We are happy to introduce Jacob Shapiro: A Coliving enthusiast who wears many hats. He works remotely for the Outpost Club, volunteers for the Coliving Hub, and is am currently on a Coliving tour, traveling to different Coliving spaces around the world.
Despite his busy schedule packed with activities to lift the Coliving scene to a higher level, Jacob sat down to answer our questions:
Who are you, what makes you tick, what is your passion?
I think my passion is best explained by a metaphor: I don’t want to be the guy who scores the goal, I want to be the guy who makes the incredible pass, which allows the goal to be scored in the first place. My passion is creating an environment that allows others to thrive.
Why do you feel Coliving is making a change in the world?
Coliving is (or should be) combating the loneliness epidemic, a by-product of our modern world. Everyone uses this as their main point when referring to the social good that Coliving brings. But while this may be a major change that Coliving makes in the world, it’s not the only one. I’ve seen Coliving spur new businesses, artistic projects, and accountability partners. I’ve seen community managers help Colivers find new passions. And while Coliving is helping build new relationships between Colivers, it's also reinforcing the existing bonds between people as well.
How are you making an impact in this field?
My partner and I are currently on a world tour of Coliving spaces in an effort to find out what kind of Coliving space we would like to open ourselves. We have been to, and will be traveling to Germany, Serbia, Switzerland, Armenia, Israel, Morocco, and Spain, and this is just the beginning. We have been consultants, community managers, and volunteers along the way, allowing the operators to utilize our knowledge, and to focus on bigger-picture solutions while we take on the day-to-day tasks.
We also volunteer our time for the Coliving Hub, a non-profit association of Coliving operators which strives to enable and empower people around the world to create and use Coliving spaces. We provide meaningful and targeted content to Coliving operators to help them thrive. I believe this is our largest impact on the field as a whole.
What can digital innovations such as SALTO KS do in this field?
With Outpost Club, we currently use digital access control solutions at our Coliving spaces in the US. Just the other day, I got a call from someone who was locked out of their Coliving in New York, and I was able to remotely open the door for them… from Switzerland. This is the power that SALTO KS can bring to Coliving companies: our companies are heavily location-dependent, so anything that can relieve that dependency is a huge benefit to us, and therefore our customers.
What is your hope for the future of Coliving?
I hope for added convenience that maintains privacy. I hope that Coliving companies can continue to grow in size, yet still provide highly intentional communities. I hope that people view Coliving as an incredible innovation on the existing forms of living, and not just a dorm for adults. And lastly, I hope that Coliving continues to be a place where digital innovations are there to better facilitate in-person community.
We want to thank Jacob for creating time to answer these questions and to see potential benefits in all ripple effects the Coliving scene causes.
Meet one of the SALTO KS team members or Jacob Shapiro on an event near you. Check out our Events page to find out where we will be next!
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