When Women Take the Lead: The Story Behind 25N Coworking
As we continue to celebrate women this month, we talk to CEO Mara Hauser about shared workspace concepts disrupting the industry.
Now, more than ever, thoughtful design, a hospitality-driven approach and coworking go hand in hand. Spaces that foster collaboration and a real connection among members are the ones that thrive in this niche, and workplace designers know this firsthand.
So switching from interior designer to coworking operator was a natural evolution for Mara Hauser. After founding her design firm early in her career, she launched 25N Coworking in 2014 to cater to the needs of active parents like her.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Commercial Property Executive sat down with Hauser, the CEO of 25N Coworking, to find out all about her journey as a woman in coworking. Her approach is rooted in the philosophy of continual reinvention and curiosity, having always asked herself questions like: How do I differentiate myself? How can I be a disruptor? What problems need to be solved two years from now and how can I do that? Here’s what she told us.
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After years of focusing on interior design and consulting, what inspired you to enter the coworking space, and what was the defining moment that sparked the idea?
Hauser: The initial spark to develop coworking spaces came from a growth plan during my time in Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program in 2012. It was a means to utilize my experience as a workplace strategist focusing on providing inspiring productive workspaces for individuals, small businesses and virtual employees vs. a corporate campus that, at the time, we saw was underutilized. Particular attention was paid to developing these locations where people lived.
I created 25N Coworking as a space to work for suburbanites just like me—active parents seeking a flexible, productive workday supported by an existing network of friends, family and acquaintances. I also wanted facilities where you could seamlessly flow from private, focused work to making useful connections, leading to a full workplace experience packed into one holistic workday.
25N Coworking is a product of the culmination of all my career experience: I led an enterprise company’s real estate interior design and project management team with over 300 locations throughout North America where we built out 30 locations a year. Developing a coworking model for 15 locations under a brand built for 200 independent businesses at each location vs. 200 employees was the vision. And we did open three 25N Coworking spaces in the first 30 months!
All 25N locations are close to major markets. What gap in the coworking space are you filling?
Hauser: 25N Coworking was started as a suburban community-focused workspace hub where like-minded business people could work in their community beside their ‘neighbors’ in a productive, inspirational workspace outside of—but near—their home or corporate office. We had a vision to drive exponential economic growth for the businesses that we partner with locally to provide services, lunches and support to our members.
As people come to work at 25N, they are more productive, and by placing our members in the CBD, we help drive foot traffic to the local business community. I am proud to say that since opening our first location, 25N Coworking has been able to foster growth for thousands of businesses. In the time we’ve done business, coworking has gone from a largely unknown concept to a household name now considered the future of the hybrid workforce.
How did your background in interior design and workplace strategy influence the way 25N’s spaces are structured?
Hauser: Together, we had to design and influence each space, bringing in the 25N culture and developing brand standards to create a thriving space for all those who visit, either for an hour, daily, weekly, or long-term. Properties with well-designed and properly amenitized spaces provide the highest activity in the space, desired occupancy and the maximum return on investment. We had to make sure our design elements worked for all our needs.
We knew how people work from a workplace strategy approach, so it was important to us to see the lead community management team when you walk in. As a high-touch service model, we wanted the operations team to have functional spaces for meetings and events with the best guest experience in their sightline. Having zones for the way people interact from an aesthetic and acoustic perspective within the footprint remained important.
What are some key design elements that set your locations apart?
Hauser: Distinct from traditional office settings and home offices, which can leave you feeling sequestered or isolated, we design 25N Coworking spaces with collaboration in mind. Our lounge areas are cozy and inviting, drawing members into easy, unforced conversation. Our coffee bar is strategically located outside of the kitchen area, in the heart of the workspace where creative collisions are more likely to happen. Likewise, our high-tech and high-impact meeting rooms provide the best work tools for different types of meetings: in-person, hybrid or virtual.
The 25N style is a combination of purposeful design and a human touch. Each location has its own ‘identity’ derived from the brand and we play with that from the art to the accessories, to even naming the meeting rooms. Our strategic approach begins and ends with embracing the intersection of live-work-play successfully.
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So connection is at the forefront of all these spaces. Can you share any stories that show how the strong sense of community at 25N led to meaningful business or personal relationships?
Hauser: We had a couple—an entrepreneur and an interior designer—who met at 25N and got married!
People have started working and collaborating on projects: an interior design firm with an architecture firm, a marketing agency with many of our members and a premium print company that does everyone’s invitations and special events, an HR consultant who brought her training in-house and so on.
We had baby clothes hand-me-downs go from one set of new parents to the next. We had baby showers, wedding celebrations and every celebration you can think of for our 25N team and members and it’s all in! Our COO, Meagan Slavin, started the Local Chambers’ Young Professional Group and we had a program—Women of 25N—a networking, business-building group for the women who worked at 25N.
Tell us more about how your spaces impact your members’ professional development and the local communities.
Hauser: Highlights from 25N’s past 10 years of local community involvement include: leadership positions at Young Professional Groups and local Chambers of Commerce, bringing interns to 25N members who offer mentorship in exchange, business-building events through programs like the Pitch and Catch—25N’s proprietary business shark tank—business competitions and coaching sessions by the local Small Business Development Centers and Fox Valley Entrepreneurial Center, and hosting a ‘Girls Who Code’ program for over five years.
Throughout your career, you’ve influenced operators in the space through several initiatives, including educational programming. Can you share more details about your contribution to the Start-Up School and how it helps other women in coworking?
Hauser: The Start-Up School is a course developed by Everything Coworking’s CEO Jamie Russo, and over the 12-step framework, two of her courses focus on finding the right space, layouts that drive revenue and aligning the design with the brand. Workplace Studio, our interior design firm, has partnered with the Start-Up School to provide taped sessions, work tools, dashboards and guidelines.
We have made many connections and assisted in the analysis of many operators who graduated from the course. I hope that any insight and influence that we have been able to share over the years helped women in coworking and operators make the right decisions and assisted them as they built their businesses.
Speaking of building businesses, women entrepreneurs often face unique challenges. What were some obstacles throughout your career and how did you navigate them?
Hauser: Early in my career, real estate was part of a ‘good ol’ boys network,’ and although there were many successful women, there were challenges! I, fortunately, have confidence, resilience and tenacity with the ability to listen. Initially, I developed relationships within the CRE community in Chicagoland and later nationally. I had to be the smart one in the room, confident in the business, honest, sincere and prove a model they may have been unfamiliar with.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice at the start of your journey in commercial real estate, what would it be?
Hauser: Be willing to pivot earlier. When I started this journey in coworking, real estate had not changed for 30 years. Find those who are looking for change or disruption and will go along to enhance the journey.
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