COhatch has officially launched its SouthSide Works coworking spot

What do Shadyside, the Waterfront, Ohio’s capital and now SouthSide Works have in common? As of this Friday, they’re officially all places with COhatch coworking spaces.

While coworking spaces are hardly a novelty in a city with as many working professionals as Pittsburgh — check out Technical.ly’s 2022 roundup of a dozen-plus coworking hubs — they hold a unique role in the local tech ecosystem, especially since the pandemic moved many roles hybrid or remote, and workers sought more flexibility.

One of COhatch’s selling points is that it’s a place to both work and host major life events. Yes, with your membership, you’ll get a place to seek out startup investors or meet your deadlines. But during the SouthSide Works COHatch grand opening, Community Manager Mike Pernice told Technical.ly that what sets the coworking space apart is its striving to cultivate a sense of community.

“My role is to essentially create that inclusive environment for our members to feel like they can be the best versions of themselves and connect with other members to flourish because we believe that rising tides lift all boats,” Pernice said.

Among the inhabitants of the SouthSide Works COhatch space are Joe Zeff Designs and Peptilogics. COhatch made its debut in the Pittsburgh area in 2022, and the deal to establish the SouthSide Works location was finalized in May 2022. Pernice said some members have been using the space since July 2023, and the Halloween-themed launch party on Friday marked the space being 60% full in terms of private offices.

Considering the time of year, another goal of the event was to offer a lighthearted way to make COhatch’s presence known in the neighborhood.

“What better way to … celebrate the grand opening than to have people dress up in their costumes and have a good time?” Pernice said while standing in a room full of professionals dressed as Barbies, sunflowers, werewolves and the occasional Disney princess.

COhatch members have access to perks such as Wi-Fi, coffee, workshops, meeting rooms and even free use of the space to host life events — anything ranging from a birthday party to a wedding, per Pernice — with different levels of membership based on price. Membership also grants access to the full spread of COhatch coworking spaces, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“They can use all of our locations not and not just in PA, but across the East Coast,” Pernice said. “And as we expand across the nation, they’ll get access to every new COhatch.” (Though he didn’t discuss specific plans for new spaces, the COhatch website hints at more “Coming Soon to Pittsburgh!”)

Other amenities members have access to include vacation homes offered at discounted rates, health insurance, life insurance and pet insurance.

Ultimately, the company’s work is all about connecting members to the amenities they need to get their jobs done, Pernice said, as well as “making sure that they understand [that] there are other individuals here who may be in the space that could potentially help them help their businesses forward or their project forward.”

Check out more pics of the space and Halloween party:

Atiya Irvin-Mitchell is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Heinz Endowments.