A space and a community, which is dedicated to supporting better business, to uniting, inspiring, and amplifying the success, of businesses driven by purpose. 

We understand that not every business wants to be overshadowed by a behemoth co-working brand. For those businesses that are looking for a co-working space beyond the norm, and for somewhere more than just a place to sit, we welcome you to our new co-working space, x+why, in Whitechapel. We are building a space and a community, which is dedicated to supporting better business, to uniting, inspiring, and amplifying the success, of businesses driven by purpose. 

Cleverly combining design, tech, culture, wellbeing and community, our freshly built space brings five floors of opportunities to explore.

What’s in it for members?

Situated in the colourful, diverse and energetic Whitechapel, on Whitechapel High Street, x+why is a place where workers never have to leave: 

• The courtyard for outdoor working and socialising, especially in these summer months 
• An in-house wellness studio, with a programme of yoga and fitness classes.   We are also the first studio in London to introduce Spectrum Lighting.
• An honesty bar stocked with ethical craft beers, and wine
• A community of like-minded entrepreneurs to collaborate with – the impact of which should not be underestimated 
• An inspiring cultural programme designed to inspire members to recognise the link between people, profit and the planet, which has already included:
• The Kin&Co ‘Modern Day Wisdom’ Series
• Blab’s ‘Learn to B: How business can create social change’ event 
• The first Climate Cocktail Club in the UK
• A Power Masterclass given by our very own member, Nissy Tee

We have had Discovery Days for the amazing London Interdisciplinary School, designed to introduce potential students to their interdisciplinary undergraduate programme and have looked at topical global challenges including big data, plastics and animal conservation with talks from, amongst others, Richard Reed and Dr Michael England.

The vision for members

We ask all members - that so far span contracts of 10 years down to 2 hours - to commit to the x+why pledge when they join. This is a promise to serve people, planet and profit. x+why’s ultimate vision is to unite businesses, movements, and leaders who want to behave more responsibly. We know that we are only a small part of the movement, but believe that our commitment to supporting members through the space, the mindset, the community and the cultural programme, plays an important role in driving change. 

Since opening in March, we have already built an amazing community of businesses, entrepreneurs, social enterprise, and charities.  It is inspiring to come into the space each day and be surrounded by members such as the London Interdisciplinary School, The Craftivist Collective, Ashoka, Artiq, MuslimGiving, B Lab UK, Sweat & Sound, and so many others 

We have forged a partnership with B Lab UK to create greater impact motivating companies to complete the B Impact Assessment scheme - the most credible tool a company can use to measure it's impact -within inspiring environments. Members and non-members are invited to complete the Assessment together over a 2 month period with the help of a B leader. 

The space

The site has a long history of philanthropy, community and social action – and felt like a natural fit for our vision. It was the location for the original Salvation Army Mission Hall – which supplied food to the local area and later became the Salvation HQ. This historical significance has led us to reinstate the building as ‘People’s Mission Hall’. The building aims to create a genuine feel of collaboration and openness, with many pockets of shared spaces, as well as floors dedicated to office space alongside shared meeting rooms, breakout spaces and tea-points. The building interiors are inspired by Whitechapel and its history. My favourite area is one area with a ‘market’ feel - an ode to the Whitechapel stalls - with booths flanked in striped panels, and we’ve used flexible metal frames for the bar and countertops.

If you’re looking for a space to work where the co-working space’s brand doesn’t swallow the purpose-driven brand that you’re trying to build, but enhances it, come and say hello to us at x+why.