Reshare from the Kane County Chronicle...
Geneva’s 25N Coworking marks 10 years in business
Workspace hub offers private offices, dedicated work spaces
February 21, 2024 at 3:00 pm CST
Mara Hauser founded 25N Coworking in Geneva 10 years ago. The business will host an anniversary celebration March 7.
GENEVA – A local company that offers collaborative work spaces, 25N Coworking, 25 N. River Lane Geneva, will mark 10 years in business next month, according to a news release.
Coworking is a concept that provides a professional environment for virtual employees, freelance workers and entrepreneurs to work, have meetings and network. 25N Coworking offers open work spaces, dedicated desks and private office suites for individuals or teams, as well as meeting rooms and collaboration spaces.
25N Coworking will host an anniversary celebration open to the public from 4 to 5:30 p.m. March 7 and includes light refreshments, spokeswoman Sari Lash said.
Mara Hauser, founder and chief executive officer for 25N Coworking, said in the release that the business began as a “suburban, community-focused workspace hub, where like-minded business people could work near home in a productive, inspiring environment.”
“I am proud to say that since opening our first location, 25N Coworking has been able to foster growth for thousands of businesses,” Hauser said in the release. “In the time we’ve done business, ‘coworking’ has gone from a largely unknown concept to a household name now largely considered the future of the hybrid workforce.”
The business first opened at another location in Geneva in 2014, but moved to River Lane in 2017 with an expanded two-story space offering more private and dedicated desks.
25N Coworking, at 25 N. River Lane, Geneva, will host a 10-year anniversary celebration March 7.
The company now has five locations, including one in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs, according to the release.
The company’s Chief Operating Officer Meagan Slavin said in the release that 10 years ago, members who needed payment plans to get through their first month now have 10 or 20 employees with multiple offices.
“Growth has been a common theme with our 25N team as well. It’s important to me that our team feels like they can flex their passions, come to the table with new ideas, dream big and hit the ground ready to make an impact in our community,” Slavin said in the release. “Every single team member has grown personally and professionally in our company, and I’m grateful I’ve had a front row seat to witness that.”
Lash said the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging, but the company and its members managed to get through it.
“Many in Geneva are entrepreneurs and small business owners. Many members were all mandated to work from home,” Lash said. “Meagan called every member to check in, offer rent delays in payments and renegotiated contracts. Very few members left.”
People who still wanted to work out of their office space at 25N could do that, they just wore masks on their way in and closed their office doors, Lash said.
“Our staff would come in once a day to make sure the space was clean,” Lash said.
Despite the COVID hardship, 25N members also had a lot of camaraderie, she said.
The company would host virtual social events to boost spirits – the most popular being an open mic night, she said.
“It was definitely a time of community, rallying for our team,” Lash said. “We never felt more connected than during that time.”
Some highlights of the company’s decade in business include bringing interns to members who provided mentorship, hosting business-building events such as competitions and coaching sessions, and hosting Girls Who Code for five years.