WeWork Inc.
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Founders
Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey, Rebekah Neumann · Founded 2010 · New York, New York, United States
Quick Answer
WeWork was founded by Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey, Rebekah Neumann in 2010 in New York, New York, United States. The company is currently led by John Santora.
Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey opened the first WeWork location in SoHo, Manhattan in 2010. The concept — shared office space sold through memberships with a community angle — wasn't new. Executive suites and business centers had existed for decades. What WeWork did differently was the presentation: instead of sterile executive suite aesthetics, WeWork locations used exposed brick, craft beer taps, curated playlists, and language about community, collaboration, and belonging. The pitch worked in 2010's post-financial-crisis environment, when startups were proliferating and office leases were a poor fit for companies that might not exist in two years. The membership model gave WeWork's users flexibility that traditional leases couldn't offer. The premium over raw office space was justified, at least for some users, by the flexibility value and the amenity package. SoftBank's Vision Fund investment in 2017 changed the company's trajectory by providing capital at a scale that demanded global expansion. Neumann took the money and moved — opening locations in every major city, acquiring meeting app Meetup and marketing analytics company Conductor, and building out WeWork-branded residential and education products. The capital funded growth; the growth funded a higher valuation; the higher valuation justified more capital. The 2019 IPO attempt collapsed after the S-1 filed in August disclosed losses of $1.9 billion in 2018 and a governance structure that gave Neumann extraordinary control. Institutional investors, reading the actual document, declined to participate at any remotely comparable valuation. Neumann departed in September 2019. SoftBank committed $9.5 billion in rescue financing in 2020 which was consumed by ongoing rent obligations before the company filed for bankruptcy three years later.
Adam Neumann co-founded WeWork in 2010 with a visionary belief that the physical environment could alter human behavior and drive innovation, leading him to pioneer the modern coworking industry and transform the global commercial real estate market through designed, community-focused work environments.
Miguel McKelvey co-founded WeWork with Adam Neumann in 2010, bringing a deep understanding of spatial design and the psychological impact of physical spaces which was critical to the creation of the designed, community-focused work environments that defined the WeWork brand and drove its early explosive growth.
Miguel McKelvey, born in 1974 in Oregon, is an American architect and entrepreneur who co-founded WeWork with Adam Neumann. McKelvey studied architecture and was influenced by the concept of how physical spaces can influence human behavior and interaction. Before co-founding WeWork McKelvey was involved in the early coworking movement, launching Green Desk, an eco-friendly shared workspace in Brooklyn, which served as the direct precursor to WeWork. McKelvey's role in the company was primarily focused on the physical design and the community culture; he was responsible for the iconic, industrial-chic aesthetic of the WeWork locations, featuring exposed brick, glass-walled conference rooms, and communal tables that became the hallmark of the brand. McKelvey was also involved in the curation of the community, personally interviewing potential members and organizing the events that fostered the collaborative atmosphere. As the company grew and professionalized, McKelvey's influence waned, and he eventually stepped down from his role as Chief Culture Officer in 2018, prior to the company's disastrous IPO attempt. McKelvey's contribution to WeWork was foundational; his design philosophy and community-focused approach created the physical product that the company sold, and his early partnership with Neumann provided the creative spark that launched the flexible office revolution.
Rebekah Neumann co-founded WeWork with her husband Adam Neumann in 2010, playing a crucial role in the early operations, community building, and the development of the company's unique culture, though her later involvement in the company's governance and financial decisions became a source of significant controversy.
Rebekah Neumann, born in 1981, is an American entrepreneur who co-founded WeWork with her husband, Adam Neumann. Rebekah was involved in the early days of the company, helping to build the community, organize events, and manage the operations of the first locations. She was a key part of the founding team that established the unique, cult-like culture of WeWork, and her influence was felt in the company's focus on wellness, sustainability, and social impact. However, as the company grew and the scrutiny intensified, Rebekah's role became increasingly controversial. She was appointed as the Chief Brand and Impact Officer, a position that critics argued was created to justify her substantial compensation and influence over the company's direction. During the 2019 IPO process it was revealed that Rebekah had received millions of dollars in stock and compensation, and that she had been involved in several controversial transactions, including the lease of a building to WeWork that she and Adam had previously owned. Following Adam's ousting, Rebekah also left the company, walking away with a substantial financial settlement. Despite the controversies, Rebekah's early contributions to the culture and community of WeWork were instrumental in the company's initial success and its ability to attract a loyal following of members and employees.
John Santora
Chief Executive Officer
Leads the post-bankruptcy private company with a focus on disciplined real estate operations, enterprise customers, and asset-light partnerships. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability.
David Tolley
CEO
Led WeWork through the Chapter 11 filing and restructuring process. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability.
Sandeep Mathrani
CEO
Professionalized operations after the failed IPO and tried to stabilize the business before the bankruptcy period. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability.
Adam Neumann
Co-founder and CEO
Built WeWork's brand and global expansion, but his governance and self-dealing issues helped collapse the 2019 IPO. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability.
Miguel McKelvey
Co-founder and Chief Culture Officer
Helped define WeWork's design, community, and early workplace experience. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability. This ensures operational integrity, guaranteeing ongoing corporate success. This ensures future stability.
WeWork Inc. was founded in 2010 by Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey, Rebekah Neumann in New York, New York, United States.
The founders established WeWork Inc. with the objective of solving core inefficiencies in Flexible workspace, coworking, commercial real estate services, and workplace management, laying the foundation for its current global scale.
Even as WeWork Inc. scales to $2.8B, the organization maintains the founders' commitment to innovation and customer-centric execution.