GCUC Podcast - Adam Walker, CEO & Co-founder of Foundry

What does it take to build world-class coworking outside of a major city center? In this episode, Liz Elam sits down with Adam Walker, CEO and co-founder of Foundry, to find out.

 

Adam is one of the most exciting operators in the UK coworking scene. Growing up surrounded by pubs and community clubs, he watched the traditional pillars of local community disappear, and decided to build something new in their place. Foundry now operates six premium, purpose-led coworking spaces in regional and suburban UK markets, with another six to seven locations set to launch in 2026.

 

In this conversation, Adam and Liz cover the origin story of Foundry, the strategy for bringing central London-quality workspace to local high streets, and the creative model of embedding coworking in built-to-rent residential developments. They also dig into the state of investment in the flex space industry, why better data is finally unlocking institutional capital, and why the coworking industry has a unique opportunity — and responsibility, to lead the way on member mental health.

 

This episode dropped the morning of GCUC in New York, and Adam was on stage that same day to help kick off what could be a defining moment for mental health in our industry.

 

If you are an operator, investor, or community builder who cares about where coworking is headed, this one is not to be missed.

 

Learn more about

https://www.foundryuk.com

Connect with Adam 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-r-walker/

Connect with Liz Elam:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizelam

Learn more about GCUC & get your tickets for GCUC North America:
https://na.gcuc.co/

Watch the GCUC Podcast on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@GCUCPodcast/videos