Hub Coworking Hawaii

Hawaii's Best Coworking Space

Blog

#HumansoftheHub: Luke Assenmacher

Name: Luke Assenmacher
Company: Reel World Film Makers

 

Get to know Luke Assemacher from Reel World Films!

Filmmaker Luke came to the Hub about two years ago when he first approached the Hub team about some video projects. At the same time, he just moved out here to Hawai’i and he describes the hub as a landing pad for him. He says that, “besides having a brother out here, the community was rad, and was a large part of why I stayed out here and stayed motivated”.

In the interview, Luke stated that he loves working at the Hub because of the diversity of people. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn. Part of that is the kitchen social zone too. Luke admits that in a lot of coffee shops, it’s kind of weird to talk to people. But in the Hub’s kitchen area, it’s where you can push all phones, internet and whatever else aside and just talk to people if you want to.

As for his work, the production company, Reel World Filmmakers, is made up of a team of motivated individuals with the belief that by owning less, you can live a little more. They connect sustainable communities through sharing their stories in films, commercials, documentaries, and corporate marketing strategies. Currently, he has been helping Chef Hui document their work in feeding people and helping local restaurants faced with the hard effects of COVID-19.  You can learn more about this, Luke and his work here, and watch Reel World Filmmakers videos here.

3 Questions:
1. What work do you do?
I do full service video production. The way I explain what we do at Reel World Filmmakers is that we make engaging branded content through authentic documentaries set around perspective, experience, and community.

In real terms, I have a Marketing degree in the background which helps to create the full service video production. That means, we work all the way from content development, to producing the videos to the post production, which is editing, and then also to the distribution end. A lot of us here have a background in distribution, so we have the knowledge and the resources to do what the video is set out to do as far as the analytics side and having it land.

2. Do you have a Passion Project? OR What’s your WHY?
It’s such a funny question, especially as an entrepreneur because work, well video, definitely started off as my passion project as I traveled.

I took a few years to like travel, which  was a good way to meet different people and communities and get to hear what they are doing and I loved that. But I don’t really consider video as my passion now, it’s more of a profession.

For the ‘why’ in ‘why do I make videos’ I think it’s because in my opinion, everybody wants to do some good. And in that, hopefully we [as Filmmakers] can be there along with you to see you doing that good and therefore help spread the good  throughout your community. Whether the subject is an individual or a larger corporation I think everybody wants to do some good. So that’s what keeps me into making videos and keeps me passionate about it. I try to keep an optimistic attitude in all videos.

It seems like in quarantine, I have so many little passion projects going on. But spearfishing has recently become my newest quarantine hobby. I think it’s because of the unknown. As a traveler, which I was for several years, and even in work, just the aspect of the unknown is definitely cool and interesting to me. Underneath the water right now, everything is so unfamiliar to me as a white boy from Iowa growing up in cornfields, like, I couldn’t see the bottom of the Mississippi River, it’s always been a mystery and now I am in the ocean where you can actually see the bottom and it’s like ‘whoa’! So now definitely anytime I can gear up and go out there it feels amazing. Even with surfing, it’s the same way, I mean the ocean, period is just a new thing to me. Living here for the past couple of years i’ve tried so many things, like also learning the Hawaiian language, which has become another hobby recently, since I saw it on Duolingo.

3. What do people not know about you?
I pride myself on being a minimalist. Like to the point of having exactly 7 shirts, 4 pairs of underwear, 2 swim trunks, exactly 2 pairs of socks, 1 belt, 2 pairs of sandals, like that’s what I have. If anything else comes in, typically something has to go out. Not having a lot of things definitely transfers over to my filmmaking and I think what adds value to my production is that it’s just very minimal. I try to focus the videos and life on what’s important: family, health, love, you know things like that and the rest will kind of fall into place.

COVID-19 Operational Updates for the Hub

(Last Updated August 2021)

Please note that this is a running list. Updates about our response to the COVID-19 situation will reflect the current tier for the City & County of Honolulu’s Reopening Strategy.

