WeWork
WeWork provides flexible coworking spaces and office solutions for individuals and teams. Founded in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, the company expanded to approximately 600 buildings across 125 cities worldwide, raising $12.8 billion in financing from investors including the SoftBank Vision Fund. After a tumultuous path, WeWork went public in 2021 through a merger with BowX Acquisition Corp.
The Story
WeWork Inc. is an American company headquartered in New York City that provides coworking spaces, including physical and virtual shared spaces, in approximately 600 buildings in 125 cities.
WeWork was founded in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey. Over the following 10 years, the company rapidly expanded to become the world's largest coworking operator, valued at $47 billion at its peak. The business model centers on flexible office space for individuals, startups, and enterprise teams, with amenities designed to foster community and collaboration.
After a turbulent IPO in 2019 and leadership changes, WeWork emerged from restructuring with a renewed focus on sustainable growth and profitability. Today, the company continues to serve millions of members worldwide while expanding into enterprise solutions and virtual office products.
Key Facts & Metrics
Products & Services
WeWork Platform
Global flexible office space and membership platform offering coworking, private offices, and virtual office solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes.
Company Timeline
2010 — Founded WeWork
WeWork was founded as a real estate company.
2019 — IPO and Restructuring
WeWork attempted a highly publicized IPO in 2019 that highlighted governance concerns and led to leadership changes and a significant valuation reset.
2021 — WeWork Milestone
Significant milestone in WeWork's growth.
Episodes Featuring WeWork
Advice Line: What’s Your Value?
Guy Raz hosts an Advice Line mashup with WeWork's Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post's Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali. Three founders call in with value-proposition dilemmas: Megan Downey needs to prove the ROI of her Shiki Wrap pop-up demos, Amanda Ballweg can't make Woofsie's dog enrichment cards click with online shoppers, and Mark Goldfarb wants to hire without compromising his artisanal pesto brand. Together they reveal how to translate product features into clear customer value, turn live experiences into scalable content, and hire people who embody the brand's mission.
Advice Line with Miguel McKelvey of WeWork
WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey dispenses unfiltered advice to three founders at growth plateaus. A high-end pants maker learns to embed her "why" everywhere, a grief care business discovers AI-optimized content could be its new growth engine, and a history merch brand $750K strong realizes polished Instagram is losing to raw storytelling. Miguel's prescription: tell your story so relentlessly that customers can't forget you exist.
