The rise of the coworking space: Developing Philly ep. 5

Before Indy Hall was the coworking foothold that it is today, when it was just getting its start in 2006, its cofounders asked members to pay a monthly fee. They asked members to pay as many months as they could up front. While many people paid six months in advance, some of them never used the space. It was a symbolic gesture, said Indy Hall cofounder Geoff DiMasi.

“It was a way for them to show their belief in Indy Hall and the need for it,” DiMasi said in the fifth episode of Developing Philly, the documentary web series that chronicles the growth of the local tech scene. “That gave us confidence going forward.”

The fifth episode focuses on the rise of the coworking space and Indy Hall, specifically. While the Old City space has grown and remains the charter effort, there has been an explosion in colocation facilities in the region.

Watch it below.

You can also get a sneak peek of episode six at the William Way Center on Thursday, May 30, followed by a Q&A with filmmakers David Dylan Thomas and Maurice Gaston, Philly Startup Leaders president Bob Moul and RJMetrics cofounder Robert Moore.