Our Story
I've spent most of my career working in a vibrant office setting and on dynamic teams as software product manager. A couple years ago, I stepped out on my own to found an EdTech startup aimed at helping people discover a fulfilling career path. I quickly learned that while entrepreneurship had its own sense of freedom and exhilaration, working remote as a solo-founder was easily the loneliest time of my life. Despite working in coffee shops and trying several different coworking spaces, I never found the lively, supportive and collaborative community I was not just looking for, but truly needed.
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One Sunday, I was at church listening to a sermon with a message about community, and suddenly felt a moment of inspiration. I wasn't the only one struggling with the feeling of isolation. I can and should do something about this. I then thought back to an experience where my wife Brittany and I were traveling and working in London at the tail end of the COVID pandemic (before our now two children).
Cafes were sadly still closed to workers and we were tired of being couped up in our basement flat we were renting. On Instagram, my wife discovered a church that opened its doors and created a very simple workspace/café for people to gather and work / study. It was so refreshing to be able to count on that space during that unique and trying time in our lives. ​​​​​​
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​With that experience, I connected the dots from problem to solution. So many people like me are feeling isolated working remote, often from home. At the same time, churches have tons of great space that goes underutilized or even unused during the workday. After some serious prayer, discernment, and deep discussions with Brittany, I decided to pause my budding EdTech startup and shift my focus to creating a new kind of workspace, rooted in faith and with an emphasis on community growth! An idea gradually morphed into this MonkWorks concept, and now our first of hopefully many doors is open for business!
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I look forward to personally welcoming you into our growing community of remote workers, freelancers and entrepreneurs!
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-Brian Vaio (Founder)