Union Cowork

What Union Cowork does

Union Cowork, operating as Proper Cowork, LLC, is a private coworking space operator founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Marcos, California. The company runs five physical locations across Southern California, including San Marcos, Encinitas, North Park (San Diego), Los Angeles Arts District, and Glendora, each situated in character-rich, repurposed buildings (former warehouses, banks, and factories) within walkable neighborhood settings. Union's core offering is a tiered membership portfolio: Flex Desks ($400/month), Dedicated Desks ($600-650/month), Private Offices ($1,000-1,100/month), Virtual Offices, and $35 Day Passes, all providing 24/7 access, conference room hours, and shared amenities such as high-speed WiFi, micro-roasted coffee, and kombucha. A single membership grants access to all locations, and the Glendora site uniquely integrates a Kamden Coffee day market, blurring the line between coworking and hospitality.

The company primarily serves freelancers, solopreneurs, remote workers, and small teams/startups (2-6 people), with a community-led go-to-market model centered on dedicated community managers, member events, neighborhood partnerships (e.g., Performance 360, local cafes), and word-of-mouth referrals. Distribution combines self-serve online purchasing (day passes, virtual offices) with direct in-person tours across all five locations. Beyond memberships, Union has layered in corporate sponsorships and brand activation packages as a secondary revenue stream, and most significantly has launched a franchise program that allows independent coworking operators to license the Union Cowork brand, operational systems, and marketing support, representing a shift from a pure owned-operator model toward an asset-light expansion path. The company is founder-led (CEO Stephanie Lawrence) with a small corporate headcount (1-10) and has not disclosed any external funding.

Name

Union Cowork

Legal name

Proper Cowork, LLC

Website

https://unioncowork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Union Cowork operates five community-driven coworking spaces across Southern California, offering tiered memberships (flex desks, dedicated desks, private offices, virtual offices, and day passes) to freelancers, remote workers, and small teams seeking flexible workspace with neighborhood character and on-site community management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Recurring monthly membership revenue from flex desks, dedicated desks, and private offices. Members pay monthly subscriptions with 24/7 access to their chosen workspace tier and amenities.
2. Day Passes: One-time day pass sales at $35/day for non-members to access open seating and amenities. Serves as both revenue stream and low-commitment entry point for membership conversion.
3. Franchise Fees: Franchise opportunity program offering brand licensing, operational systems, marketing support, and training to independent coworking space owners looking to scale under the Union Cowork brand.
4. Corporate Sponsorships & Advertising: Brand sponsorship packages offering visibility through office space activations, branded experiences, and member-exclusive promotions across Union's digital and in-person channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Union Cowork operates five physical coworking space locations across Southern California (San Marcos, Encinitas, North Park, Los Angeles, and Glendora) and sells monthly memberships that grant access to desks, private offices, and shared amenities. Core sellable offerings are Flex Desk, Dedicated Desk, Private Office, Virtual Office, and Day Pass, each bundled with 24/7 access, high-speed WiFi, conference room hours, coffee/kombucha, printing, and community events. The company also sells a franchise opportunity to independent operators.