To our Hub Members,

Your safety and well-being and that of our team is our number one priority. We will continue to monitor guidance and mandates from our local and state governments, the DOH and CDC. In response to the latest developments surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), here are the latest changes and updates reflecting Tier 5 of the C&C of Honolulu’s Reopening Strategy to our space until further notice: 

 Sanitation and Safety Measures

  • The Hub has a daily sanitizing crew that comes in at 6:30am. 
  • A sanitizing station has been placed in the main entryway (Suite 100 and Suite 200) and kitchen entrance. All members and guests will be required to sanitize their hands upon entry.
  • All members must check-in on the Hub Coworking App or Hub Member Portal for security measures and to assist with contact tracing.
  • All guests must sign in for security measures and to assist with contact tracing. 
  • Floor decals have been placed in front of the Host Desk for physical distancing
  • We are not accepting cash at this time. Debit, Credit and charges to your personal and team account are accepted. 
  • Table markers will be at the entry sanitizing station. Members using the coworking areas will grab a table marker to place at their work area. When you’re done for the day, please leave the table marker in place to prompt our team to sanitize your area. If you move to a different work area for the day, grab another table marker so we can ensure the sanitization of the work area after each use. 
  • Desks, tables and chairs have been rearranged or removed to allow for proper physical distancing. Dividers have been placed in certain areas to create safety barriers. Please do not rearrange the layout without approval by our team. 

Mask Requirements

Here are the City & County of Honolulu’s Mask Rules, and here are the latest changes and updates to our space and how they may affect you: 

  • Masks are encouraged to be worn at all times while at the Hub.
  • Masks must be worn correctly, covering both the mouth and nose.
  • Face shields are not an appropriate substitution for masks, but you may wear them in addition to a face mask if you prefer.
  • Masks must be worn when using our meeting rooms with 2 or more people.
  • Masks can be removed once seated in your workstation.
  • Masks may be removed if actively eating or drinking.
  • Office holders may remove their mask when in their private office. However, we do encourage all parties wear a mask if you share your office with other team members unless you are family or live within the same household.
  • Exemptions apply according to guidelines from the State Health Department.  

All members should make their own decisions for their own health and welfare and should decide if they want to use the Hub given our mask requirements. Any member that feels that they are unable or unwilling to comply with these mask rules may cancel their membership effective immediately and will no longer incur any additional fees.

Membership, Access and Amenities

  • For any new members seeking to join or current members, we’ll be asking if you have travelled transpacific in the past 5 days. All members that have travelled transpacific in the past 5 days will be asked to stay home for 5 days upon their arrival date before beginning or resuming work at the Hub. Please see our COVID-19 Certification and Liability Release below before entering our space.
  • Our Suite 100 doors will be unlocked for normal business hours M-F, 9am-5pm.
  • Hosts will be available at the front desk for mail, parking validations, printer/tech issues and general questions.
  • Shared Kitchen Changes to reflect the C&C of Honolulu’s Reopening Strategy:
    • A hand sanitizing station has been placed at the main entrance. 
    • Seating will be removed from the dining tables. You may enjoy your meal at your workstation.
    • You’re welcome to use the microwave, toaster oven and other amenities but please sanitize your hands before using.
    • Coffee station and beer taps will be available. Please sanitize your hands before using.
    • In order for us to safely provide filtered water and ice, we’re asking everyone to not use their personal water containers (ie: hydroflasks) at the water dispenser. Please use a glass pitcher to refill. If you decide to use a glass cup, please grab a clean one before pouring again.
    • We encourage members to bring their own dishes and utensils
      • Our shared dishes and cutlery can still be used. We ask that you empty and rinse your dishes of any waste and liquids before placing them in the dishwashers.
      • Our team will load/unload the dishwasher throughout the day.

Meeting Rooms and Event Spaces

  • We will be requiring all members and guests to use face coverings while using our meeting rooms and event spaces. In accordance with the City & County of Honolulu’s Mask Wearing Rules.
  • All meeting rooms will be open while reflecting current restrictions. We’re allowing up to 2 people in the Entrance and Kitchen Sound Boxes, and Suite 200 Corner Meeting Rooms. We’re also allowing up to 6 people in the Boardroom. The Workshop Room can accommodate up to 18 people for Theatre Style set up or 15 people in a Group Pod Set Up. Be sure to book the meeting rooms via the member app before using. 
  • We can allow up to 10 people for social events in the Workshop Room or Main Event Spaced.
  • For Business/Professional events (company meetings, conferences, etc.) we require physical distancing of 6 feet and mask wearing for the group. We are also discouraging food and drink. Allowed group size would be pending on the requested meeting room or event space. Please inquire with our staff for more information regarding this.

Remediation Plan

  • In the unforeseeable event that a COVID case has been identified in the facility, Hub Coworking Hawaii will implement the following plan:
    • Notify all members while maintaining confidentiality
    • Close for 24-72 hours
    • Deep professional cleaning of facility
    • Continual updates with members on current status and plan
  • If a member or members of a team that works out of the Hub were to test positive for COVID, we’d require the team to show proof of a negative COVID test result if they plan to continue working at the Hub. Otherwise, we’d require the team members to self quarantine.

