I first heard about Vuka while attending an event a couple of years ago. Since then it’s grown to a larger organization becoming Vuka Collective which has 3 branches: Impact Hub Austin (coworking), Gather (events) and Awaken (classes/workshops). You’ll notice that Impact Hub Network is a larger national organization that concentrates on sustainable global goals. Vuka joined up with Impact Hub Network to launch it’s first location in Austin. The coworking branch started with the Monroe location and expanded to a South and North location.
Austin Community
One of the reasons Vuka partnered with Impact Hub is because they knew their values aligned. Impact Hub is the world’s largest network focused on building entrepreneurial communities for impact at scale — home to the innovators, the dreamers and the entrepreneurs who are creating tangible solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.
You can expect to find people who care about the community and align with Impact Hub’s values in social impact. You’ll notice that a lot of the members are people in EdTech or are creatives. Although the coworking space values social impact, you don’t actually have to be a non-profit to join this community. You’ll notice that the crowd is a lot more eclectic and not your typical cubicle goers. They’re also very dog friendly so you can destress with some puppy cuddles or bring fido along with you to work.
What It’s Like Coworking
I spent a little time working out of Impact Hub after taking a tour. It’s refreshing to see a diverse group of teams and people. One of the most important parts of creating a coworking space is creating the culture. Culture stems from the type of people who work there.Impact Hub is interesting in that it’s not just all tech people but rather a mix of different careers and mindsets. The open floor plan makes it easy for people to find pockets to work out of but also easily mingle.
You’ll find the big backyard full of people as the heat cools down. People pack under the large oak for shade and soak in a bit of nature. The inside is lit with warm lighting coming off the lamps and ambient light seeping in during the day. There’s definitely an artsy feel to the place as you gaze upwards to their nature themed decor. Once you venture towards the top office you’ll feel like you’re walking through an intricate tree house.
Why Should You Cowork Here?
Every coworking space provides a space to cowork but what makes them memorable is when they do that one thing great. Impact Hub builds a great space that heavily portrays community and arts. The main space is striking and is often used in the evening for events. It makes sense that it attracts both the tech and arts crowd with a space that takes you away from your everyday monotony.
Since the space is nestled in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, they provide loaner bikes for people to quickly run home. Parking can be a little tricky as residential permits pop up aroundImpact Hub but you’ll still find a few spaces a couple of blocks away.