This week I speak to Loux Rutherford, Community Manager at x+why , a new type of co-working space focused on supporting purpose-driven organizations and using business as a force for good. We talk about:

• Their approach to building community in the physical co-working spaces, including hosting events, facilitating connections between members, and tracking "meaningful interactions" to nurture relationships.
• The challenges of measuring the value of serendipitous interactions and organic community growth in a physical space.
• The role of X+ Why in amplifying their members' work through content, campaigns, and partnerships.
• Loux's perspective on other inspiring brand communities, such as the B Corp movement, and advice for community builders.

This is the last episode in this series of Bunch - we hope you've enjoyed it!

This week Clare chats to Michelle Sims Community Manager, Finimize's global community lead, about building a thriving community to support the company's mission of making financial information accessible. We talk about how:

Finimize started as a newsletter and expanded to a mobile app and events, with the community playing a crucial role in teaching and learning.

The pandemic led to a shift to virtual events, further growing the ambassador program.

Retaining ambassadors through status, education, and belonging is key.

Adapting strategies based on feedback to build a successful community.

This week Clare chats to Adrian Singer Community Manager at Waze (at the time of recording - Adrian has since left Waze and relocated from tel Aviv to London).
We talk about how a community can achieve a goal collectively and the joy of indulging in a niche interest like mapping your local area. Adrian managed a global community who created a huge amount of value for Waze and then Google when it was acquired - with out the community the product wouldn't exist. That is what I call community at the core!