COVID-19 Certification and Liability Release Notice 

BEFORE ENTERING Hub Coworking Hawaii, read this notice carefully. The safety of our community is our utmost priority. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are closely monitoring the situation and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our government, local health authorities, industries best practices, and feedback from our community. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@hubcoworkinghi.com. 

BY ENTERING HUB COWORKING HAWAII, YOU ARE AFFIRMING AND REPRESENTING THAT:

1.You have NOT tested positive for COVID-19, or you are NOT presumptively positive for COVID-19 based on your health care provider’s assessment of your symptoms.
2.You have NOT been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting to receive test results.
3.You are NOT currently experiencing, or have NOT experienced any of the following symptoms in the last 14 days:
  • Cough           
  • Chills
  • Muscle Pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fever of 100.4 F or higher
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
  • Sore throat
4.You have NOT, in the past 14 days, been in close contact with anyone who experienced any of the above symptoms or has experienced any of the above symptoms since your contact.
5.You have NOT, in the past 14 days, been in close contact to anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
6.You have NOT, in the past 14 days, been on a flight or traveled outside of Hawaii or have been in close contact to anyone who has.
7.You WILL abide by CDC guidelines for current social distancing, which includes wearing a mask, and practicing the 6-foot distance protocol while using common areas at the Hub.
8.Hub Members: Have read and agree to comply with the current Hub Operational Procedures, in place for use of the Hub as a Member. Members who host guests (based on our current policies) are responsible for their guests at all times.
9.Violations: All Users of the Hub agree that violations to the Hub Operational Procedures in place at this time may result in being asked to leave the facility and/or loss of membership.

LIABILITY WAIVER NOTICE

The Hub management team is committed to providing a safe environment. By entering the Hub, all Users (Members, Guests, Staff) agree that the certification and affirmation above was answered truthfully and to the best of your ability. In addition, all Users agree to release the Hub Coworking Hawaii from any liability for the unintentional exposure or harm due to COVID-19.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this unprecedented time. We look forward to welcoming you all back to our space when the time is right!

The Hub Team

Welcoming Back the Hub Ohana – Soon!

The past few months have been impactful for our whole planet and the collective of members and friends we have at the Hub.

The news changes each day and we are watching the State and City’s leadership for guidance on when we can open. In the meantime we’re making changes to the space to keep our members and team as safe as possible. Currently, members with Unlimited Memberships, Offices and Dedicated Desks can access the space and members with part time memberships who self select as an essential business can contact us for M-F, 9am-5pm access. We are really excited to welcome our Hub ‘ohana back into our space and will continue to ensure the safety of everyone that comes through our doors remains a top priority. Please see our updated operations policies for the Hub here.

During this break in regular services, we’ve also spent time reflecting on the ways that COVID-19 has changed our personal lives and our business. As a team, we’ve listened to our members about the challenges they’ve been facing and have begun to proactively brainstorm some solutions. We invite anyone to send us their ideas on how the Hub can safely support the community and how the Hub can innovate to stay at the forefront of the services it provides. You can email us here.

Our team has definitely missed the collective energy that our members bring: as we’ve often said, the Hub is so much more than the walls that we share – it’s the people that make it a great place to come to work.

Who’s ready for lunch … 6ft together?

For some, the past 6 weeks of shelter-in-place has been a great opportunity to discover the benefits of working from home, and many have found that it suits some of their needs quite well. It has taught some of us new skills (I’m thinking about leading virtual meetings and brainstorms) and allowed us to get creative on how we work. Perhaps it has even given more time to lead a balanced work schedule.

On the other hand, others have had a difficult time trying to adjust and work from home (WFH). As many of us have experienced, WFH has a unique set of challenges, whether that’s unreliable internet, too hot or too cold, a heap of laundry, a lack of space for functional work habits, a loud household filled with family or roommates, child care, or perhaps a few small, unruly ‘coworkers’ that want to join your meetings.

For me personally, I like to have my options and I’m reminded how important a flexible workspace was for me before the Hub existed, and we are reminded why we started the Hub in the first place. The Hub’s flexible membership plans mean that you can join, cancel, and/or change at any time. You can join for just a few days a month even. If you’re like some people and you can’t wait to get out of the house, we’re still open 24/7 for Unlimited Memberships so that you can find the focus time that you need at a desk or in a private office. And you can work with us to host virtual or small meetings, without housemates or kids around to interrupt. Whatever balance of home-work or office-work that is best for you, we want to make it easy for you when we can reopen because things will be different for everyone.

