With 625 locations in over 127 cities—and counting—around the world, WeWork welcomed thousands into its global community in 2019. In fact, from the opening of the first WeWork buildings in Manila, Philippines, and Warsaw, Poland in January, to recent inaugural locations in Milan, Italy; Oslo, Norway; and Hyderabad, India, WeWork expanded to many new cities this year. WeWork’s top 10 Instagram posts of 2019 exemplify this worldwide reach.
A global realm of work, travel, and life unites on WeWork’s Instagram account. “We’re reimagining the possibilities of work and celebrating what it means to make a life, not just a living,” says Hannah VanderWeide, WeWork’s social media manager. “People engage because it spurs a feeling of ‘I want to do that/be there.’ It’s about the things they aspire to—people, places, and experiences alike.”
1. Look back, move forward
Construction of the Duomo of Milan, featured in this post, started in 1386 and took almost six centuries to complete, until Napoleon Bonaparte finally ordered it finished. Today, innovators and artists draw inspiration from the city’s forebears, such as artist and entrepreneur Leonardo da Vinci, making Milan Italy’s biggest startup hub and home to the National Stock Exchange—and soon seven WeWork locations.
2. Top talent
At 64 stories tall, Gran Torre Santiago, featured in this Instagram post, is the tallest building in Latin America. Like all of its spaces, WeWork’s seven locations in the Chilean capital of Santiago attract some of the city’s most ambitious talent. Indeed, 78 percent of WeWork enterprise members said WeWork has helped them attract and retain talent.
3. Going swimmingly
It’s important for WeWork members to unwind given all their hard work, like at this rooftop pool at WeWork Raheja Platinum in Mumbai, where members can swim laps between client meetings or luxuriate poolside after a hectic morning. These spaces aren’t just for pleasure-seeking—one study found that natural features increase well-being by 15 percent, productivity by 6 percent, and creativity by 15 percent.
4. Curating community
Community is at the center of how WeWork serves its members, and that starts at its doorstep. Before any WeWork location is born, a team researches the area to understand the music, food, people, and history that make it tick. As this picture of WeWork 32nd Milestone in Gurugram, India, shows, each space is then carefully curated with unique art and design to match. Whether it’s Mexican folk art-inspired neon installations or a traditional Chinese guardian lion, no two WeWork locations are alike—just like its members.
5. Investing in the future
Members work hard to make a life and not just a living, which is evident from this surfing shot by WeWork The Boardwalk community manager Grayson McFarlin in Irvine, California. It isn’t all fun and games, though: The oceans absorb almost a third of global carbon emissions, which WeWork is committed to reducing through sustainability efforts such as the elimination of single-use plastics and being fully carbon neutral by 2023.
6. Catalyzing conversation
Community leads Melisa Calero and Teresa Mastrogiacomo at WeWork Place Ville Marie in Montreal wanted to bring conversations about mental health into their community, but they weren’t sure how. So they started small by putting pens and sticky notes in the bathrooms and wrote, “You’re beautiful” and “You’re capable.” Members replied with messages like “We got this”—and just like that, authentic conversation was born.
7. The new work
WeWork opened in historic manufacturing city Nagoya, Japan, this year, a sign that demand for creative coworking spaces is growing globally. Drawn by the sense of community, flexibility, and enhanced productivity, flexible workspaces outside the United States increased by 36 percent last year.
8. The future is female
This year, nearly 20 WeWork locations across the United States played host to training sessions led by WeWork member VoteRunLead, which taught women how to run for office and win. This quote, posted on International Women’s Day, reminds us of the organization’s mission, which started in 2014 when founder Erin Vilardi decided she wanted to increase the number of women and people of color who hold elected positions in the U.S.
9. Entrepreneurial spirit
Bogota is known as the entrepreneur’s capital, so it’s no surprise that the Colombian city has 10 WeWork locations. Whether they’re part of a single-person operation or a growing small business, entrepreneurs find that flexible workspaces and access to talent and meeting space make WeWork an ideal location to launch their companies. In fact, a four-person company can save $24,000 in a year at WeWork over traditional commercial real estate.
10. Authentic connection
WeWork has four spaces in Thailand, and while the country is mostly known for its beaches and islands, travelers looking for a more authentic experience head to the capital city of Bangkok. With more than 22 million visitors in 2018, it is the world’s most visited city, beating out both Paris and London. Wat Pho, the temple featured in this post, is home to the Reclining Buddha, which, at 150 feet of plated gold, takes up nearly the entire building.
