Why Nomads Spaces Fail (And How to Build Real Community)

About this event

Host & Moderator: Stefan Ručman Guest Expert: Dragana Tomić Pilipović Community: Chiang Mai Professionals Expats and Digital Nomads Format: Online Socratic Workshop & Interview About the Event: We are living in a time where the appeal of urban life is beginning to fade due to the skyrocketing cost of living in major cities. Well-paid local jobs are increasingly scarce, pushing professionals with portable skills to go remote. As they transition, there is a profound, growing need to find suitable and authentic communities. This isn't just a theory; a clear trend in countries like France over the past decade shows a steady exodus from urban centers to rural areas. What can a massive remote hub like Chiang Mai learn from this shift? Over the last five years, we have witnessed the systematic failure of the commercial coworking and coliving industry. Countless spaces are shutting down because they rely on superficial infrastructure—desks and fast Wi-Fi—but fundamentally do not know how to create a genuine community. Instead of repeating these mistakes, let's turn to someone who has done it right. Join us for an interactive workshop and interview where we will critically examine the true sustainability of coworking, coliving, and the digital nomad community model. We will be joined by Dragana Tomić Pilipović, Founder of the Centre for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship (CDOP). After a 25-year career in corporate HR and organizational development, Dragana shifted her focus to rural community building. She successfully founded Rural HUB in Vrmdža—a space that genuinely integrates work, learning, and networking with the natural and local resources of the community. What We Will Explore: • The Urban to Rural Shift: Why professionals are abandoning major cities and what transient hubs like Chiang Mai must learn from this global migration. • The Coliving Collapse: An honest look at why coworking and coliving spaces are failing to retain members and shutting down. • Removing "Common Sense" from Sustainability: Why standard corporate metrics fail when applied to human ecosystems, and how to rethink sustainable development. • Building Authentic Infrastructure: Lessons from Dragana’s firsthand experience building the Rural HUB and Mreža Jezgro, moving beyond transient networking into meaningful, experiential connection. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82061092876?pwd=iDAIhpR0TvlZLfrIh8FPrboJO56da8.1 Meeting ID: 820 6109 2876 Passcode: 979048