When you are able to come back, the Hub is going to look a bit different – we’re changing the physical spaces with ‘team areas’ and physical dividers to aid in social distancing, and we’ll have updated meeting room protocols. We have revamped our cleaning and sanitizing procedures for those that enter the Hub, and we’ll be sharing the new protocols soon. We want to remind you, that as a current or former member, you’re welcome back as soon as we get permission from our local and state government that it’s okay to open. We really look forward to seeing all of you soon – with your masks on, of course! And don’t worry, we brought the coffee back!

Sanitize & cleaning protocols await
Extra dividers mean a bit more space.
Keeping hands + shared amenities clean for everyone.

#HumansoftheHub: Jimmy Lin

Jimmy Lin has been a member of the Hub for about a year and a half now. He works as a physical therapist specializing in orthopedics and sports. He is immensely passionate in the work he is doing because it allows him to work with others, and form meaningful connections.

Through his work, he is able to help people in both their physical and mental capacity. After talking to Jimmy, I think that I now see physical therapy as more of a mental transformation that only a physical one. People have to overcome a setback or injury, let a therapist in, and all the and while, push themselves to get better. 

Jimmy sees this as well as he and his close friends are currently working on a project to help young boys in the fifth to eight grade develop self confidence in both their mental and physical abilities. The group is working to show young ones that having the importance of relationship building, especially as they move into their teenage years. 

To get in touch with Jimmy and his team, email him at jimmy@jimmylin.fit 

What work do you do?

I am a physical therapist by trade, and then I was a personal trainer before that so then I kinda melded the two, so i’m a physical therapist that does orthopedics and sports. I’m passionate about sports so I started getting into more training and now i’m getting more into coaching as well. I specialize in orthopedic injuries and I do a lot of sports conditioning, so now it’s kind of like fitness training/personal training as well. 

I worked for a training clinic up until 2017, and then I moved back to LA for a little bit and then I came back and now I just do things on my own. I see a couple clients out of CrossFit, a few out of their own homes, and a few we actually run, so  every time we meet up, it’s kind of a path that we go train on.

 

Do you have a Passion Project? OR What’s your WHY?

I think it’s a little bit of both. I really do love what I do- from the relationship development aspect, to the fact that I really have to try to understand people in order to help them. Actually, I think that’s a growing realization that I am starting to see. That is, in order to really help somebody, they have to really believe that you truly understand them and you really have to understand them. I think through this thought process, on both levels, the personal training side and the rehab/healing side, they’re kind of one and the same and that’s why I love doing what I do. 

Now, I do that as my primary job, but I am working right now with a couple of colleagues, who are also close friends, on a project that is geared towards helping young men, around fifth to eight grade- that’s kind of around the age we are targeting right now- to help them learn to develop self confidence in both their mental and physical abilities. We are all physical therapists with specializations in orthopedics and sports, plus strength and conditioning. We are also all strength and conditioning certified and I think it further emphasizes the importance of being in a situation where you love working with the people that you are around since we’re close friends-and we see the physical importance of relationship building. I think having that as adolescents become teenagers is something that we want to develop for them so that they can help each other/support each other through their kind of psychologically adventurous years. 

What do people not know about you?

I don’t know I am a pretty open book. I think most people know everything about me. Well, I play the guitar (sort of) I like music, so I try to play some music. I like everything-I don’t know if people know that about me. I pretty much like everything. I find the world and people fascinating. And literally when I say I like everything, It’s hard for me to name things that I really dislike. 

Impact Partners 2020

Hub Coworking is fortunate to partner with select local businesses to help make a bigger impact in our community.

These companies have demonstrated their support for the growing entrepreneurial and small business community in Honolulu. All Impact Partners are dedicated to bettering Hawaii through their thoughtful business actions.

Our Impact Partner Circle serves as a valuable advisory council that provides sponsorship of events and memberships, strategic insights, and thought leadership for the community. We are proud to announce continued partnership with the following organizations:

American Savings Bank

American Savings Bank is one of the primary financial institutions in the state of Hawaii, and have been serving Hawaii’s businesses and communities since 1925. ASB provides a full range of financial products and services, including business and consumer banking, home loans, insurance and investments.

ASB’s work supports the following SDGs:

 

Hawaii Investment Ready

Hawaii Investment Ready (HIR) is an accelerator program designed to help Hawaii businesses thrive. Their statewide peer-to-peer learning program has been created to support the sustainability of island social enterprises so that they can scale their businesses in Hawaii and beyond.

