Veterans Day 2023: Honoring Our Partners Who Have Served

This Veterans Day, the Preferred Office Network team is honored to salute several of our partners who have served our country in the US military. These entrepreneurs exemplify courage, resilience, and perseverance, drawing from their military backgrounds to become leaders in building high-performance and highly welcoming workplaces in the Preferred Office Network collection.

We would like to thank these partners for their service and showcase their backgrounds, locations, and ongoing commitment to serving their communities.

Heroes Among Us

Ryan Gagne, Marine Core Sergeant and Venture X Marlborough, MA, Owner, didn’t have much experience in the hospitality or coworking industries when he began to research Venture X franchise opportunities. A Marine Corps veteran who had spent his civilian career working in global banking, Ryan was a relative newcome to the flexible workplace industry. However, his industry inexperience didn’t stop him from recognizing that coworking is the future. In late 2017, he made the decision to sign his franchise agreement, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Since partnering with Venture X, Ryan has found fulfillment in his new endeavor. He loves that his business allows him to help local professionals thrive, and he enjoys a sense of personal fulfillment from the work that he does. 

Watch Ryan Gagne’s Veterans Day Interview

Jim Garrett, Naval Officer and Aviator and Venture X San Antonio Northwest Owner, received his bachelor’s degree at San Antonio’s Trinity University and also holds an MBA from the University of New Haven. An entrepreneurial spirit, Jim is not only a former United States Naval Aviator, he is the director of a Washington, DC, think tank, an IT consultant, the CEO of an advertising agency, COO of an auto-racing sanctioning body, and a professional racecar driver. 

Watch Jim Garrett’s Veterans Day Interview

Eddie Uribazo, Naval Fire Control Technician and Office Evolution Plantation, FL, Owner, has had an interesting and varied career trajectory, much like the clients who utilize our spaces. Eddie joined the military directly out of high school. Since then, he has a demonstrated history of working in the HVAC building controls and services industry, which he has harnessed in his desire to create amenities-rich, hospitable workplaces where people have the peace of mind needed to accomplish their goals.

Watch Eddie Uribazo’s Veterans Day Interview

Terry Wallace, Marine Core Sergeant and Venture X Bethlehem, PA, Owner, is a transformational leader with the proven ability to deliver results on a global scale. He started his career in the Marine Corps and law enforcement, eventually transitioning to leading global HR functions in a Fortune 50 company, which is now in one of the fastest growing companies in history. Wallace says he was bullish on coworking prior to COVID, but he’s even more bullish in our post-pandemic world. His time at WeWork certainly shed light on the value of coworking, but it was his personal experience with leading global teams that moved him to open Venture X where he calls home, in the Lehigh Valley.

Watch Terry Wallace’s Veterans Day Interview

Supporting Soldiers on Their Continuing Career Journeys 

During the month of November, Office Evolution and Venture X, both part of the Vast Coworking umbrella of flexible workplace brands, are showcasing a special Veterans Day promotion. 

Participating Office Evolution locations welcome veterans for a complimentary month of coworking, which emcompasses unlimited access to comprehensive business center amenities, exclusive invitations to all member events, and free high-speed internet.  

At participating Venture X locations, veterans receive a complimentary Community Membership during all of November, which includes use of all shared office amenities and workspaces, access to the business member community, invitations to all member events, and free high-speed internet. 

These are just a few of the dynamic, dedicated, and diverse partner owners we are fortunate to have as part of the Preferred Office Network family. Stay tuned for more features highlighting these extraordinary professionals and the outstanding flexible workplaces they offer to their clients and their communities.