Last Updated on July 7, 2011 by New-Startups Team
The concept of co-working really ain’t new.
Since their inception in the Valley, the notion of working for yourself, but not by yourself has really made everyone wonder why co-working spots haven’t been around for much longer.
One problem, is that co-working centres are generally located in the heart of the city, leaving many creative entrepreneurs and freelancers living in the peripheries without easier access to the incredible creative, social, and collaborative atmosphere offered by co-working spots.
In Toronto, this problem is doubled due sub-par transit system.
Enter Raymond Kao and Bonnie Lui, founders of The Work Republic; a co-working centre bordering Toronto, Scarborough, and Markham. As Ray and Bonnie explain,
We wanted to give people living north-east of the [downtown Toronto] core, a place to call their own. We chose our current location because it’s close to the highway exit for those who drive, accessible directly via the Toronto Transit system with a bus stop right at the front door, and a 10-minute leisurely walk from Steeles Avenue, where service for the Toronto Transit stops, and York Region Transit and Viva Transit begins.
The Work Republic offers all of the services and amenities that the Toronto co-working community has come to expect. Permanent desks, hotdesks available by the hour, day, or week, a private boardroom with presentation tools, high-speed internet, ample whiteboard brainstorming space (and by ample, we mean wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling whiteboards courtesy of IdeaPaint), coffee and other beverages, and a kitchenette. What The Work Republic offers, that the downtown co-working spots can’t, is the serene and beautiful surroundings—I mean, who wouldn’t want to look up from their desk, out the window, into a beautiful courtyard with grass, trees, flowers, and people walking by?
Ray and Bonnie also host free events at TWR, including design and development workshops, along with hacker nights for people to collaboratively work on their own side projects. They’ve even begun a free summer day camp for youth in the area to learn the basics of web development beginning with HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL, and WordPress.
For more information including their exact location, pricing, and upcoming event visit their website!