Coworking Day: remembering what it's all about

Today marks a big day in coworking history: it's the 5 year anniversary of coworking!5 years ago today, Brad Neuberg sparked a movement when he coined the word "coworking" and started Spiral Muse in San Francisco. From the start, coworking was crafted as an open model, and one that required participation in order to succeed. Since Brad's initial start with Spiral Muse, a community of coworking advocates has grown and flourished across the globe. Spaces have opened - each with their own identity and goals - all connecting back to one another through the open-sourced Coworking Wiki. Theory, practice, and advice has flowed freely at the Coworking Google Group, growing from a small handful of participants to a whopping 2700 voices. Spaces across the globe connect their members by participating in the Coworking Visa Program. And we've only just gotten started.There are more people than I could ever possibly list who have contributed, shared and queried the Coworking Google Group, thus creating the coworking community we now have. They have contributed selflessly, advised wisely, and questioned thoughtfully throughout the years, enabling each of us to strengthen our work in the coworking world. These folks have not only contributed to the growth and success of coworking overall, but to the growth and success of our coworking space here in Seattle. It has been over three years since the idea of Office Nomads hatched between Jacob Sayles and I. When we first got talking about what it is we wanted to do, it was discovering the term coworking that enabled us to clarify our goals and to feel a sense of belonging in a business venture that had previously felt uncharted. Coworking became our compass. Being able to identify as a coworking space gave us meaning, a platform to launch from, and a community to provide us with the support we needed.During those early days of building and then opening Office Nomads, the coworking community was our sounding board, our advisers, and most importantly our great friends. There will never be enough words of thanks to each member of the coworking community.So here's to you, coworking. We raise our glasses in true salute. Off to another great year!