Melody Wu
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Welcoming. Inspiring. Contagious. This is what I have been looking for.
It wasn’t long after I relocated to London that I heard through word of mouth about Innovation Works. After meeting with Zelda Brown, a co-tenant and the founder of Addventuresome Inc., she scheduled me for one of the weekly tours the following Wednesday night.
When I arrived that Wednesday, I was immediately impressed by the gorgeous 4 floor co-working space. Little did I know at that time, it was more than just a desk or room rental space for business people; it was a community for like-minded people to create, exchange ideas, and innovate together. I quickly felt the impact of Innovation Works and even today find it hard to believe that it was only established a year ago.
That one-hour tour proved to be the best time investment I had made in months. My amazing tour guide Sheila Simpson provided such an amazing first experience that I agreed to join the weekly “Wined Down” and “Salad Club” and of course, have been attending them ever since. What’s more, I was happy to find out that Innovation Works also has a weekly Socialpreneur Chat every Friday morning because I am particularly interested in social enterprises. I even applied for the DECA program (The Desk Exchange Community Animator program) and have now officially joined!
I found that as well as being a cool space with abundant resources, the value is in the exposure and chance to meet amazing people and build connections. I’ve met more people in just a few days at Innovation Works then my entire time in London. If nothing else, you can always expect to have a good time because there is always something going on.
I am super thankful for the very knowledgeable and well-connected Sheila Simpson, who took me on a fun and well-organized tour of London (It deserves 5-star on TripAdvisor!), and who continues to help me in any way she can. The unwavering support from the co-tenants always encourages me to work on my own business ideas. Honestly, it’s difficult to not to be inspired by this group of self-driven and warm-hearted people. When you see everyone working on what they are passionate about, you want to find that passion for yourself even more.
To me, what’s interesting is that I used to think it would be intimidating to be surrounded by ambitious professionals. But my experience at Innovation Works tells me that it is quite the opposite. People here are very casual and friendly. They all want you to succeed and are ready to help. I feel overwhelmingly welcomed and supported all the time.
I know there is still so much to explore. In this community, each individual has a great story to tell. The mere idea of getting to know them excites me. It almost feels like a new journey has begun for me, just like how it began for many others here.