BCW Executive Committee Experiments with New Virtual Meeting Platform

The BCW’s Executive Committee tested a virtual meeting platform last month as part of the Westchester Innovation Network’s (WIN) effort to promote new technology and introduce new companies to the Westchester market.

The Executive Committee used a meeting room by Kumospace, a virtual workspace that prioritizes people, productivity, and culture to solve the challenges of remote work. Unlike virtual meeting platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, Kumospace places its users in a virtual office environment with desks, tables, watercoolers, and other office trappings with the goal of enhancing collaboration.

“Kumospace allowed our Executive Committee to experiment with a new type of virtual meeting and decide for themselves if this platform works for their organizations,” said Marsha Gordon, the BCW’s President and CEO.

Kumospace was born during the pandemic, when its designers struggled to transition their monthly networking event to a virtual environment. Existing products didn’t allow for spontaneous conversations, and guests consistently talked over each other, or simply tuned out.

The BCW Board’s test of Kumospace and the feedback delivered to Kumospace staff allowed the company to adjust its virtual conference room so that meeting participants could see each other.

Organizations that use Kumospace include NASA, Peloton and LinkedIn. Kumospace is free to use. Paid plans allow users to enhance virtual meetings with increased capacity, advanced security options and powerful presentation tools.

Can Your Business Benefit from WIN?

The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life through the support of its diverse business ecosystem in Westchester County through its WIN initiative. Its network is composed of small and mid-sized companies, professional services firms, and non-profits along with some of the most well-known brands in the world like IBM, Pepsico, MasterCard, Heineken, Danone, Morgan Stanley, and Regeneron. It also includes some of the largest hospitals and healthcare systems in the world and many colleges and universities.

To learn more about becoming an Innovation Partner or joining the WIN program, visit https://thebcw.org/westchester-innovation-network/.