Meet Ricardo Neves, Co-Liv’s Ambassador for Brazil

‍What is your relationship to coliving and how are you active in the scene?

My relationship with coliving comes from early 2008 when I started to live abroad and got to know this lifestyle of sharing a house with a great number of diverse and amazing people. For three years I lived in United States and England, and decided to come back to Brazil, and after working for a couple of years in the real estate sector, I saw an opportunity to be in the coliving market, where I would finally be able to implement a solution to urban housing more suitable to my generation, and consequently also, humanize the real estate sector, bringing innovation, greater accessibility and better experience of living a creative shared life. That’s why in 2017 I founded my company, Oka, to inspire and empower people with the shared living experience in Brazil, a true environment of innovation, creativity and affection. In less than 3 years we grew 10x and we became a well known reference of coliving in Brazil and abroad. Since day one in our first unit, I am a user of our units, and I love this path with all my heart, because it gives me the complete perspective of the whole experience, and gives me exponencial authenticity to serve our community culture and projects. Being a member and a founder is a great challenge and a great advantage, and with power and engagement of our members we can truly make a revolution in business and society. I would like to keep growing this concept and my company for the next 20 years or more.

How did you discover coliving and what experiences did you have with it?

The experience of sharing a house with other roommates started in my early twenties, but a true coliving experience, by a brand, with community management and services, I only experienced when I started my own company. I had so many amazing moments and met incredible people that I would not be able to define myself today without intensively living in this way for the last 3 years. It made me a better human being, in all areas of life.

Why did you join Co-Liv as Ambassador for Brazil and what are your objectives for your region?

Before explaining the reasons why I joined the Co-Liv team as ambassador, I have to say it is a true honor to have Co Liv´s respect and trust. I joined as ambassador because I found in them a tribe and true mentors, as a global community of innovators and truly awesome people, who are ambitious to grow professionally but at the same time are enjoying this journey, and always thinking of ways to make a positive impact in the world. Co Liv also gives me access to an immeasurable amount of knowledge and a rich network, and we can see and feel daily, the growth of this global network of community creators. Inside this community I can have and give support on the many challenges this sector faces, and I can also explore the infinite opportunities that this community is presenting and will present in the future. I plan to continue to help implement the Coliving Brazilian Network and establish a journey of education and growth of more new players in the market, to help more companies see coliving as a thriving business, and exploring in a conscious, audacious and sustainable way.

What do you think is Co-Liv’s potential and what do you want to bring to the coliving scene?

Co Liv´s potential is unmeasurable because it already has its own culture of birth of new projects and its own products to serve the “community of community´s creators”, connecting a global network of coliving companies and individuals truly passionate about the concept. I want to provoke our community to think outside our present limits, thinking coliving as a journey for the next decades.

And what should people get in touch with you for?

I believe I have a truly comprehensive view about the real estate side, marketing and the social side of coliving, starting from a detailed look on the feasibility of a new coliving space, typologies of coliving, types of demand for the sector (hospitality vs residential and also short vs long term). I am always thinking of ways to innovate inside this niche, creating spin offs companies from inside the sector, new partnerships, new ways to monetize, or ways to surprise our residents. There are endless opportunities to grow in other verticals like technology, management, investment and marketing.

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With lots of co-love,

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The Co-Liv Team

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