Hub L.A. members at work. (Jenay Ross / Neon Tommy)

A five-month-old space located in the Los Angeles Arts District, Hub L.A., isn’t a static loft filled with desks and swivel chairs. It’s a place fueled by an innovative network of 130 to 140 members planning to reinvent, redesign and reimagine a sustainable future.

Creative professionals, including graphic designers, writers, environmental consultants, web app creators and a few lawyers, work in the members-only communal space.

“There are other co-working spaces where people can office in flexible environments, but nothing like this kind of mash-up where it’s really about more of a membership community of people,” said co-founder and CEO Elizabeth Stewart.

When filling out the online enrollment application, people and teams can choose from multiple membership levels, ranging from $25 to $1800 a month. The rate depends on how many times a week they plan on using the space and whether or not they rent a more private permanent desk or room. 

“That’s roughly averaging out to $2 an hour. That’s like less than a cup of coffee you get at Starbucks,” explained Stewart.

Members utilize Hub L.A. to not only work on their businesses, but also to connect with diverse and like-minded people.

“The common denominator is that everyone is working on things they believe will help better the world, so that’s exciting,” said Stewart.

Stewart described Hub L.A. as a company that links the geographically fragmented city of Los Angeles by acting as an anchor or catalyst for social change. She said this region needs a new kind of infrastructure. One where working and collaborating on new projects can make a social and economic impact, both locally and globally.

On Saturday, Maria Springer, the co-founder of Livelyhoods, was working on her résumé, which seemed a lot simpler than the work she usually does. Livelyhoods is a social enterprise with a mission to create jobs for young people living in Kenyan slums.

“The social part of my work is identifying top talent among Kenyan youth and recognizing, regardless of their criminal history or educational background, that they have talents to offer the world,” said Springer.

Her enterprise gives them jobs to sell products like solar lamps and fuel-efficient cook stoves, so they can contribute to the economic development of Kenyan communities.

When she had the opportunity to visit Kenya at the age of 22, Springer was overwhelmed by the ambition and potential of the people living there.

“I felt like my entire life, I had been lied to about youth in Africa and decided to dedicate my time to create opportunity,” she said.

Springer divides her year between Kenya and the United States, so when she’s not traveling she works five days a week at Hub L.A. Before, she worked out of her home, at coffee shops, restaurants and her friends’ living rooms.

“It was uninspiring,” said Springer.

Hub L.A. member Gabriel Olson, a renewable energy freelancer who helps public agencies plan solar projects, finds living and working in downtown L.A. and the Arts District motivational.

“There’s a number of people involved with sustainability and it’s a great way to get out of my own apartment,” said Olson.

With its proximity to downtown, Hub L.A. has been a centralized location for people traveling from L.A.’s west, east and valley sectors.

“If you can balance your work and life, and not spend five hours a day commuting, you can have a pretty good life,” said Olson. 

He has only been a member for a few weeks, so he said he’s looking forward to making new connections and reevaluating ideas that he may have ignored before.

The Hub isn’t all about work and no play. Programs and social events involving yoga, live performances and film screenings are available so that members can socialize and unwind. They can also utilize a free membership to a swanky ping-pong social club called SPiN Standard, which has a $500 value.

“We really are passionate about the whole person, so we don’t want it to just become about brand or just a company. We believe that it’s really about the great people behind these companies and great people require personal and professional development,” said Stewart.

The 4,500 square-foot loft is a start-up entrepreneur’s dream. Floor-to-ceiling length whiteboards cover walls next to white exposed brick. Easily maneuverable orange padded chairs and wood tables with wheels are scattered throughout the room. Then there’s the added perk of Handsome Coffee constantly brewed in a full-size kitchen.

The first Hub was founded in London during 2005. Now over 30 Hubs exist in five continents with over 7,000 members in its network. In Los Angeles, Hub will finish expanding its second floor workspace by April or May. The company is also looking to open more locations.

Stewart said people are eager and interested in plugging in with them and they’re just trying to keep up.

“We have a lot of folks that’d like us to open in Santa Monica or Venice, but I feel like Culver City might be the next spot,” she said.

Stewart has a vision to open a few more Hubs throughout this region to develop the network. Ideally, she said, the company would like to expand along the Metro Line to increase its accessibility.

Reach reporter Jenay Ross here.