Kindred spirits sharing work life

Local workers looking to slice their commuting hours and work within their home town can find a friendly atmosphere in Mangawhai’s first shared workspace – the contemporary, relaxed surroundings of ‘Kindred Coworking’.

Located across from Mangawhai Domain, ‘Kindred’ is the brainchild of local entrepreneurs Misty Sansom and Siobhan Reid, and offers a number of stylish communal and private work spaces including a garden and orchard, as an attractive alternative to working from home or driving long-distances to a remote office.

Kindred was created after Reid, a former corporate lawyer and mum to two pre-schoolers, and Sansom, a life coach and mum of a four-year-old, met three years ago at their children’s playgroup. Sansom was also involved in an informal working parents group, and after the group closed and they were unable to find local appropriate working space, the idea of offering a modern, open, and accessible office area transpired.

“Hidden away in Mangawhai there is an interesting range of people and industries… people are coming to the realisation they can change their work lifestyle, that they can stay in Mangawhai and still run a business,” Reid says. “We wanted to design a creative working space which reflects Mangawhai, not a corporate Auckland office but a place with a relaxed beachside feel.”

As the name suggests, Kindred attracts like-minded people from a variety of industries including creatives, freelancers, remote workers and small business owners looking for both privacy to work and meet clients as well as enjoying the ‘vibrancy and network of a shared office space’.

“Kindred is a place to create, connect and focus,” Sansom says. “When the parents group closed, I missed the social aspect, the interaction with others. People can get inspired from each other’s energy and gain different perspectives from different industries.”

Officially launched on February 10 before being locked down and operating under Level 2 restrictions, Kindred kick-started again with an open day on June 13.

Clientele have access to a variety of indoor and outdoor working areas including both casual and permanent desks for varying lengths of time, and even bean bags in the orchard for a more laid back way of working.

Ultra-fast fibre internet and two kitchenettes with all types of ‘business fuel’ are provided, and a separate board room with French doors opening to a private garden is available for hire by members as well as the wider community. Kindred also hosts regular social get-togethers including breakfasts and dinners featuring guest speakers, with workshops, presentations and other events being scheduled for later in the year.

n Interested in finding out more about Kindred? Visit kindredcoworking.co.nz

Mangawhai entrepreneurs and co-founders of Kindred Coworking, Siobhan Reid and Misty Sansom, offering a contemporary, relaxed space for workers to ‘create, connect and focus’. PHOTO/JULIA WADE