What Is Coworking?

Coworking is a style of work that involves a shared working environment, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike in a typical office environment, those coworking are usually not employed by the same organization. ^[1] Typically it is attractive to work-at-home professionals, independent contractors, or people who travel frequently who end up working in relative isolation. ^[2] Coworking is also the social gathering of a group of people who are still working independently, but who share values, ^[3] and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with like-minded talented people in the same space. ^{[4] [5]} Coworking offers a solution to the problem of isolation that many freelancers experience while working at home, while at the same time letting them escape the distractions of home. ^{[6] [7]} Coworking is not only about the physical space, but about establishing the coworking community first. Its benefits can already be experienced outside of its spaces, and it is recommended to start with building a coworking community first before considering opening a Coworking space. ^[8] However, some coworking spaces don’t build a community: they just get a part of an existing one by combining their opening with an event which attracts their target group.^[9]

Our History

We are a brand of coworking offices in Los Angeles. Since 2008, we have cultivated a community of entrepreneurs and freelancers who share office space to collaborate. From private offices to a communal WorkBar, we have flexible plans for a variety of sizes for any workstyles. We also have a variety of meeting room spaces that can be arranged to fit your events needs. Whether you need a permanent place to work every day, a place to meet with a client, host a seminar, or a place to drop in every once in a while, we have the right BLANKSPACE for you.

Staff

Jerome Chang
Founder / Architect
323 330 9505
[email protected]

Jerome is the founder and a still-practicing licensed architect. As an early pioneer of coworking, Jerome co-founded LExC, a League of Extraordinary Coworking (the first national network of coworking spaces); COSHARE (the first national association of shared spaces); and the TBD-name first organization of coworking providers in LA. Jerome honed his design skills at Clive Wilkinson Architects (CWA), known worldwide for the office headquarters of Google, Chiat/Day and Mother Advertising. Prior to CWA, Jerome was a designer at SFJones Architects, which has designed renowned restaurants such as Spago Beverly Hills, Nobu Malibu, Hamasaku, and Lucky Strike Bowl. Jerome holds a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University; Master of Engineering and Bachelors of Science degrees from Cornell University. He instilled some right-brain training and a little more left-brain to develop BLANKSPACES. With each project for BLANKSPACES and for private clients, Jerome iterates and improves the various elements that constitute the BLANKSPACES experience.

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Emmy Benson

Accounts Manager
323 330 9505
[email protected]

Emmy has been with BLANKSPACES since September 2011, serving as the accounts manager and operational support for all of our locations. When not at BLANKSPACES, Emmy writes Young Adult novels. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Olivet Nazarene University, and several years of stage management experience garnered from Kansas City’s community theatre industry. In her free time, Emmy enjoys brunching and the theatre.

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Gabrielle Corse
Community Supervisor
310 526 2255
[email protected]

Gabby is originally from New Jersey, but she’s lived both in Florida and Texas before moving to SoCal. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and became an elementary school teacher thereafter, where she honed her communication and critical thinking skills. Gabby is an outdoor activities enthusiast who visits Runyon Canyon as often as possible. She enjoys all types of music and plays the guitar as well. Gabby is an extrovert who loves intellectual conversation and meeting new people. She loves working at BLANKSPACES because she is surrounded by inspiring people who work hard and support one another in reaching their goals.

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Ethan Chang

Operations Manager
323 330 9505
[email protected]

Ethan leads the community at our Downtown location, assuring that everyone is happy and no one is left behind. Having experience in entrepreneurial, corporate and coworking environments, he has a broad understanding of office life and ways to make it a comfortable, but professional environment for everyone. When he can escape from the computer, Ethan enjoys art, adventures and anything outdoors. Though young, he does not shy away from challenges, but takes them head on.

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Grant Genske

Operations Manager
323 330 9505
[email protected]

Grant Genske is an LA native who grew up in the quaint suburb of Pasadena. Since joining BLANKSPACES in December 2016, Grant has worked at multiple offices in Mid Wilshire, Santa Monica, Pasadena and Culver City, and he has deeply enjoyed the opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs and creatives all over the city. He now serves as the operations manager, and works together with each location to make sure both staff and members are productive, empowered and happy. In his free time, Grant labors on his budding artist career, and releases and performs music as Eliason (his stage name). If he isn’t in the recording booth, Grant is probably working out, traveling, or listening to someone ELSE play music.

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Liz Nowlin

Facility Supervisor – Pasadena
626 665 9955
[email protected]

Liz has worked for BLANKSPACES since September of 2017. She’s a Pasadena native, and loves now being a part of the up-and-coming coworking culture and innovation scene that the city is quickly becoming known for. Right now she’s working on earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Her bicycle is her vehicle of choice and weekend hiking adventures are her favorite end-of-week activity. She’s also great for pointing out the best vegan food and bars nearby!

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Sebastian Montoya

Facility Supervisor – Culver City
310 606 2716
[email protected]

Sebastian is a facility supervisor at BLANKSPACES Culver City. He was born and raised in Farmington, NM and has hopped around the USA living in Leesburg, VA; Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Dallas, TX, and now calls Los Angeles, CA home. He is an avid pet lover with three dogs and loves to dance. In a former life he managed restaurants and is currently going to school to be a nurse.

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Greg Kucukarslan

Facility Supervisor – Culver City
310 606 2716
[email protected]

Greg is originally from Orange County and manages the front desk at BLANKSPACES Culver City. When not serving the community he enjoys traveling, hiking and hanging out with his dog Zoey. He also has worked as an Assistant Director for theaters all over the LA region and is pursuing his passion for storytelling. The most interesting thing about him is that he owns a 1971 Volkswagen Bus and is currently building it out for a cross country adventure along the Pacific Ocean and into Mexico City.

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Evan Nichols

Community Supervisor – Pasadena
626 665 9955
[email protected]

Evan is a Pacific Northwest native, but has been living it up in Pasadena for the past five years. She is an avid theater lover, and spends as much time as she can working in the Los Angeles theater community. Her free time is spent with her two cats, Lucy and Ethel, and a good book in hand.

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Elizabeth Geli

Communications
213 550 2235
[email protected]

Elizabeth (aka Eliz) is BLANKSPACES’ longest-serving team member, having joined in March 2011. Since then, she’s always helped out in some capacity from behind-the-scenes communication projects to filling in at the front desk. She currently works at the Downtown LA Virtual Office location and manages the company’s newsletter, calendars, displays, and back-end CRM. She has a bachelor’s in journalism, master’s in specialized arts journalism, and has almost completed a master’s in communication management, all from the University of Southern California. Eliz is a co-host of Sequel Rights podcast and a competitive Disney enthusiast, having grown up just a few minutes from Disneyland in Placentia, California.

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Photos

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Mid-Wilshire

Downtown LA

Community Happenings

Videos

Shira Lazar on BLANKSPACES from BLANKSPACES on Vimeo.