Product overview

Union Cowork is a coworking space provider offering a unified platform of physical workspace solutions across five Southern California locations (San Marcos, Encinitas, North Park, Los Angeles, and Glendora). The product portfolio consists of five core membership tiers: Flex Desk (open hot-desking), Dedicated Desk (reserved permanent desk), Private Offices (enclosed team spaces), Virtual Office (mailing address service), and Day Passes (transient single-day access). Conference room access is bundled as a benefit across membership tiers. All memberships include shared amenities such as high-speed WiFi, micro-roasted coffee, kombucha, printing/scanning, and 24/7 secure access. The memberships collectively form a scalable progression path — from occasional flex access to full private office — within a community-driven coworking environment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flex Desk Membership Monthly subscription granting open seating access in a shared collaborative workspace, 24/7 access to all Union locations, all amenities, and 4 hours of conference room use per month. Priced at approximately $400/month. Targeted at freelancers, remote workers, and solopreneurs needing flexible drop-in access.
• Dedicated Desk Membership Monthly subscription for a reserved permanent desk with access to all amenities and all locations, including 6 hours of conference room use per month. Priced at $600-$650/month depending on location. For professionals who want a consistent workstation across the network.
• Private Office Fully private, secure, furnished office space for individuals or teams (typically 2-6 people), with 12 hours of conference room use per month and access to all Union locations. Starting at $1,000-$1,100/month depending on location. Designed for small teams and startups that need privacy without long-term commercial lease commitments.
• Virtual Office Monthly subscription providing a professional business mailing address with a custom suite number at a Union Cowork location, plus discounted rates on day passes and conference rooms. Aimed at remote businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs needing a credible business address without physical desk space.
• Day Pass Single-day pay-as-you-go access to open seating, high-speed WiFi, and all on-site amenities at any Union Cowork location, priced at $35 per day. Serves as a low-commitment entry point for prospective members and supports traveling remote workers.
• Franchise Opportunity Licensing package for independent coworking space operators (or new entrepreneurs) that grants access to the Union Cowork brand, operational playbooks, marketing support, and training in exchange for franchise fees. Sold to existing coworking operators or aspiring space owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flex desk membership at $400/month equates to approximately $15-20 per working day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Corporate SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic sponsorship opportunities for brands looking to maximize exposure through office space activations, branded experiences, and exclusive member perks. Includes branded activations, hosted events, product placement, and digital features targeting Union's local-first audience.
• Service Provider PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with coaches, consultants, designers, and wellness professionals who provide services to the Union community. Offers platform to build meaningful relationships and elevate brands through authentic community engagement.
• Event & Workshop HostsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners who host events or workshops at Union spaces, gaining access to professional creative venues while bringing value to the Union community through fostering connection, collaboration, and shared growth.
• Local Business PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal cafes, fitness studios, boutiques, and creative service providers who partner with Union for member-only discounts, experiences, or co-promotions. Engages vibrant professional audience and supports local economy.
• Kamden CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKamden Coffee operates at Union Glendora location, bringing their day market with local artists, vendors, and pour-overs. This partnership is central to Glendora's dual-identity concept as both coworking space and community gathering place. Regulars who come for coffee often become full members.
• Performance 360 San MarcoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth and fitness partner bringing North City Run Club and wellness events to Union San Marcos members. Part of the growing network of partners that makes Union more than a coworking space - a community hub.
• Wynston's Ice CreamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness that started in Union San Marcos lobby and grew into a North City staple - demonstrating the growth pathway Union provides for member businesses.
• North City Run ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness community organized by Performance 360 San Marcos at Union San Marcos location, offering members networking opportunities through fitness activities.
• Local Restaurants and Cafes (Neighborhood Partners)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with neighborhood establishments near each Union location. For North Park: Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, Lovesong Coffee + Market, Bacari, City Tacos, Second Chance Beer Lounge, The Observatory. For LA Arts District: Damo, Verve Coffee Roasters, Maru Coffee, Bestia, Girl & The Goat, Pizzeria Bianco, Propaganda Wine Bar, ROW DTLA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Deskpass: Marketplace platform aggregating coworking and meeting-room access across multiple operators globally. Adjacent to Union Cowork as a distribution channel and potential partner for filling underutilized inventory.

Direct peers

• Convene: Premium meeting, event, and flexible office provider operating in major U.S. cities. Competes for premium SMB and enterprise office demand with hospitality-forward positioning, partially overlapping Union Cowork's high-touch experience model.
• Workplaceless: Smaller flexible office and coworking operator serving distributed teams and SMBs with a multi-location membership model analogous to Union Cowork's cross-location access approach.
• WeWork: The largest coworking/flexible office operator globally, offering private offices, dedicated desks, and flex memberships targeting freelancers and SMBs—the same customer segments Union Cowork serves. After its 2023 restructuring, WeWork has re-entered the market with renewed focus on core markets.
• Office Evolution: Franchise-based flexible office and coworking operator with U.S. locations primarily in suburban and secondary markets. Closest analog to Union Cowork's franchise expansion model combined with coworking offerings.
• Industrious: Premium flexible office and coworking operator offering private offices, suites, and coworking memberships to SMBs and enterprise teams. Operates in major U.S. markets including Los Angeles and competes for the same freelancer and small-team segment as Union Cowork.
• Serendipity Labs: U.S.-based coworking and flexible office operator offering private offices, team suites, and coworking memberships in suburban and secondary markets. Comparable business model with similar tiered membership structure and SMB focus.
• Bond Collective: Boutique coworking and flexible office operator with multiple U.S. locations, known for design-forward spaces and curated community—closely paralleling Union Cowork's neighborhood-centric, community-led positioning.

Regional players

• Mindspace: Premium flexible office operator with locations across Europe and a few U.S. cities. Comparable tiered membership and private-office product but primarily serves European markets rather than SoCal.

Broad incumbents

• IWG / Regus / Spaces: The world's largest flexible workspace provider, operating Regus, Spaces, HQ, and Signature brands globally with thousands of locations. While broader and less community-niche than Union Cowork, it competes directly for the same freelance and SMB flexible-office demand in SoCal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unioncowork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Union Cowork