At this year’s Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC), there was a lot of talk about creating ways for digital nomads—those who travel and work from wherever they are—to connect with coworking spaces and other coworkers.
As the coworking movement continues its phenomenal growth, and people have more freedom to work remotely than ever before, there’s an obvious need to connect travelers to wi-fi and community while on the road. Here are seven platforms leading the charge to enable digital nomads to keep moving and keep working.
Are you already a member of a coworking space? The Coworking Visa allows active members of participating spaces to use other coworking spaces around the world for free for a set number of days—usually three. There are now over 450 participating spaces around the world.
2. League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces (LEXC)
The League of Extraordinary Coworking Space is a network of coworking spaces that provides mobile coworkers a “reliable, seamless coworking experience around the country” by providing access to networked spaces and a coworking loyalty program.
3. CoPass
The first “global federation of coworking spaces,” CoPass boasts 458 work spaces in 302 cities in 64 countries. Digital nomads can access these spaces with one membership. You get discounted day pass rates, payment for all spaces goes through your CoPass account, and the platform is integrated with Couchsurfing and Airbnb so you can find a place to stay through it as well.
The Free Coworking Directory is a fantastic resource to find jellies, coworking events, and spaces that offer free coworking. With it, you can search for spaces nearby, plan your travel route, and connect with others in the free coworking movement.
5. Seats2meet
Seats2meet is a platform for freelancers, independent professionals, and digital nomads to find each other as well as free places to cowork. New "knowmads" are asked to list their expertise so they can be matched up with those seeking help or partnership. The kicker is not only can you find free places to cowork, but also free help from other members. Helping each other for free is part of the deal.
6. Open International Coworking Calendar
The Open International Coworking Calendar is a great resource for digital nomads to find, not only places to cowork, but community-based events including lunch and learns, coworking for students, coworking breakfasts, tech user groups, night owl coworking groups, and more.
Ready to try the latest adventure in the sharing economy? Try coworking in someone’s home. Following the model of Couchsurfing and Airbnb, these platforms connect hosts with wi-fi and space to share with people looking for a place to work. The beauty for digital nomads is that by doing this, you get all the comforts of home while on the road.
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Top photo: Steven Lewis (CC-0). Follow @CatJohnson on Twitter
