Too many coworking spaces are just “four white walls and fluorescent lighting,” says Courtney Symons. She remembers being “starstruck” the first time she walked into a WeWork office.
“We have always admired WeWork because we see its culture and philosophy as similar to ours,” says Symons, partner growth manager at Shopify, a Canada-based ecommerce software service provider. “It’s about providing people with creative spaces and giving them the tools and support to thrive.”
That’s why Shopify is intent on helping entrepreneurs, freelancers, and others discover the power of working in a diverse and supportive community. The Shopify Partner Accelerator program offers a chance to win three months of office space at four WeWork locations: WeWork 5th Avenue in New York, WeWork University Park in Austin, WeWork Aldgate Tower in London, and WeWork Place Ville Marie in Montreal.
“We chose those cities because we have a strong partner community and see interesting things happening in ecommerce in each of these cities,” Symons says. “We thought, ‘what better place to support early stage startups than to put them in the thriving ecosystem of WeWork and help them grow?’”
The ideal candidate would have a compelling project idea to serve Shopify’s 300,000 merchants. The winners will be selected based on those who possess the enthusiasm and passion to maximize the usage of WeWork’s space and programs.
Applications are due September 23. The move-in date is October 3.