HIR’s work supports the following SDGs:

simplicityHR by Altres

ALTRES Staffing is Hawaii’s largest staffing and recruiting company, with seven offices across the state, and simplicityHR by ALTRES serves as the human resources “back office” for more than 2,200 local businesses. For nearly 50 years, they have been Hawaii’s #1 HR outsourcing company and is ranked as one of Hawaii’s Best Places to Work.

Altres’ work supports the following SDGs:

Ulupono

Ulupono Initiative is a local non-profit that invests in a more sustainable Hawaii. Founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidiyar. Ulupono seeks to invest in and help grow local organizations involved in clean/renewable energy, diversified agriculture, and waste-to-energy management – choosing to invest in projects that have high potential for creating large-scale social impact. They invest in companies focused on improving the local energy, food, water, and waste sectors.

Ulupono’s work supports the following SDGs:

#HumansoftheHub: Nathalie Champion

Nathalie is a member of the hub that has two ways of reaching out to her community. The first, is that she is a realtor for NextHome KU Realty. In this, Nathalie focuses on making peoples’ experiences meaningful and positive.

 

Her background in psychology has opened her eyes to see that the realty process is actually a pretty emotional one for most people. Because of this, she navigates her work by putting the customer over her sale-to make sure that the client is able to transition to a place where they are happier than before they began, regardless of where they started. 

On the other hand, Nathalie is the founder of Sparked, an authentic relationship game for women. Participants usually gather in someone’s home, the Still and Moving Center on Queen St. and at the Hub. She has started to launch meetings on Zoom, where women can still engage in a meaningful online conversation, sharing their stories, and learning how to deliver their stories to other women. 

Besides Sparked, Nathalie is also involved in Womanspeak, a woman-safe space to learn and implement best practices for public speaking. While Sparked is to get you more comfortable to share your story with a group of women, Womanspeak gets you used to talking to a bigger group. Nathalie helps participants focus on their breathing, their body, and getting out of their heads. That way, women can become more accustomed to speaking about their core values and their ‘why’. She hopes to have women avoid getting stuck in that negative feedback loop of panic that stirs when someone is presented with the opportunity of public speaking, and instead be able to articulate what they want to shine and convey to their audience. 

In all of this, Nathalie finds ways to help others from a place of service. After speaking with her, I was undoubtedly met with a rush of confidence and positivity. Before ending the call, when asked what message she wants to highlight to readers, Nathalie said that she hopes to underscore the importance of being kind to one another- especially right now. 

To get in touch with Nathalie, please email nathalie@nathaliechampion.com

Meet Nathalie Champion

NextHome KU Realty

3 Questions:

  1. What work do you do?

I am a residential realtor. I focus on buying, selling and investing instead of property management all over O’ahu. I have found that there are a lot of realtors, but I feel that I know and trust you will find your people. 

      2. What’s your WHY?

I love real estate because it is such a huge and daunting process. I have been blessed to have  two experiences: one, having a realtor that was awful and one that was amazing. The difference in the quality of my life during the transaction was something that made me go,  “wow this is so important that I want to come in from the service side”. I have a psychology degree and I feel that it’s important because realty is such an emotional process and for a majority of people they don’t realize that. To me, it doesn’t have such a fiduciary duty because here, it is one of the few jobs where you have to put your customer over your sales-unlike other sales positions. This is something that I take very very seriously, and I really find joy in being able to midwife someone through the transition into someplace where they fall in love or even a transition out from a place where they were unhappy. I think that this is especially important now because it is such an unprecedented time where it’s important to really be kind- because a lot of people’s lives are really being shifted out of their comfort zone. It’s remarkable how much changes and how you can make a difference for someone. 

      3. What do people not know about you?

I feel that people don’t know how much of an introvert I am. I prefer being at home reading, versus networking and putting myself out there and meeting people. It’s funny because my job is so much of that, and so it has taken a lot of creativity to navigate that. 

I think that’s why I am so active in the community. Recently, I have become a part of Sparked, an authentic relationship game for women. My role is to hold space for this game to be experienced. Traditionally we would circle up in a woman only space at someone’s house, but nowadays we will meet on Zoom, spin a spinner, land on an awesome topic like “passion”, pick a card, and then answer the question. I feel that it is an insightful opportunity to get to know each other that fosters a deeper connection to one another than normal networking which focuses on one facet of who we are as human beings. Sparked allows you to share yourself in a way that’s important, and also helps you realize that, ‘other people have just as complex and rich a life as I do,’ because you forget that sometimes.