coworks acts as the operating system for coworking and flexible workspaces. The platform handles everything from member management and billing to space reservations and real-time analytics. “Our goal is to make it easier for operators to run their spaces, and for members to feel connected to their community,” Brown said.
Coworks not only automates day-to-day operations but also helps space operators make better decisions with data. The platform tracks everything from peak usage hours to resource allocation, allowing operators to make data-driven decisions instead of relying on gut feelings. “Before Coworks, it was a lot of eyeballing and guessing. Now we can provide real numbers that help operators optimize their spaces,” Brown added.
But Coworks isn’t just about cutting costs or streamlining operations. It’s also designed to help coworking spaces grow. One of Coworks’ standout features is its ability to generate revenue by allowing non-members to book conference rooms or event spaces through a widget embedded on the space’s website. “With Coworks, you’re not just managing space—you’re monetizing it,” Brown explained. “You can make money just by having your rooms listed online.”
For Brown, this feature is particularly exciting because it helps space operators think about their spaces in new ways. "We want to help our customers see that every square foot of their space has potential," he said. By empowering operators to get the most out of their resources, Coworks not only helps them survive but thrive.
As coworking spaces grow in market share, they are becoming a key part of the future of work, especially as more companies shift to hybrid work models. Brown sees the demand for flexibility increasing, not just in coworking spaces but in the broader commercial real estate industry.
“People don’t want 20-year leases anymore. They want spaces that can grow with them,” he said.
This shift toward flexibility is opening new doors for Coworks, particularly as landlords and property managers look for ways to turn empty floors into flexible workspaces.
“We’re seeing a lot of interest from big commercial real estate companies who are trying to figure out how to meet this new demand,” Brown shared.
Coworks is helping these traditional players transition to the future of work, offering them a way to turn underutilized spaces into flexible, rentable offices.
Although Coworks was originally built for coworking spaces, Brown already looks beyond coworking to other shared, member-driven businesses that could benefit from the platform. Universities, maker spaces, and even social clubs are have adopted Coworks as their management system.
“It’s not just about traditioanl workspaces anymore,” Brown said. “It’s about creating places where people can come together, whether it’s for work, innovation, or community.”
Coworks is even starting to see interest from corporate real estate managers who need a way to manage hybrid workforces and hot-desking setups. As Brown sees it, flexible workspaces are here to stay, and Coworks is positioned to lead the way.
Looking ahead, Brown is focused on expanding Coworks’ reach through partnerships and outbound sales. “We’ve done a great job with the customers who come looking for us, but now it’s time to get more aggressive,” he said. Coworks is also exploring deeper integrations with other tools, from door access systems to Wi-Fi networks, to make workspaces even more seamless and secure.
“We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible,” Brown said, clearly excited about the future of Coworks and the coworking industry.
Brown’s journey is far from over. While Coworks continues to grow, Brown is already thinking about his next steps. “I’m definitely a serial entrepreneur,” he said with a smile. “I’ve always got ideas brewing.” But his ultimate goal is to one day give back to the entrepreneurial community that helped him succeed. “I’d love to be on the other side of the table, investing in early-stage startups,” he shared. “I know how hard it is to get that early capital, and I want to help change that.”
For Brown, entrepreneurship isn’t just about building businesses—it’s about building communities. And with Coworks, he’s doing just that, one workspace at a time.
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