"Having a true creative center, somewhere that people can bounce ideas off each other and network is key to survival." - Robbie Brown

Robbie Brown, CEO, and Ted Sieving, COO, talked with Outlier Magazine about WE Labs and the benefits of coworking:

You can catch the video walk-through tour of the workspace here.

According to Right Management Consultants, 86% of corporate employees are actively seeking employment elsewhere. What is it about the corporate business model that has so many looking for something different? Could coworking be the answer to what corporate escapees are looking for?

In 1996, Activity Based Working was introduced in the Netherlands (spreading to Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia), offering employees a bit of flexibility in not only where they worked, but when. This reduced the amount of desks corporations needed, as well as increased productivity by giving individuals options in choosing where they felt their work could be accomplished most effectively. Coworking spaces evolved from concepts such as these with only one center in 2005, to 781 cowork spaces by 2013.

“Indie Desk is a coworking space— a middle ground between working out of your loft and renting your own office. You'll find a desk and an Internet connection, but also a community of members who are building their own creative businesses.”

“Working from home is isolating and leads to slower business growth and a slew of distractions. Posh CoWorking provides a supportive community for entrepreneurs and freelancers who want a space to work, connect with peers and collaborate.”

“Harlem Garage is a coworking space for Harlem businesses, and a community space for Harlem. Entrepreneurs work and meet clients in our space, and teams make ideas happen in our collaborative areas.”

Occupying the entire 8th floor, WE Labs (Work Evolution Laboratories) is 8500 square feet of Long Beach entrepreneurship. WE balance the classic stylings of the historic Pacific Tower with cutting-edge tech innovation, inspiring members to work for themselves, not by themselves. In trying to get you out of your home office and onto what WE call  “the playing field of innovation” (like Indie Desk in LA), WE offer 2 wings of large, small, and dedicated deskspace. The walls and open spaces are filled with fixtures, installations, and canvases by local artist curated by co-founder and CEO Robbie Brown. Additionally, the west wing hosts events and workshops, as well being a satellite location for PadNet TV (Public Access Long Beach).  The interchange between part-time freelance members and full-time members (similar to Posh CoWorking in Austin) has led to successful community events and concepts. With The Works, soon freelancers can be in the running for future service contracts. WE Labs is very much a place for Long Beach business (like Harlem Garage) with a conference room available for reservations, including discounted rates for members. Our bottom-up approach to business reflects the values Virginia Rometty, CEO of IBM, expressed in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations: that a “person’s value lies not in what she/he knows, but in what he/she shares.”  WE work together, WE learn together, WE grow together.

Meet the creative forces behind the WE Labs community: 
TED SIEVING, COO

Theodore Christian Sieving is a California licensed attorney and Chief Operating Officer of WE Labs, Inc. After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, he earned his Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law. After working with a handful of startups and entrepreneurs, his practical experience as an attorney and business consultant—combined with an irrepressible belief in the collaborative process and empowering creative individuals to monetize their talents—prepared him uniquely for his current role as Chief Operating Officer with WE Labs, Inc.

WE: How did you first get involved with WE Labs?

TS: When close personal friend and Founder of WE Labs Markus Manley passed away suddenly at the age of 39, Markus’ mother Mary Charles along with co-founder Robbie Brown asked me to help carry on the WE Labs vision and join in the formation process of WE Labs, Inc. Without hesitation, I accepted, taking on the awesome responsibility of continuing to make Markus’ dream a reality.

WE: What are you most excited about for the future of WE Labs?

TS: I'm most excited to see WE Labs achieving the dream that Markus told me about when I first met him. I see members collaborating and our community growing and I know how happy Markus would be. We're working towards a partnership with the City of Long Beach, LBCC, the SBDC, and already have synergistic relationships with local businesses for event sponsorship and member discounts. (For example, WE Labs members get 10% off at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing!) As we go forward and look to open a new and complementary location in San Pedro, I'm excited to see WE Labs reach new heights and be able to better serve our members and community.

Member Spotlight On: Danielle Mitchell, Director of The Poetry Lab 

WE: Tell us a little about yourself and your work. 

DM: The Poetry Lab is a writing workshop event that takes place on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month. Our events combine elements of lecture/craft talk and generative writing workshop. Our goal is to grow the literary community in the city of Long Beach, to help support writers as they write, read, collaborate, experiment, and find networking connections. Our focus is on good writing as well as good relationships. It is on this idea that we’re building the second phase of the original Poetry Lab plan, a visiting writer’s series called Stranded Artist.

Stranded Artist is a special event that invites writers from out of town to a one-day residency at WE Labs. In the morning they lead a workshop, in the afternoon they participate in a question and answer session, and in the evening they feature at a poetry reading. The entire WE Labs community is invited to these events, especially the evening portion where members are treated to a short, but inspiring poetry reading followed by a mixer and dance party. Last year’s event was a success that brought new voices and collaborators into WE Labs and we hope this year’s event on Saturday, November 1st will be even more valuable to our community.

WE: How long have you been a member of WE Labs? How did you first get involved?

DM: I’ve been a part of WE Labs since February of 2013 when Poetry Lab started. Although, I first “got involved” earlier on when Markus was posting surveys and other promo matter to Facebook. I’d go in and proof read the materials and send the guys edits. I didn’t set foot in WE Labs for the first time until January. Markus and I had been friends for several years. In 2010 he was instrumental in helping a new poetry show get it’s start at The Basement Longue on Broadway. I met him there and we’ve been friends ever since.  

WE: What are you excited to work on in the future?  

DM: The future of The Poetry Lab looks bright. Our next big event is the Stranded Artist workshop and reading on Saturday, November 1st. We sincerely hope the WE Labs community will come enjoy what our artists have to offer. In the new year, The Poetry Lab will expand programming to include a monthly critical workshop. The format of the workshop will allow us to give detailed feedback on individual pieces of writing, which will help our writers become more studied and professional (as well as awesome and creative!). We are also working towards a book club, mentorship programs, and a printed anthology celebrating the first few years of The Poetry Lab.

WE: What’s your favorite thing about working at WE Labs?

DM: My favorite thing about WE Labs has always been the community of creative innovators that are housed within it. From the very first time I walked into the WE offices I knew Markus had done something amazing, and rare. He’d brought freelancers, community organizations, professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, techies, and musicians together under one roof. And they remained there, happily. WE Labs is so much more than a cowork space. It has a heart, a real beating heart. And to be in that space, to feel the love of not just one friend, but many new friends, that is my favorite thing.