(with a contribution by Carina Boston Pinales)
Coworking offers the opportunity to create a sense of place. We love when we get the chance to recognize those who are creating something meaningful in their coworking communities. Splash Coworking is one of those places. Splash seeks to help entrepreneurial individuals and corporations that are created in San Marcos, TX, to pay it forward and help their members, replicate the success of Splash in their localities and organizations. But there’s more to it than that. The name “Splash” was created in consideration of the environmentally-sensitive local river ecosystem in San Marcos. This is a space where the community has a fundamental mission to keep their river clean.
With the goal of being a zero-waste business, Splash uses environmentally-friendly products in the space, upcycled furniture, and local low-impact purchases, along with providing recycling, compost, and minimum-waste bins. Splash members have organically gravitated to the community, and many happen to have sustainable focuses on the companies that they represent. It is, after all, located at the headwaters of the San Marcos river.
Member organizations such as FUNBOAT Adventures specialize in planning and hosting various river adventures. One of our favorite things happening at Splash Coworking is a physical store that FUNBOAT has created called FUNBOAT FOUND. It’s comprised of found and upcycled items from the San Marcos River, selling anything from sunglasses, clothing, and even a bottle of cologne. Another member, The Eyes of the San Marcos River, is known for large proactive capture cleanups during high volume outfitting days. Their mission is to help protect the San Marcos river and safeguard the traditions and values of all those that love the river by promoting good environmental stewardship through a peaceful presence, cooperative action, and raising awareness.
We can learn a lot from Splash and the environment they’ve created for their members. If you want to create a coworking space that makes people feel welcome and successful, it is essential to be true to self, aspiring and envisioning an environment in which you can help others thrive. When your “WHY” of coworking extends beyond the walls of your physical space and reaches others in your community in an impactful way, big things can happen. There is no “should” when it comes to the type of coworking space to have. Your people will find you.
