Unpacking the Huckletree ecosystem-
here’s everything you need to know

"Our mission is to go above beyond”, sings brand manager Claudia Lee, referencing the flex operator’s incredible ecosystem for business-led support and growth. The flex provider, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year, places 4,500+ members at the epicentre of its innovative ecosystem, providing them with “all the tools, connections and support” they need “to grow their business or careers”.

It is these sturdy vines, underpinning every Huckletree, which are often overlooked by brokers too focused on the Huckletree flora of iridescent glass, tech-centric textures and dopamine-inducing designs (we’re equally obsessed). We spoke to Huckletree’s Head of Ecosystem, Sarah Warr about the flex operator’s unique programming, ambassadorship training, advisory and events. Here’s everything we unpacked. 

Over the past decade, Huckletree’s target market and offering has no doubt changed, broadening its audience to incorporate larger business enterprises as well as smaller start-ups and solo entrepreneurs. And yet, the operator’s “intention remains steadfast”, Sarah insists. “We want to bring brilliant businesses and great minds together to find collaborative opportunities for them to be able to learn and find what they need at Huckletree, not just a desk and a chair, but a community that supports them and champions them and will connect them with the right people and put things on for their employees to make sure that they are set up for success.”

Sarah, who has stood at the helm of the ecosystem for three years, heads up the monthly events and programming across London, Dublin, and Manchester. Each month, she orchestrates a dynamic mix of in-person and online sessions, catering to Huckletree’s three core pillars: Well-being, Professional Development, and Personal Development.

Wellbeing

“We know that healthy, happy teams that want to come into work are by far the most efficient and resilient kind who stay the longest and simply bring happiness into people's days. So, we really lean into that through our Wellbeing category”, Sarah explains. From breathwork sessions aimed at stress relief or creative flow to yoga classes and seasonal walking clubs, members can leverage moments to physically unwind and recharge throughout the working day. In addition, Huckletree hosts curated workshops, coaching on topics such as Nutrition, Building Resilience or Burnout, providing practical tools for navigating the challenges of modern work life.

“Our most popular wellbeing workshop ever was on overcoming Imposter Syndrome. We had 70 people come along to that, which was amazing. We also recently held a session for working parents, and we're looking at doing one for carers as well”, Sarah discloses. This month, Huckletree will host an expert-led workshop on ‘Understanding and Overcoming Perfectionism’.

Personal Development

Secondly, Huckletree places an acute emphasis on personal development, running practical workshops with experts on topics such as savings, mortgages and management skills. "We want our members to feel empowered to be their whole selves at work, which is why we offer sessions on topics ranging from personal finances to effective leadership”, Sarah highlights. Most successful in this category has been the operator’s recurrent offering of a three-part managerial coaching course for six Huckletree members that are stepping into managerial roles for the first time. “We know that people often get thrust into the managerial role, without any kind of proper training or understanding of how to do it”, Sarah says. “Lots of people learn on the job, which is amazing but having the opportunity to learn from a coach and from other people was something we felt was missing. It’s been a sell out every time”.

Importantly, whilst most of Huckletree’s sessions are up for grabs for all 4,500+ members, the operator also puts on at least one invite-only session per month, cherry-picking around 10 lucky Huckletree members to attend an appropriate workshop. “We like to say ‘Hey, might you benefit from hearing from this expert, or coming together with these members in a similar role to you?’ It’s absolutely key to us is that our members feel known and valued by us, that we kind of understand where they are at and that we genuinely want to support them.”

Professional Development

Thirdly, professional development is of course central to the business-led ecosystem. Each month, Huckletree’s work-based workshops cover good ground, tapping into an array of occupational themes, from sessions on ‘How to do PR for your business when you've got no money’, to ‘How to come into a sales pitch confidently’. These events have a clear kind of target audience. “We'll go out to the all the people that are marketers at Huckletree, or all the salespeople etc”, Sarah elucidates. “It’s all about bringing people together in a way that feels conducive.”

Fittingly, feeding into the Professional Development pillar is Huckletree’s unique Ambassadorship program, boasting 80 global ambassadors and 150+ Venture Capital partners – “master connectors and instructors, here to open us up to their networks and support our members and their businesses”, Sarah states. Whether it’s via a coffee, a zoom call, a specialised workshop or an intimate roundtable, all Huckletree members have unique access to the expertise and assistance of successful business leaders- from the MD of Candy Kittens (Edward Williams) to the Founder and Partner of FOV Ventures (Dave Haynes) and the VP of Corporate innovation at LVMH (Maylis Joppe). As expected, ambassadorship training is meticulously peppered throughout the monthly programming. From discussing marketing strategies for luxury brands (over pains au chocolat), to navigating the complexities of VC investment (a workshop coming this June), such ambassador-led moments “play a crucial role in connecting members with the resources and support they need to thrive”, Sarah elaborates.