Coliving Awards
2025

Carlos Muriel is a design-led architect with extensive international experience and currently serves as the Head of Europe for Buckley Gray Yeoman, a top-ranked firm in the AJ100 and a leading name in UK architecture. Throughout his career, Carlos has collaborated with renowned studios such as Odile Decq Studio, Stanton Williams, Farrells, and Atkins. He is recognized for his strong design ethos and leadership, with a particular focus on sustainable architecture.

His portfolio includes significant projects across the UK, Spain, France, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East. A passionate advocate for flexible living solutions in Spain and Europe, Carlos promotes innovative housing designs that address the evolving needs of modern living.

Magdalena Strąk is an accomplished Project Director with extensive experience in the design industry, specialising in residential and hospitality projects across diverse international markets. With a strong foundation in Architecture, Interior Architecture and Retail Design, Magda holds a Master of Design degree from the renowned Piet Zwart Institute at Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Her expertise spans design management, creative concept development, technical documentation, and the use of advanced CAD tooling, enabling her to deliver complex projects with precision and innovative vision. Magda’s career includes significant tenures at leading design firms, including the visionary Marcel Wanders Studio, the globally recognised hospitality design powerhouse Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), and the prestigious Rockwell Group, where she contributed to landmark projects blending creativity with operational excellence.

Throughout her career, Magda has demonstrated a deep commitment to creating thoughtful, impactful environments that enhance user experience and align with the evolving demands of contemporary living and hospitality.

Jessica is the CEO of Abode Worldwide, a strategic public relations agency focused on raising the profile of transformative technology solutions across the global hospitality, lodging, and living sectors. Abode sits at the heart of the developing intersection between work, life and play in real estate and hospitality and partners with the brands playing a lead role in this transformation. A regular industry speaker, author, and adviser, Jessica is also the host of the Pillow Talk Sessions podcast and author of the upcoming book ‘Tech-enabled Hospitality - Strategies to Elevate Guest Experience and Operational Efficiencies’.

Jon is a Community Experience Designer and the founder of Make Them Connect, a studio that helps purpose-driven brands create transformative, community-centred experiences for their customers.

He is also the co-founder of Nomadico, one of the fastest-growing coliving brands for digital nomads, and an advisor to Rooral, an innovative rural coliving initiative reviving depopulated villages in Spain.

In 2015, Jon co-founded Sun and Co., the first coliving space on the Mediterranean coast and a recognised pioneer in the industry. His work has been honoured with three Coliving Awards, and he continues to shape the sector as a thought leader.

Jupiter Lucas is passionate about the intersection of future technologies and urban development. He runs JLB Labs, a tech consultancy and venture studio that works with high-growth ventures, proptech companies and real estate clients. Before JLB Labs, Jupiter founded District Technologies in 2017, a smart buildings and community platform that partnered with major landlords like Blackstone and Merlin Properties and companies such as WPP. District achieved seven-figure revenue, became profitable, and was acquired in 2022. Earlier in his career, he built and scaled coworking campuses, and before that earned an MEng in Engineering Economics and Management from Oxford University, where his Masters thesis focused on entrepreneurial hubs.

Santiago is the Founder of Renegade Living where he merges his expertise in construction technology and shared living to help developers and co-living brands unlock the benefits of using offsite and industrialised construction. He’s also a Senior Technical Advisor at Terner Labs, an accelerator programme backing promising housing-related startups in the United States. Previously, as Principal at ADL Ventures, he led the creation of regional ecosystems to bridge construction startups with government and market stakeholders, advancing the adoption of offsite construction practices.

Santiago holds an M.S. in Sustainable Design and Construction from Stanford University, where he also taught and mentored students on industrialised construction and venture creation. He is also a long-time resident and community manager of coliving cooperatives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he actively participates in knowledge exchange. He loves camping, mountain biking, and trail running.

