For fledgling entrepreneurs in Chicago, finding a coworking space they can call home is often the top bullet on their to-do list. While there are a ton of locations in the city to choose from, coworking spaces don’t come without their flaws. They can be loud or distracting, and there’s a certain etiquette occupants might want to follow to avoid annoying their neighbors.
As of this week, startups in Chicago have a new workspace option that soothes some of those coworking pain points. Meet
, a Montreal-based startup that’s reimagining what temporary, shared office spaces can look like. Through Breather’s network of private, on-demand workspaces throughout the city, Chicagoland entrepreneurs have a new option to book the office spaces they need to do business, meet with coworkers, or pause for a well-deserved breather.
With rooms available for reservation for 30 minutes to a whole day, their spaces may be an ideal alternative for small, scrappy, and mobile startups looking to entertain investors for a day or impress a candidate for a critical leadership position on the team.
And speaking of key hires, the company has picked up a veteran on the Chicago tech circuit to help build presence in the city. Daniela Bolzmann, who cut her entrepreneurial teeth building out the now-acquired delivery startup , has joined the Breather team as growth manager.
“I'm most excited to continue my journey as an entrepreneur and help Breather launch in Chicago as they scale to multiple new markets each month which is something that we always hoped we'd be able to do at WeDeliver,” Bolzmann said. “I see nothing but great things in Breather's future and feel honored to help introduce them to the Chicago community.”
The platform, which is officially launching in Chicago and Toronto this week, has already set up shop in New York, San Francisco/Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Boston, and Ottowa, with plans to further grow its network to markets like London and Washington, D.C. in the upcoming months.
Bolzmann said customers range from startup founders and CEOs to freelancers, therapists, designers, and to the employees and leaders and some of the nation’s tech juggernauts, like Google, Uber, and Facebook.
Breather's private spaces come equipped with a lounge and work area, WiFi and white boards, with some also featuring monitors and Apple TV.
Bolzmann joins a team of over 100 Breather employees, including new Chicago GM Toby Ciottone, who previously helped establish Zipcar’s current Chicago presence.
She said Breather’s Second City expansion is a logical next step.
“Expanding to Chicago was a natural fit for Breather as this is one of the top markets and largest cities in the country with a large and quickly-growing tech and startup industry with many of the world’s largest corporations are based in the city,” she said.
Breather is free for download on iOS and Android, with reservations also available via their website.
Image via Breather.
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