Coworking chain Benjamin’s Desk will soon be running 1313 Innovation

Philly’s Benjamin’s Desk is coming to Delaware. The coworking network will be taking over operations at 1313 Innovation.
“It’s strictly a licensing deal,” said Benjamin’s Desk founder Anthony Maher. The coworking company recently rolled out its licensing model at Ambler Yards in Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County.
Benjamin’s Desk announced the deal Wednesday at 1313 Innovation’s Tech2gether event.
It’s just another change in the coworking landscape in Wilmington this year, with The Mill opening its doors and makerspace NextFab making its presence official.
“Wilmington was no brainer,” Maher said of his company’s regional expansion. “Everything aligned with what they were doing with entrepreneurs. … We don’t want to be looked at as a coworking space but an incubation space.”
So what does it all mean? In January, 1313 Innovation will implement guidelines outlined in the Benjamin’s Desk operations manual, as well as shared marketing strategies. The idea is to bring connectivity to current 1313 Innovation members by giving them access to members of the coworking network’s Philadelphia spaces.
The space at 1313 Innovation will update its offerings to match membership tiers of what Benjamin’s Desk offers in its existing spaces.
“[1313 Innovation founder] Paul [McConnell] has a passion to make change and he doesn’t do anything small. … We’re looking for the strategic partners to really shape this region,” Maher said. “The goal is to look from D.C. to Philadelphia.”