Page 11 - Islands Business March 2022

The Future of Work The Future of Work

The Greenhouse team: (L-R) Miri Dinamati (Sales and Finance Manager), Karen Fong (Managing Director), Ronna Pastorizo-Sekiguchi (Founder
and Director) and Lana Smith (Community Manager).
COWORKING AND COMMUNITY MAKING

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti organic growth,” Pastorizo-Sekiguchi says.
However, coworking spaces are still a foreign concept in
Bright splashes of paint on Greenhouse Coworking’s street Fiji. Pastorizo-Sekiguchi said she had to convince her team
frontage give a little hint of what to expect in their spacious first. “I remember I had to do a presentation in front of my
premises. As you start walking up the stairs, you quickly husband, who is also a realist like Karen, and he asked me,
realise that this is no ordinary working space. Step onto the ‘Have you seen the numbers.’”
patio and you are met with a breathtaking view of the city. Greenhouse first started considering a coworking space in
Enter the reception and you are warmly welcomed, and the 2015, but getting people to invest in the company was initially
further you walk into the space, the more at home and peace- difficult. “I guess some of the challenges as a small business
ful you feel. are securing investors, and when the idea is new, even pre-
It was not until I met the founder that I realised why the senting the idea and the dream, they don’t really see it. They
space was so warm and inviting. Maria Ronna Pastorizo-Seki- wanted to see it physically, but we couldn’t show them physi-
guchi, who is Greenhouse’s Founder and Director, is a bubbly, cally because we needed money. So we couldn’t open, and it
ball of energy. Her right hand in command, Greenhouse Man- caused a lot of frustration,” Pastorizo-Sekiguchi says.
aging Director Karen Fong, is slightly more serious, grounded “There were a lot of setbacks,” Fong agrees. “We have
and focused, while Miri Dinamati, Sales and Finance Manager, heard so many ‘nos’ and people would say Fiji is not ready.
has a calm and shy personality. They say Ronna is the dream- Ronna would do amazing presentations and people would just
er, Karen is the realist, and Miri is the buffer. say, “Nah, it’s not going to work here,” so that was hard.”
Coworking spaces are not a new concept internationally.
They allow companies and individuals to work on sites that MDF invests
provide full amenities, without the regular outlay of rent, Eventually, Greenhouse secured the support of the Market
providing greater flexibility. Development Authority (MDF), an Australian-funded initiative
For the Greenhouse team, it was a natural extension of the that connects individuals to businesses in the private and pub-
way they already work. As the sister company of Greehouse lic sectors, locally and internationally, to promote sustainable
Studio, the company was used to working in collaboration economic development. Greenhouse has also been supported
with different partners. by a small group of local angel investors.
“When we started with Greenhouse Studio, we always “The support from MDF was key,” said Fong. MDF’s partner-
used online tools and we always considered ourselves digital ship agreement was valued at F$106,880 (US$50,456) and
nomads, so the thought of offering a coworking office was included critical components that saw the dream take shape.

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