This summer I got my first internship working in a co-working space, and I can tell you that it was very eye-opening, even to someone who is just entering the professional business world. I had no clue what a co-working space was and assumed that my internship was going to be like any other internship in a regular office space. In my head, I saw cubicles, separate departments, and if I was lucky, a functional vending machine. Upon walking into the co-working space, I was quite surprised it was nothing like that. The space had a very modern kitchen, workstations with very short walls to be able to talk to the people around you, and a working vending machine which was important to me.

Even with all of these components of the space that made me enjoy being there, it wasn’t the driving force to why I appreciated the space so much. It was the atmosphere. Being surrounded by other hard-working people whether they were lawyers, entrepreneurs, marketers, etc. I started to see how passionate they were about their industry or small business. Furthermore, just talking with this diverse group allowed me to learn about their industry and begin to see how it can overlap with my own interest. That being said co-working spaces allowed for me to expand my networks beyond my own industry and create some great business relationships, which are important to a young entrepreneur like myself. This summer is almost over, but I know for sure that I will definitely continue to meet more interesting people, learn from them, and start applying that knowledge wherever I end up in this world.

Ryan Solomon
Sophomore at Penn State Studying Marketing, Advertising and Entrepreneurship