Scaling with spirit: Lessons from the GCUC Unconference 2025

If you’ve ever been to a GCUC event, you know it’s more than just a conference—it’s a convergence of passion, curiosity, and community. 

Last week’s GCUC Unconference in Boston didn’t disappoint. As the CEO of Coworks, I had the honor of attending, hosting two roundtables, and spending time at our booth chatting with some of the most inspiring coworking operators and space managers in the industry.

This year, the energy was electric. Operators from all over the country — ranging from single-site visionaries to multi-location veterans — showed up ready to share, learn, and dream bigger. And the conversations we had? Next level.

Let’s talk about one in particular that I got to lead: “Managing More Campuses: Best Practices for Multiple Locations.”

Why this topic matters

Scaling is a buzzword. But in coworking, it’s personal. For independent operators, adding a second or third location is more than a business decision—it’s an identity shift. You’re not just replicating square footage; you’re replicating community. That’s no small feat.

So when we gathered for our roundtable, it wasn’t just to talk numbers. It was to talk people, processes, culture, and the software that holds it all together.

Here are some of the key takeaways and stories that stuck with me. (And attendees of our sessions  got to takeaway Legos!)

Growth triggers: Why open another coworking location?

The room was full of stories—each one different, but all rooted in one thing: demand. Some operators were bursting at the seams with waitlists. Others saw an opportunity in a nearby neighborhood. A few had investors pushing for growth.

A standout story came from Citi Medina of Equalspace, who shared how his second location was born out of mission as much as market demand. That mindset shift—from serving space to serving people—set the tone for the entire session.

Operators also talked about how they evaluated their readiness. For most, it wasn’t just about having enough revenue. It was about:

• Whether their team could stretch across campuses
• Whether their systems were built to scale
• Whether their culture could be transplanted—or should be evolved
  
  

Drake Rankin of Green Hive Spaces shared his experience, and I noted that you don’t have playbooks, your second location will show you where the cracks are.

Scaling operations without losing your mind

Operations can make or break multi-location success. We dug into how operators divide responsibilities, what systems they rely on, and which KPIs actually matter.

Several folks talked about the power of centralized dashboards. Whether it’s occupancy, revenue, or event attendance, they wanted to see trends across campuses in one place. 

Naturally, this sparked some shared love for Coworks as an all-in-one platform—especially because it gives both the high-level overview and the on-the-ground tools staff need to serve members.

Jeff from Urban Co-Works talked about how his team has grown across 4 locations, because you can’t scale what you can’t repeat.

Some of the operational strategies that stood out:

• Assigning campus leads or site managers with clear decision-making authority
• Using Slack channels or internal dashboards to streamline communication
• Keeping a master calendar for shared events and staffing
• Integrating Coworks with accounting tools to make financial tracking seamless
  
  

One operator put it best: “Your second location forces you to stop hacking things together.”

Culture and community across locations

This was probably the most heartfelt part of the roundtable. Operators love their people—and they worry about losing the vibe that made their first space special.

So we asked: How do you keep the community feel alive across multiple campuses?

A few key ideas surfaced:

• Hire people who live and breathe your values, not just your tasks.
• Let each space develop its own personality, while staying true to the larger brand.
• Encourage cross-location engagement, like allowing members to work from any location or creating a “passport” system with perks.
  
  

Adam from Pursuit Coworking shared how his team has cultivated culture, and attendees cited members as the ultimate barometer of success. Ask them how it feels—what’s missing, what’s too much, what feels off.

And I loved this simple but powerful reminder from one participant: “If your team doesn’t feel connected, your members won’t either.”

Hiring and leadership: The people puzzle

Scaling your team is just as tricky as scaling your footprint. The operators in the room had different models, but one common theme: don’t wait too long to delegate.

Most started by hiring a community manager or operations lead at the new location, but soon realized they needed more structured leadership. Some created a hub-and-spoke model with a regional director overseeing multiple sites. Others created pods of campuses that shared staff and resources.

A few tips that came up:

• Train new hires in the original location to soak up the culture.
  Build a “playbook” with onboarding, tools, brand voice, and crisis response.
• Invest in leadership development—your internal team should grow as your space grows. (Shout out to Sam Shea of Future Leaders of Coworking!)
  
  

One operator shared how their leadership team evolved from “just me and my assistant” to a full suite of roles: Marketing lead, Member Experience Manager, Finance Ops. And with that shift came clarity and confidence.

Some lessons are learned the hard way

We wrapped with a quick round of hard-earned wisdom from everyone in the room. Here were a few that stood out:

• “Get your data house in order before you expand.” Reporting and visibility only get messier with more locations.
  
  
• “Don't clone your first space—learn from it.” What worked once might not work everywhere.
  
  
• “Partner with your community.” Collaborate with universities, local businesses, chambers—don’t try to go it alone.
  
  
• “Invest in software that can scale with you.” Shameless plug: Coworks was built exactly for this.
  
  

Leaving the roundtable, I was struck by one thing: Coworking is still about connection, even more so when you scale. Whether you’re in one location or ten, your community is your cornerstone. And with the right tools and team in place, growth doesn’t have to mean compromise.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the conversation, shared their stories, and stopped by the Coworks booth. The energy, generosity, and curiosity in the room reminded me why I love this industry—and why I’m so excited for what’s next.

If you want to keep this conversation going, we’re working on some new resources just for multi-location operators. Keep an eye out for guides, webinars, and customer stories dropping soon.

Until then—build boldly, scale smart, and stay connected.

Want to see how Coworks helps multi-campus operators scale with confidence? Book a personalized demo today.