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Josephine is a seasoned professional in international education, recognised for her dedication to driving positive change. With a solid foundation in the accommodation market, Josephine began her career at Student.com, where she quickly advanced to the role of Head of Sales and Marketing for SEA, SA and EA. Her strategic insights and commitment to excellence contributed to notable growth in bookings and revenue during her tenure.Transitioning to Amber Student, Josephine played a key role in guiding the company’s international expansion efforts. Drawing on her industry expertise, she contributed to shaping global strategies and cultivating valuable partnerships. With seven years of experience in the international education and accommodation industry, Josephine brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success to her role as Global Business Development Manager at ICEF, where she aims to continue driving impactful initiatives within the international education landscape.

Haz Memon is a visionary in the coliving industry, and serves as the founder of Coliving Hub, an association of coliving operators. Through this platform, he not only raises awareness about the challenges faced by the industry but also actively shapes its future trajectory. As the cofounder of ESCAPE, one of Europe's first coliving brands, Haz has successfully established a network of coliving properties spanning across Greece and Switzerland. With 8 years of experience in Coliving, Haz wears multiple hats. Not only does he operate coliving spaces, but he also serves as a consultant for new operators, sharing his wealth of knowledge and insights. His passion for the industry is seen on international stages, inspiring others with his vision and expertise. Haz is committed to fostering communities, nurturing connections, and redefining the very concept of home in the digital age.

Katia Dimova is an entrepreneur and the founder of Chateau Coliving, a unique coliving space that blends historical heritage and modern comfort to provide a productive and supportive environment for remote workers, digital nomads, travellers and companies.

Location independent herself since 2011 and co-founder of a remote-first design company back in 2013, Katia has witnessed first hand the evolution of remote work and its impact on the hospitality industry. Katia's commitment to fostering meaningful relationships and experiences, and her ability to anticipate the evolving needs of remote workers and digital nomads have positioned Chateau Coliving as a premier destination for those seeking a balanced and enriching lifestyle.

Katia is also a consultant for new and growing community-focussed coliving spaces and has actively participated in the launch and development of destination spaces across Europe. With a background in event management and strategic marketing, as well as extensive humanitarian experience, Katia is serving as a business mentor for young entrepreneurs, providing guidance and advocating for a human-focussed and values-driven leadership approach.

Ron has devoted his life to researching and teaching topics like senior housing and healthcare real estate finance, impact investing, business cases and asset management. His various accomplishments in the industry include fulfilling his roles as a Founder / Chief Executive Officer of MI, a Co-founder and Chair of the Senior Housing & Healthcare Association, a lecturer at Sociëteit Vastgoed Netwerk® (SVN) and Managing Editor of Real Asset Media Journal.

Growth Oriented COO | Purposeful Real Estate | Designing for Connection, Longevity & Legacy | Builder of Spaces with Soul

Gosia Czwarno is passionate about the power of place. With over a decade of experience across real estate, hospitality, and tech, she helps turn spaces into experiences — and ideas into grounded, thriving ventures. As former COO at Ariv Apartments + Spaces and City Lead at Vonder, she scaled hybrid hospitality operations and oversaw 400+ residential units. She led multi-million CHF developments from the ground up. Her career spans hybrid hotels, coworking and coliving ecosystems, and a food-tech startup — all rooted in a vision for more human, connected, and future-ready environments. With projects across Switzerland, Germany, and Poland, Gosia brings both operational precision and a deep sense of purpose to everything she builds. Based in Zurich, shaped by Europe, and driven by energy and intention — she’s here to create spaces that matter.

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Jay founded OpenDoor Coliving in 2013- the longest-running co-living company in the US. He grew the company to 19 properties across 3 markets with 406 units and over $70M in real estate assets under management. Jay is a three-time founder with 28 years of combined operating history across the companies he has started.

Recently, Jay co-authored the book “Assets in Common” which explores case studies of steward ownership, shared services, SMB holding companies and other collaborative business models.

