Industrious Promotes Anna Squires Levine to President

Coworking firm Industrious has appointed Anna Squires Levine as its new president, Commercial Observer has learned. Levine will take over the role from co-founder Justin Stewart, who will now manage the firm’s real estate investments.

Levine, formerly the chief commercial officer at Industrious, will take on the new role effectively immediately, according to CEO Jamie Hodari. As president, Levine will “continue to enhance operational excellence and deepen Industrious’ member-first approach,” the company said in a press release.

Meanwhile, former president Stewart will begin a new role as chief real estate investment officer — a new position at the company that will involve negotiating directly with landlords and managing the firm’s real estate and construction, with the goal of opening new Industrious locations.

“Anna is a driving force behind Industrious’ success, and her focus on creating exceptional experiences for our members will continue to drive the company’s growth,” Hodari said in a statement. “Justin’s expertise will strengthen our real estate strategy at a time when demand for flexible workspaces has never been higher.”

In addition to the change in president, Shiv Rana, Industrious’ current head of finance, will be moving into a new position as chief financial officer, where he will oversee the company’s financial strategy and position Industrious for long-term growth, the company said.

Founded in 2012 by Hodari and Stewart, Industrious provides flexible workspaces, private offices and conference rooms for a range of companies. It has over 200 locations in more than 65 cities worldwide, with 26 of them in the New York City area alone, according to its website.

“Industrious has redefined how people experience the workplace, and it’s been incredible to be part of that journey,” Levine said in a statement. “In this new role, my focus is on deepening what we do best — creating spaces and experiences where businesses and individuals can thrive and feel a true sense of belonging — while ensuring we’re positioned to deliver value to our members as we continue to scale.”

The announcement of the new roles comes after Industrious redesigned its network strategy last year to shift its focus away from traditional office districts, Hodari said. Now, 70 percent of the company’s new launches are in neighborhoods, and 30 percent are in central business districts, he said.

“We’re finding with these neighborhood locations, they make for exceptional workplaces because they reduce the No. 1 concern people have with going to work right now, which is [the] commute,” Hodari told CO. “And they have all these ancillary benefits in terms of plugging into your community.”

For example, Industrious has expanded into New York City neighborhoods like the Upper West Side and Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights and Greenpoint. Outside of New York City, the firm has expanded into places such as Short Hills, N.J.; Greenwich, Conn., and Birmingham, Mich., Hodari said.

In addition to growing its real estate portfolio, Industrious has also doubled its membership base and grown at an annual rate of over 50 percent since 2021, the company said.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.