Community Coworking Day / Featuring 'The Future of Friendship' talk with Steph Clarke

Our Community Coworking Day is a celebration of connection and collaboration through business, and the vibrant spirit of the Surf Coast region.

9:00am / Coworking All Day

Work is better together. Join us for a day of coworking in the heart of the village in Torquay, just meters from the beach.  It's a chance to share the good vibes in a great space, and embrace the connection, creativity and productivity the space and community inspires. 

12:30pm / Lunch

We'll meet for a hosted lunch of with connection activities with other participants and the Happy Spaces team. Spark new conversations, and maybe even discover your next collaboration.

4:00pm / ‘The Future of Friendship’ talk with Steph Clarke

As part of the event we're thrilled to have keynote speaker Steph Clark. Steph is a futurist, facilitator and friendship enthusiast.

Talk Outline

We’re not talking about friendship enough. It’s one of the biggest factors in our wellbeing, yet we’re stuck in a vortex of wanting more deep connections with our friends while doing less with them. And this pursuit of a friction-less life of convenience is pushing us further into the cold arms of sycophantic robot friends.

This funny, scary, and provocative talk and conversation will paint a picture of what’s possible (you might not like all of it), and ask some big questions about the role we all play in designing what’s next in how we live, work, and connect with the people around us.

There will be time for discussion after the talk.

About Steph

Steph helps leaders ‘see around corners’. She brings a unique blend of skills and experiences including futures thinking/strategic foresight, human centred design, innovation, and facilitation to help leaders and teams challenge the status quo in their organisation and lead through uncertainty.

She’s often called in to facilitate leadership offsites and development programs, develop future scenarios that enrich the strategy planning process, and generally help leadership teams think differently about the future. Steph trained as an auditor, has worked in Big 4, run L&D teams, writes regularly for a variety of outlets, and is always thinking about what’s next.

5:00pm / Afternoon Catchup

Following Steph's talk, we'll transition to the balcony overlooking the beach for drinks and a casual social catchup. It's a chance to unwind, connect, and reflect on the day with some drinks and snacks. 

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At Happy Spaces, we believe that life thrives locally. Our Community Coworking Day embodies our mission to create spaces for connected communities, where genuine relationships and collaborations flourish.

We look forward to sharing the day with you all.

This event is part of the 2025 Geelong Small Business Festival, proudly delivered by the City of Greater Geelong in partnership with the Geelong Chamber of Commerce.