Jay consults with coliving enterprises, real estate principals and small businesses on product, marketing, finance and growth. Jay has an MBA in Sustainable Systems and is a painter, surfer, outdoorsman and meditator.

Jack Renteria is an international real estate profile with two focus areas – the development of new residential concepts (operational real estate); and business development for architecture studios.

‍New Residential Concepts

‍A first mover in Coliving and Build-To-Rent concepts in Denmark, Jack believes in looking beyond ‘buildings as assets’ to ’buildings as ‘products’ tailored and developed with the user experience in mind.Having co-created the concept for Kaktus Towers geared towards the Young Professional/Expat Market; and managed the workstreams and delivery for Living By Alfa (multi-family Build-to-Rent), Jack is familiar with leading the regulatory, development, construction and operational aspects of new living concepts; along with the operational and value-add aspects.

‍The Business of Architecture

‍Jack has previously advised architecture firms in Canada, Denmark, Finland, and Norway on the Business of Architecture with a focus on Internationalisation. He has also been Partner and Director of Business Development for Danish Architecture studio, 3XN, overseeing client relationships across 14 countries during 12 years. Jack tailors his workshops depending on the individual objectives of architecture studios, whether that is to expand geographically, or into new typologies, along with size and structure of the firm.

‍Urban Land Institute

‍Jack stays informed and up to date through his active involvement in the Urban Land Institute, the world’s oldest and largest real estate network with 50.000 active members. He is currently the ULI Denmark National Chairman and a ULI Global Governing Trustee. From 2001 to 2024, Jack co-founded and co-chaired the ULI Europe Living Concepts Product Council bringing together Investors, Developers and Operators within the area of Residential Real Estate.Jack is a Canadian/Danish dual citizen and has been living in Copenhagen for 16 years.

Jo Winchester is a freelance coliving consultant, specialising in providing expert advice on the demand and business case for coliving to assist developers in obtaining planning and funding.  

Jo has been a leading valuer in the PBSA market for 25 years and founded the student team at CBRE.  In December 2023 her achievements in the PBSA sector were recognised by admission to the Property Week PBSA Hall of Fame.  Over the last 7 years, Jo has been increasingly focussed on the emerging coliving market.  

She wrote Newmark’s recently published research ‘Emerging Trends in Co-living’, which sets out the demand and business case for coliving.  She was part of the industry response group for the GLA’s Coliving Space Standards published in 2024 and is a regular speaker at events on the topic of coliving.

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Gaëtan de Dietrich is a business builder specialised in community-centric products and experiences. As part of the founding team at Hmlet (now merged with Habyt), he helped scale coliving operations across Asia and Europe, pioneering emotionally intelligent and economically sustainable models at scale.

He works with founders to build systems that integrate co-creation, civic engagement, and social connection into operations - designing models for both businesses and NGOs where residents are not just customers, but active contributors. A strong advocate for putting people back at the centre, Gaëtan champions community-led design as both a social mission and a strategic advantage.

George is Editor-in-Chief at International Hospitality Media, a London-based publisher and events organiser. He also edits Urban Living News, a B2B website for the living sector. George has more than 20 years' experience as a hospitality, property and travel journalist. He regularly contributes to a wide range of international publications and websites.

Laura is an interior architect and architectural technologist with over 15 years' experience working on international projects in the UK, Europe, and Asia, on commercial, high-end residential, cultural, and educational projects, from large-scale master planning to bespoke furniture solutions. She also developed specialised knowledge in Visual Merchandising leading her to work on commissions involving marketing strategy, retail design, and furniture design. Laura is interested in space planning and maximising its use. Her design studio, Bicbloc, focuses on reimagining living spaces through compact, efficient, and flexible design solutions that provide cost-effective spaces that cater to their residents’ well-being. Since 2016, she has lectured at several universities and design schools in the UK, Spain and Australia within Architecture and Interior Design degrees.

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