Ivan’s Cooperative Path at SPACE4

Software engineer Ivan arrived at SPACE4 in 2018 with three colleagues and the outline of a new digital-services cooperative, InFact. The team chose SPACE4 for its affordable desks and cooperative ethos, and quickly benefited from guidance provided by Outlandish members plus tailored mentoring sessions with cooperative adviser Siôn Whellens.

Between 2018 and 2020, InFact grew from an idea into a fully operational agency:

• Workspace & infrastructure – a cost-effective base that kept overheads low.
• Peer support – instant advice on everything from incorporation documents to bookkeeping.
• Referrals – regular projects passed on by established SPACE4 members when a smaller team was the right fit.

When COVID-19 shifted work online, SPACE4’s community channels continued to connect Ivan with collaborators and freelance opportunities. Even after InFact wound down in 2022, the network remained pivotal to Ivan’s career: informal conversations at SPACE4 led to a job helping run Founders and Coders, and to some freelance work with Animorph Coop.

The connections forged at SPACE4 reached beyond business meetings and project collaborations. When Ivan needed a new place to live, the community came through once again—he found a home sharing with Natasha, SPACE4’s manager, in a cosy flat-share in North London.

From founding a cooperative to securing successive roles in mission-driven tech, Ivan’s journey illustrates how SPACE4 functions as more than a workplace—it’s a vibrant community where professional ambitions and personal relationships naturally intertwine.