QCowork Celebrates Year One!

This month, we're celebrating one year since QCowork officially opened its doors.

As a first-time community manager, this year has been filled with so many firsts: first times onboarding new members into a space, first times hosting happy hours, first times jumping into various professional communities to forge meaningful connections, and first times figuring out the rhythm of a coworking space: what makes one feel magnetic, productive, and genuinely worth showing up to.

But the truth is, I didn't do it alone. Far from it. Between countless meetings with our founders, brainstorms with our marketing team, and deep, meaningful conversations with members of our community, this space came together, both physically and figuratively.

And what a year it's been. Over the past twelve months, we've welcomed more than 45 members, hosted a variety of workshops (some one-offs, some recurring), partnered with organizations like the Montgomery County Chamber, RBTC, and Blacksburg Young Professionals, hosted speaking engagements for mayoral candidates, and welcomed countless Blacksburg visitors through day passes, and so much more.

One of our proudest achievements is serving as the home for two recurring business accelerator workshops, led by two of our incredible members: Wendy Pannell and Holly Kobia. Both workshops grew organically from one-off sessions they each hosted here at QCowork. They saw a need, rolled up their sleeves, and built something bigger, creating communities within our community and expanding their businesses in bold, meaningful ways. Simply being able to provide the space for that to happen fills us with tremendous pride.

As our anniversary week approaches, it feels especially fitting that one of our original members, Dave Prevette of Moseley Designs, will be hosting his official Chamber Ribbon Cutting during that same week, just over a year since he first moved in. Dave has been a cornerstone of this community, holding court in the office closest to the front of the building and greeting new members with genuine warmth and kindness. He's the kind of familiar, welcoming presence that makes a place feel like home. We couldn't be more honored that he chose QCowork as Moseley Designs' homebase in Blacksburg.

When I look back on the past year, what I cherish most are the quiet, individual moments - morning coffee conversations, afternoon chats on the sofa, and the simple joy of becoming real friends with the people in this space. Nothing warmed my heart more than watching members find each other. Some of our more outgoing members had a particular gift for it - drawing quieter voices into the fold through a well-timed compliment, a moment of genuine curiosity, or simply making someone feel seen.

Looking ahead, I'm excited and energized. My goal for Year Two is more events, more community initiatives, and more joy - full stop. QCowork has always been a place where people feel focused and productive, and that won't change. But I want to see it fully grow into the "third space" it was always meant to be: somewhere between home and office, where connection happens as naturally as the work does. Community and connection often flourish organically, but they almost always start with someone taking that first step toward another person. I vow to keep taking that step, and to keep building the best work and gathering space for professionals in the New River Valley.

To celebrate, we're closing out the month with a special Anniversary Week (April 27–30) - a handful of events that are a little bit of everything: movement, learning, milestone moments, and of course, a proper birthday happy hour. They're designed for our members and reflect exactly what makes this community special. And if you've been curious about QCowork but haven't made the leap yet, we're offering free coworking for future members all week. Come see what the fuss is about!

Thank you to everyone who has helped create this energy. We are nothing without our community. 🥂 Here's to Year Two!