Groundswell Coworking is ‘all about the people’

Adam Leifl, Jessica Bommarito and Karen Chapman at Groundswell Coworking in Waterford. 

Brenda Moser

Advocate Correspondent

In 2019 Groundswell Coworking opened its doors in Simcoe and remained there until April 2024 when their lease ended. Founder Jessica Bommarito looked around for a suitable, new space, then made the decision to move her business to Waterford.

“The timing was perfect,” said Bommarito, pleased with an attractive location. “It’s not so bad looking out the windows at Shadow Lake.”

Now located at 80 Alice Street Unit 1, they offer a space where users can work full time, once in a while or when they just want to connect with a network of like-minded people.

Bommarito stated the owner has been very cooperative and let them do some changes and improvements to the space to better serve their users. They have about 1,300 square feet with a welcoming, bright reception area, one board room, and three smaller rooms. All offer privacy. There is even a massage couch in one of the rooms that can be used for massages.

Bommarito gives much credit to her team - office ambassadors Karen Chapman and Taren White and office manager Adam Leifl. She had nothing but praise for her co-workers in developing a space that is conducive to a wide variety of uses.

“The space was too clinical when I signed the lease and I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around how to change it to suit our purpose, so I called a local designer.”

Nancy Lemon of Lemon Tree Design stepped in, and the finished space is warm, bright and welcoming. Lending a hand for the reno was Jeff Lemon, spouse of Karen. All hands on deck!

For anyone not familiar with Groundswell’s services, they are able to provide a number of options. For those who may have a home office but miss the interaction of others, they might use Groundswell once a week for the interaction with others. Groundswell offers mics, ring lights and privacy for zoom calls or recording podcasts, and their equipment is all up to date.

“It’s all about the people that use our space. Some people assume they don’t need an office but this has nothing to do with a desk or wi-fi… It’s about the people that are here and connecting to a diverse group of clients… and the coffee too! Perhaps they don’t need an office on a full- time basis so they can book space here at a reasonable cost. The people who work from here are actively designing their life the way they want it and we’re here to support them in achieving that goal,” added Bommarito.

“It’s different than corporate here… they can come here and have ‘co-workers’ or work independently on their own. It’s not only a place to work but a place to work through things. This has been a great growth journey… not only for us but our clientele as well.

“It’s been great. We’ve been here almost a year now,” co-worker Karen Chapman states. “I started in the Simcoe location but love it here. You can only do Zoom for so long. It’s a win-win for all of us. We meet the members and gain great inspiration from each other. It offers connection and community and the feeling of belonging to something. They can also bounce things off someone besides their kids or hubbies.”

Groundswell offers a number of membership options that are very diverse depending on your needs. Whatever skill gap you might be missing you can find it here. It’s basically like a gym membership where you can buy month-to-month, or if that’s not what you need, then they also offer a one-off day pass and even hourly rates. They are more than happy to explain all of your options.

“It’s all about the people that are here. Clients can connect to a diverse group of people… it’s like networking in disguise. We’ve had an amazing response! We knew it would be a risk to move locations, but all fears have gone away. We have been so welcomed by the community at large. Our neighbours are great – we have Kerry’s behind us and Wishbone Brewery beside us.

For more information contact them by email at info@groundswellcoworking.com or on Facebook and Instagram. Stop in to see them and the amazing space they have created.