Christian is a pioneer when it comes to technology and coliving. Leading the coliving branch at Salto KS, a smart lock and access remote provider, he has been establishing core technology offerings within the coliving sectors for the last years.
With his support and passion for coliving initiatives, Christian has not only become a core partner of Co-Liv with his organisation, but also took on the executive team role of tech lead, working on several initiatives such as member experience and next year’s Co-Liv Summit. On top of that, we also leads the tech community within Co-Liv, forging connections between hard and software providers.
How do you currently define yourself and what drives you?
I am an extremely dedicated Sales & Business Development Manager with over 10 years of experience in managing global, regional, and local businesses. I have a passion for student housing, shared living, coliving and coworking, and a proven track record of having deep knowledge of the international market and upcoming trends. Working on the beaten track is not for me. My ambition is triggered when a simple thought becomes an actual idea fuelled by a great deal of passion, that’s where the magic happens.
At SALTO Systems I am responsible for the Coliving & PBSA vertical internationally. For those who don’t know SALTO. Since 2001, SALTO Systems has been delivering state-of-the-art, wire-free and keyless electronic access control solutions and has established a strong presence in the access control industry, developing innovative and reliable electronic locking solutions that improve user experience, operations, security and enhancing facility efficiency while minimizing maintenance costs. Today we cover 95+ countries and lock portfolio which can go on any door worldwide.
With SALTO we go beyond the classical lock management and focus on the solutions within the coliving vertical.
Jointly with tech partners of other applications and communities like Co-Liv we connect the dots and provide a holistic solution.
What passionates you about coliving and why are you actively promoting the coliving scene?
I am a true believer that coliving, without a hyphen, is:
A) a resilient concept for any unpredictable situation you can encounter and B) the answer to the current global issues of affordable living, sustainable living and last but not least fighting off loneliness.
Personally I like the new and fresh wind in this so-called new/ young vertical which is actually older than many think but without that fancy title.
The openness of involved stakeholders allows us to work closer more collaborative in this movement.
What’s your personal vision and thoughts on the future of coliving for the year to come?
We will definitely see some consolidations because we have/ will pass the step of being seen as a proven asset class and with that it becomes also an even more real estate/ financial driven movement. In other words, there is also a risk that the sometime a bit blurred concepts within coliving will not set the marker to survive.
No doubts that coliving is here to stay and that we will see an acceleration of joined forces to work on sustainability, improved customer journey and more service-oriented offerings.
You recently joined Co-Liv as “Head of Tech” — which opportunities do you want to create for the organisation, its members, and the coliving industry?
All in all, it needs more collaboration with like-minded organisations.
It’s about the rights mix of technology which allows all of us to provide a better, solid and seamless experience for all involved audiences, namely guests, operators and third-party service providers.
The time is over where single parties can serve the entire journey and can fulfil the demand of the current and upcoming generation and more, in general, the trend in the sharing economy.
It is time to think and help each other. What I mean is that the platform and single offerings from completely different angles can provide together the desired end goal Archiving this alone, would be unimaginable.
In order to align all parties, I will kick this thrilling challenge off by building a tech community and involving all kinds of active players in the market.
Workshops and learning expeditions are some of the key sessions to build a customer-centric customer journey.
Together we are strong, let’s collaborate!
How did you get into coliving?
Good question :)
My passion for making a social impact and the collaboration with like-minded people to work on something BIG got me into coliving.
Personally I have lived with many friends together whether these houses should have been called student housing or coliving. The core value of coliving is the social component. One important one. It should feel not like a place but your HOME.
Thank you for being part of this movement! How can people reach out and what can you mostly help them with?
I can be reached on C.Schmitz@saltosystems.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-schmitz-01b7a969/
I can help you with a wide network of contacts in the scene. I am here to assist.
With lots of co-love,
The Co-Liv Team
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