EL AL | Atmosphere

Business I Co-Working Spaces

Mindspace I Photo: Jeffrey Totaro Mixer I Photo: Aviad Bar Ness

The Key to Networking In Israel Want to connect with Israeli start-ups and entrepreneurs, or mingle with local creatives while working on your next project? Grab a desk at your nearest co-working space \ By Keren Brown

Brimming with entrepreneurial and creative minds, Tel Aviv is home to many companies and offers more job opportunities and higher wages than other parts of Israel, with people from all four corners of the country commuting to and from its co-working spaces every day. Each co-working space has its own philosophy and work culture, from pools and happy hours to flexible memberships, to networking events with investors. Here are some of our favorite. Mixer Work & Lounge Work Culture: cocktails, VIP lounges, and creative minds Monday morning. You walk into your office, put your bag down, and hurry to the sophisticated cocktail lounge with its sleek beige couches, creatives are at the bar, and a barista who knows your order by heart, serves you your tall latte with foam. This is how the day starts at Mixer Work & Lounge’s newest location, in Tel Aviv’s City Garden shopping center. The site is very “Tel Avivi,” and just a quick walk from Dizengoff, in the north of Tel Aviv. With seven locations across the country, Mixer Work & Lounge offers many types of design spaces,

The idea of shared working spaces bloomed in the early 2000s as there was an increasing need for more flexibility, more opportunities to network, and, most of all, a shift from the traditional 9 to 5 mainstream office culture. Innovation runs wild in Israel, a nation that boasted over 6,000 start-ups in 2022 alone; this is the world’s largest concentration of budding companies per capita. So the concept of a shared working space flowing with networking opportunities is the perfect base for unlocking opportunities, motivation, and work balance – and a perfect fit for Israeli startup culture. These cocoons for inspiration and community offer the luxury of full time amenities, conference rooms,

printing services, and professional networking opportunities, usually without the hefty overhead associated with them. Beyond work, each co-working community offers its perks and advantages, whether it be access to gyms, parties, happy hours, or motivational and educational events. As Israel started to reawaken after two years of pandemic-induced havoc, co-working spaces came alive. Now, they house more mid-size to large companies and unlock a new level of flexibility. This is partly because many people now prefer to occasionally work from home, and, in many cases, paying monthly rent for office space no longer makes financial sense.

38 ATMOSPHERE DECEMBER 2022