Lab Discussion: Subsidized membership strategies, with Anne Olsen from The Shop Workspace
In this Lab Discussion, Anne Olsen, Director of Coworking at The Shop Workspace, will share her insights and strategies for creating and finding subsidized memberships.
She'll discuss:
- Grant & State-Funded Support: We’ve explored opportunities to use local grants or public funding to support access, especially for underrepresented founders, artists, or workforce development pipelines. These programs help offset the cost while aligning with broader economic and community goals.
- Partnerships with Nonprofits & Sponsors: In Salt Lake City, we’ve collaborated with community orgs like Equality Utah and Spy Hop to provide subsidized access, sometimes with cost covered by us, other times through informal trade or mutual benefit.
- Barter & In-Kind Models: We’ve supported members who offer value in return, whether through event programming, consulting, or community-building efforts, creating an exchange that strengthens our ecosystem without relying on cash.
About Anne Olsen
Anne Olsen is the Director of Coworking at The Shop Workspace, overseeing locations in Salt Lake City, New Orleans, and Brooklyn. With over a decade of experience in community building, seven of those in coworking, Anne specializes in hospitality-driven operations, placemaking, and strategic expansion. She splits her time between Salt Lake City and New York, and is passionate about creating spaces where meaningful work and meaningful connections happen side by side.
Bring your questions, ideas and a spirit of collaboration to this discussion for members of The Lab community for indie coworking brands.