Podcast by Halo Talks
Amro Qaddura sat down with Peter Moore of Halo Talks for an intimate discussion on Blender’s origin and his journey from the management consulting world to pioneering the premium workspace market segment.
Check out the podcast here!
Here’s a written feature by Crains New York:
“As with many new businesses these days, the idea took shape at a WeWork. Sassoon and co-founder Amro Qaddura spent four months taking notes on their competition inside a Madison Avenue location. ‘There were many good things, and many things we wanted to improve upon,’ Sassoon said. ‘For the most part, we felt we could offer a much better level of service and hospitality to a group of professionals who appreciate a beautiful aesthetic and a more boutique experience.’
Like other co-working spaces, Blender will offer access to payroll, legal and accounting services, health insurance, high-speed broadband and pretty much anything else that entrepreneurs need. Sassoon is eyeing three more locations in the city, as well as more space at 135 Madison Ave. He said that about 20% of the desks at Blender are spoken for. It will hardly be the first co-working space to aim for the high end. NeueHouse, which has one location in the Flatiron district, has an invitation-only admissions policy and prices that start at $1,300 a month. Blender will be positioned more in the middle range. Rents will run at about 10% to 15% higher than at WeWork, where desks go for $350 to $500 a month and offices from $650 to $1,000, depending on the location. Blender will hit the market as the co-working wave shows no sign of cresting. Real estate research firm CompStak counts a dozen co-working leases signed in New York City in the past 12 months, for a total of 1 million square feet—almost double the space in the previous 12 months. WeWork, which has 19 locations in New York and at least two more on the way, raised $400 million in June, putting its valuation at $10 billion. ”
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