During NY Tech Week 2025, The Shop Brooklyn proudly hosted its first event: Place Matters: How Tech Shapes the Modern Workplace. Held on June 4, the event brought together leaders across technology, design, and workspace operations for a panel discussion exploring what it truly takes to turn space into place and why that matters more than ever in today’s world of flexible work.

Our panel included expert voices from four standout companies:

• Francesco De Camilli, CEO & Co-founder of Uniti AI

• Ginger Dhaliwal, Co-founder & CPO of Upflex

• Daniela Mallarino of Kisi, a cloud-based access control platform

• Hector Kolonas, Co-founder of Syncaroo

Moderated by Anne Olsen, our Director of Coworking, the conversation went deep on the practical and philosophical layers of the future of work. From smart infrastructure to human-first technology, the discussion tackled how modern work environments can do more than serve, they can actually connect.

Key Takeaways:

1. Tech Should Scale Hospitality, Not Replace It
   Francesco from Uniti AI emphasized that automation shouldn’t replace human interaction it should make it easier for human interaction to happen. His perspective on AI-driven inbound sales workflows was grounded in user experience, not just efficiency. Let the robots do the grunt work so your team can get back to building community.

2. Flexibility Needs a Framework
   Ginger Dhaliwal of Upflex broke down how distributed teams are redefining workspace expectations and why tech alone won’t solve the need for connection. Her take? Flexibility must be paired with intentional design and clear policies to truly work and drive meaningful inclusivity.

3. Access is a User Experience Issue
   Daniela Mallarino from Kisi framed access control as more than a just a door. It’s one of the first signals a space gives about how it functions, how it respects its users and integral to establishing trust. Simplifying access means reducing friction and building trust from day one.

4. The Real Work is in the Infrastructure
   Hector Kolonas of Syncaroo reminded us that integrations, while rarely glamorous, are often what make or break an operator’s workflow. Syncing tools, automating processes, and removing bottlenecks are the hidden heroes of workplace strategy. Similar to Francesco’s approach, improving technology processes is not meant to replace humans but to bolster what they are best at.

Couldn’t make it?
We’re offering all NY Tech Week 2025 RSVPs a complimentary day pass to The Shop Brooklyn to come experience the space firsthand. Whether you’re a solo founder, growing team, or community builder, we’d love to host you. Reach out to infobk@shopworkspace.com to get started!

As we continue to grow our Brooklyn community, Place Matters set the tone for what we hope The Shop can be: a place for ideas, for real conversations, and for building what’s next.

See you soon!