By Shirley Hawkins
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — It takes grit, guts and plenty of determination to succeed as an entrepreneur, and Matthew Newman possesses all of those qualities.
Newman is the founder and CEO of All In Coworking, a collaborative tech start-up based in Inglewood where clients rent a desk and a state-of-the-art computer for as low as $150 a month. They also can utilize printing, copying, scanning and WiFi services as well as webcams and have access to Samsung monitors or can meet with clients in a spacious conference room while offering complimentary cups of coffee.
Far from being a drab, regimented-looking co-working space, clients who stroll into the All In Coworking foyer are immediately struck by the company’s colorful decor with its royal blue couches and bright yellow chairs. An eye-catching graffiti mural, drawn with pink, blue, red, and purple paint graces one conference room wall. And if a client yearns to take a break from toiling on the computer, they can indulge in a game of Pacman or Foosball or shoot a few hoops in the arcade room.
Clients can utilize a number of areas in the venue.
“We have 18 seats as well as five private offices and a 30-seat multipurpose space,” Newman said.
The entrepreneur, who is a member of the Inglewood Chamber of Commerce, contemplated several other cities before moving his business to Inglewood.
“I thought about establishing All In Coworking in Compton or Watts, but I realized that there was an influx of businesses flocking to [Inglewood],” he said.
With the rise of COVID-19, the popularity of co-working spaces has grown tremendously due to the great migration of workers across the country who have left their office jobs and continue to seek out alternative venues to complete remote work or tinker with individual projects.
“A study by Owl Labs has proven that morale is much higher among people working remotely than when they have to drive to an office,” Newman said. “They found that remote workers were 22% happier. They have less stress and they have more focus than if they were toiling in an office.
“It works for the workers’ mental, spiritual, physical and financial well being. They are also able to spend more time with their families, which increases their happiness level. There’s a better work/life balance and a greater level of productivity,” said Newman, who added that booking space at All In Coworking is by appointment only.
All In Coworking also networks with numerous local businesses that continue to attract a diverse audience.
“We rely on partnerships and relations with community partners like the Kolor Society, Ted-X Crenshaw and Ted X Compton, Keller Williams, the insurance firm, and the South Los Angeles Wine Club who all hold meetings at All In,” Newman said.
When asked why he chose All In as a business name, Newman, whose typical day starts at 5:30 a.m. and continues for 12 hours, said, “I named my business All In because the only way to be successful is to go all in.”
Newman does exactly that. Besides operating All In Coworking, the self-confessed serial entrepreneur said he started his first business, the award-winning My Lawn Mower and Me, while he was still in his 20s.
He also is the founder and CEO of The Brand Pillars, a marketing staffing agency and employment service. Then there’s TruSo at JoinTruSo.com, a free Black-owned social networking app he created that includes a content calendar as well as categories featuring Arts and Culture, Business and Marketing and more. It is available to Apple and Android users.
And neighborhood children’s eyes shine with delight each year when Newman hosts his annual Christmas Bike Giveaway where he donates 100 bikes to youth in the community.
Newman’s advice to budding entrepreneurs is “Get started now. Don’t wait to start because you’ll never start. Being an entrepreneur is very challenging and it never gets easier. You only get better.”
All In Coworking is located at 11101 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 102, Inglewood. Phone: 972-878-3037.
Shirley Hawkins is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers. She can be reached at metropressnews@gmail.com.
