3/4/2018

Ruba Nemekh, leader of the coworking movement in Portugal

By coworkingspain

Nuba Nemekh, one of the leaders of the growth of the coworking space Porto i / o tells us about his professional career and his inclusion in the coworking industry.


As a regular assistant at coworking conferences, what does #CwSC mean to you and what do you think it can contribute to the Spanish coworking industry?

I think #CwSC is a great platform to bring people with the same passions under one roof. The coworking industry itself is quite specific and recent. If you compare it for example with the automotive industry, the latter has more than a century of training and experience, our area is less known. We are all starting, although they have been in it for 20 years, they are still in the beginning. And it is much better to join together when you start something new.

After all the changes we have experienced this year within the sector in Spain with the entry of large foreign franchises. Do you think that the growth forecasts for collaborative spaces are good or that, on the contrary, these last facts can end the real concept of coworking?

"What doesn't kill you will make you stronger," right? Just kidding. I do not believe that these changes are loaded "the true concept of coworking" or the spaces that already exist. Will they challenge others? Insurance. Will they create attention on coworking for the audience that doesn't know it yet? Yes! So I think those changes will shake the coworking industry for good. And take as proof that this industry is just beginning.

We would like you to tell us a little about your professional development, and what led you to bet on coworking.
I studied marketing, but professionally I have gone through a long list of jobs, from organizing large events to HR and education, from working in export / import in India to doing research and development work at a Finnish university. 3 years ago I came to Porto, Portugal, and started working in marketing for mobile applications. One of the sessions I attended was organized by Porto i / o, the coworking space for which I work now. At that time I was simply curious about all this, now I put that curiosity into practice.
What advice would you give to other coworking managers, taking into account the new trends in the sector, to develop their business strategy for the coming years?

In a nutshell: Porto i / o has 4 spaces in 2 cities and has been in existence for 3 years. Our prices are the highest in the market. Our spaces are full of fantastic people who choose us for the community aspect. So how do we make this work? You should select the most suitable locations, create the best team and keep up with the numbers while keeping people in the first place - that is one of the things I would like to share in the sessions. Ah, but don't believe it, it's never perfect, if you want to know about failures and mistakes until you get here, I will also include them.