Located on North 8th, FUSE Coworking Brings a New Sense of Community

Three friends came together with three core values: community, collaboration, and sustainability. Bob Hinrichs, Matt Westenburg, and Andy Beecham created FUSE Coworking.

BY TESSA WISER

Hinrichs and Westenburg had the feeling that Lincoln was the perfect place to attract young professionals. The next step was finding the neighborhood that fit their needs.

“We were originally located above the Mill, but we moved here in 2015,” Hinrichs said. “We are located in Lincoln’s best neighborhood.” 

FUSE is now located across the street in the Salvation Army Building in the Historic Haymarket. 

Nelnet and Speedway found out what FUSE was doing and wanted in on it. FUSE then moved to a place almost ten times bigger than where they were. Starting with 12 members in the FUSE community, more space gave them a chance to grow. FUSE now has almost 150 active members. 

“When the initial closures happened [during COVID] we were open for our regular members,” Hinrichs said. “Now we feel more comfortable bringing people back.” 

Hinrichs mentioned that with COVID there has been a shift in the coworking space. With everyone working from home, FUSE saw more people commit to the drop-in desks for a change of scenery and to get the familiar office feel without having an actual office. 

It’s time to move away from coffee shops and the comfort of your own home, and into a new community of members with comfortable breakout rooms, conference rooms, and sizeable event spaces. 

FUSE offers numerous rental spaces including conference rooms, event spaces, and available suites for a more secluded work environment. 

For more information visit the available spaces on the FUSE website. 

Amy Hengelfelt, community manager at FUSE Coworking has been there for a little over a year. 

“What FUSE brings is a sense of community, especially when all of our members work different hours,” Hengelfelt said. “All of our memberships except for the private offices are month to month.” 

FUSE memberships can be paid month to month for an easy and flexible lease. There is also an option for drop-in day passes for quick use of the facilities. 

Some of the perks of joining the FUSE Coworking community include unlimited access to The Mill Coffee and Tea on-site, local beer on tap, and a great work environment. 

FUSE uses ALLO to give their community members 10g internet. They also offer to troubleshoot on-site for those pesky technology issues. 

For more privacy FUSE offers little phone booths for those who need to take an important call. They also offer a new podcast studio 

With more basic amenities like discounted HR benefits, sponsorships, free printing, coworking partnerships, programming, personal lockers, 24/7 secure access, dog-friendly offices, and many more. 

The full list of perks can be found here. 

Once someone joins FUSE Coworking, there is a strong sense of community. Oftentimes individuals will join each other for lunch around the kitchen table and will partake in a happy hour after work. 

“We have a happy hour and we have members that come to the event, it is where you can network and meet other young professionals and entrepreneurs in the city that maybe you would not have otherwise had access to,” Hengelfelt said. 

FUSE is perfect for individuals and small groups working on their start-up businesses. 

There are 18-20 drop-in desks for people who want to enjoy the FUSE environment in a day. It’s the perfect solution for those who are tired of working at home but have no office space. 

“It’s just so nice to have a sense of community within your workspace that you wouldn’t have at home,” Hengelfelt said. 

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