Just four years after launching co-working spaces in the DC region for tech startups and other entrepreneurs, MakeOffices is expanding to Chicago (above) and Philadelphia in early February. Its footprint will hit 600k SF, making it the second largest co-working company in the country based on square footage after WeWork. 

Founder and CEO Raymond Rahbar, who has opened seven DC area MakeOffice locations, also brought on marketing guru Shana Glenzer, who spent the last year at DC-based Aquicore and whose background also includes SocialRadar and Blackboard. She’ll help get the two cities and future locations off the ground, while continuing to organize the DC tech women community and the wildly popular DC Tech Meetups. 

Co-working firms haven’t always succeeded in the DC region, but Raymond credits his 34-person team (which will grow to 65 by the end of Q2) and strong support from early clients. Until now, he’s been focused on growing the business rather than drumming up a lot of press and exposure, he says. That will change with Shana (above) on board.

As far as competition, like the suburb-focused co-working business recently launched by former 1776 managing director Paul Singh, Raymond says it only helps the overall co-working industry. “He’ll bring awareness to co-working and that trickles down,” he adds.