x+why Birmingham: Meet Rebecca Dobie, Senior Community Manager At Foundry

This Spring x+why will be venturing out of London and expanding into Birmingham. 6 Brindleyplace is being rebirthed as ‘Foundry’, with x+why taking three floors to meet a growing demand for sustainable and purposeful, flexible office spaces. Rebecca Dobie is the site’s senior community manager, and explains a little more about what’s to come.

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Tell us a little more about you and your role at x+why

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I’m the senior community manager so I’ll be helping with a variety of things, from pre-selling office space to prospective customers, to making sure our events run smoothly and that we’ve got the right kinds of companies in the space. We want everyone to be aligned with our mission, so that we are better able to offer the support they need, whether that’s on a small or large scale - from moving offices, to booking meeting rooms, or helping out with bigger launches and navigating learning curves.

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In terms of my background, I’ve worked with co-working spaces in the past, managing and running the space for community members. This suits me well as I love being a bit nosy and getting to know all the tenants. It’s about making sure that people feel seen and heard but it’s also great to be able to watch their journey and see them succeed. We’re building a culture of connection and if I know of someone within the network that might be able to help with a particular problem, I can be the link to facilitate that.

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What’s also important is just seeing that all the employees are enjoying themselves and having a great time. So we focus as much on the social side as on the business side - making it easy for people to get to know each-other in a more relaxed setting, and having those spontaneous water cooler moments. We make sure the companies here are able to focus on work when they need to, while also catering to greater human needs on a personal level.

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What does the triple bottom line mean to you?

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I am a total geek about the planet - me and my partner actually sign up to go litter picking and we’ve joined a few local movements that help the world to be greener. In the pipeline we’d like to volunteer with turtles in Costa Rica, but also doing these little things closer to home just feels like a great way to give back to the world with purpose.

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When it comes to my job, I always put people first. It’s about progressing the team as a whole, looking after everyone’s wellbeing and making sure people actually enjoy work - I want them to feel as though I’m someone that they can come to for help and advice when they need it.

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What is to come for Foundry?

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It’s a really electric place especially for young people and start-ups. It’s somewhere where people can come to build and connect - professionally but also personally. Collaboration is key, and even better when people are so passionate about what they do, which is what makes x+why unique in its focus on purpose. We’ve got 2 spaces opening up in the area and we’re looking to expand responsibly and enjoy the challenge!

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What makes this space and area unique?

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x+why are one of only 2 B Corp certified workspaces in the UK, so they’re really walking the walk when it comes to promoting responsible business that looks at its impact on the wider community, and not just the bottom line. On a day to day basis within the space, this translate to things like a greater focus on wellbeing. For example we have one plant per person in the office, relaxing bird tunes and access to plenty of natural light - so it’s not possible to be stressed at work in this space!

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We also do a lot to support our members and promote their work and message, for example our fridges are stocked with produce by member and certified B Corp Toastale, and we host plenty of meet-ups and events. People come here because they want to have access to a linke-minded network and community and we make that as easy for them as possible.

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Do you have any examples of the types of collaboration that have been happening recently?

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Yes we haven’t launched yet but we’ve been in touch with two charities in Birmingham, who will start using our site for their business get togethers - one of them will be working towards helping the homeless in Brum. They’ll also be able to support young businesses with their fundraising and space-use.

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Locally we’ve also collaborated with Birmingham artist Lucy M who’s injected some life into the space with her artistic inspiration. And I’m planning to get in touch with the charity Mind, to host some of their talk and paint sessions.

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How are Foundry supporting employee wellbeing?

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We have great access to some first class wellbeing facilities and initiatives on site. For example we have a yoga studio, access to mindfulness sessions, relaxation sessions, Peloton bikes, and nutrition plans which are all available on the members portal. X+why also partner with members BetterSpace, to provide all members with access to personalised wellbeing services.

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What’s the best part about your job?

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Building the community, seeing the office space get fuller and fuller, watching people enjoy themselves and hitting that sweet spot between work and play!

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What do you love most about x+why?

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I love how they support other purpose-driven companies - for example through their initiatives with the Why B programme

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How has what you do changed you as a person?

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It’s made me more outgoing, because I really have to go out there into Birmingham and explain what we are and how we’re different. Many people are shocked by the concept of B Corps, because they haven’t seen that business can be run this way, it’s a completely new concept for them. Spreading this message and getting out there in this way has helped to build my confidence and made me more optimistic about the change that’s happening.

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It’s great to be part of creating a space that feels like people’s second home. And Birmingham is a fantastic city to do this in. It’s really big on community as a whole, and it’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone. It feels like people really support and look after each-other here, and it’s a young persons place to be.

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More and more companies are relocating here and it’s becoming the new London in many respects. There are so many new openings after the pandemic - such as restaurants and office spaces. In this sense it’s an interesting contrast of the old and the new, you have a lot of Victorian buildings and factories where things used to be made, and plenty of tourist attractions such as Peaky Blinders and British history and culture. It’s becoming a very diverse place to be and a great area for skill-swapping and collaborating.

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