Cross Campus

Cross Campus Cross Campus is an urban coworking and innovation hub founded to support startups, freelancers, and entrepreneurial communities across major metropolitan areas. It provides workspace, programs, and partnerships designed to accelerate growth among technology firms, creative agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The organization is notable for collaborations with venture capital firms, academic institutions, and corporate innovation labs.

History

The founding of Cross Campus drew on precedents such as WeWork, General Assembly, Y Combinator, Techstars, and Plug and Play Tech Center that redefined shared workspaces and startup accelerators. Early funding rounds involved investors similar to Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark, and angel networks associated with 500 Startups. Initial locations were influenced by urban revitalization projects like those in Silicon Valley, Downtown Los Angeles, South Lake Union, and Mission District, San Francisco. Strategic hires included executives from LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, and operations leaders with backgrounds at Regus and Impact Hub. Partnerships with universities mirrored collaborations seen between Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern California, and research centers such as MIT Media Lab and Harvard Innovation Labs. The organization expanded amid broader trends including the post-2008 startup ecosystem growth and the proliferation of coworking exemplified by Shareable (magazine) coverage and urban policy debates involving municipal agencies like the Los Angeles Department of City Planning.

Facilities and Locations

Cross Campus operates multiple sites modeled after landmark coworking spaces in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Austin, Texas. Facilities commonly include private offices, meeting rooms, event auditoriums, and podcast studios, and are outfitted with amenities influenced by design standards from firms like Gensler, HOK, and Perkins and Will. Locations are often situated in neighborhoods undergoing tech-driven transformation reminiscent of Arts District, Los Angeles, SoHo, Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, and South of Market, San Francisco. Buildings sometimes occupy repurposed industrial structures similar to renovations in DUMBO, Brooklyn, Meow Wolf campuses, and adaptive reuse projects connected to The California Endowment initiatives. Security and infrastructure integrate services from providers akin to CBRE Group, JLL, and Securitas AB, and connectivity relies on carriers and platforms comparable to AT&T, Verizon Communications, and Spectrum (company). Accessibility arrangements reflected partnerships with transit authorities such as Metrolink (California), Bay Area Rapid Transit, and Los Angeles Metro.

Programs and Services

Programming at Cross Campus includes mentorship, pitch coaching, investor introductions, and curated workshops in the vein of Startup Weekend, Founder Institute, and Lean Startup methodologies. Educational offerings draw on networks of instructors from Coursera, Udacity, General Assembly, and faculty associated with USC Marshall School of Business and UCLA Anderson School of Management. Accelerator-style cohorts feature collaborations similar to Y Combinator, Techstars, and corporate innovation programs run in partnership with firms like Google for Startups, Microsoft for Startups, and Amazon Web Services. Services also include legal clinics similar to those offered by LegalZoom, financial advisory comparable to KPMG, PwC, and accounting integrations akin to QuickBooks, Stripe Atlas, and Square (company). Event programming has hosted speaker series modeled on TEDx, pitch nights inspired by Demo Day, and hackathons resembling MHacks and AngelHack.

Membership and Community

Membership tiers typically mirror structures used by organizations such as WeWork, Regus, and Impact Hub, offering day passes, dedicated desks, and private suites. Community-building emphasizes networks involving angel investors, corporate venture arms, and nonprofit accelerators like Fast Forward, Echoing Green, and City of Los Angeles Economic Development Department programs. Resident companies have ranged from early-stage startups resembling Rivian, Ring, and Dollar Shave Club to scaleups analogous to Slack Technologies, Snap Inc., and Palantir Technologies. Talent pipelines intersect with recruiting channels such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and university career centers at institutions like USC, UCLA, and Caltech. Community governance and programming advisory boards have included entrepreneurs and executives connected to TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and Forbes profiles.

Notable Events and Partnerships

Cross Campus has hosted accelerator demo days, industry summits, and civic events featuring partners comparable to LAEDC, Southern California Grantmakers, and corporate innovation groups from Walmart Labs, Target Corporation, and Wells Fargo. High-profile events have included speaker series with founders and executives associated with Uber Technologies, Lyft, Inc., Airbnb, Inc., and venture panels including representatives from Benchmark and Sequoia Capital. Collaborations with civic institutions mirrored projects undertaken with City of Los Angeles, California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and cultural partners such as Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Broad (museum). Cross-sector partnerships extended to media and accelerator networks like TechCrunch Disrupt, SXSW, and Los Angeles Auto Show tie-ins for mobility startups. International collaborations reflected exchanges with innovation ecosystems in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin, and Bangalore.

Category:Coworking spaces