The concept was generated in 2006 when New Yorker Luke Crawford and a friend invited some acquaintances who worked out of their homes to meet in their apartment to emulate an atmosphere found in offices shared by many workers. Some home-based employees complain that they're distracted by family, pets and household responsibilities. Meeting in a space with others who are self-employed or otherwise working from home can provide inspiration and some socializing, and also might serve as a backdrop for increased productivity.
The concept eventually spread to places around the world. The name "jelly" derives from the idea that a co-working group can be large or small... in other words, shifting in size, and moving to different locations... like jelly.
Here on Long Island, Jason Reis, one of the organizers of Jelly Long Island, explained that the largest LI Jelly comprises about 30 people. He explains, "We always have a set time from 9 to 5 or 8:30 to 4 and we also require people to rsvp since we have a limited number of spots open. We rely on building landlords donating their vacant office space for us to use on a specific date. We typically have a group of regulars who always attend and stay the whole day and then we have people who pop in for a smaller portion of the day."
If you're interested in finding out more about upcoming meetings or would like to attend one, please visit Jelly Long Island.
