Javi Díaz + Onlimitec: An employment office for disabled people unique in Spain

In CREC, we love to create collaborations about projects with a social return. And the main characters of this new interview have a lot of ambition in this aspect. They are Javi Díaz (Jandcreative), website designer and developer specialized in WordPress, and Onlimitec, a computing and telecommunications consultancy formed by Alejandro Ortiz and Dani Milán in which they promote labor opportunities for disabled people. They work together trying to create an employment office about technology. But this is not an ordinary project. They want to be the unique employment office in Spain in which creators are also disabled people.

 

This is one of the more than 420 connections that, up until now, we have been created from CREC Connect since 2018 (in our website, you can see the map with all the connections between coworkers). In this video, Javi, Alejandro and Dani explain all the details about their common project, but we have also talked with them about their collaborations in CREC and a future plan that will result very interesting for our community.

 

Video and pictures of Vera García

 

Why you decided to bet for coworking?

 

Javi: CREC results familiar to me because previously, I was searching rooms for my formations in my first period as a freelance, so it was on my list. Then, after some time, I needed a fix space to work in. It’s true that sometimes I work in my home, but is really nice to have an established location. Comparing with other coworking where I made a trial, I saw that CREC has an important human factor. And you can notice that when you start to meet their community builders. You don’t feel alone like in other beautiful spaces where the esthetic is the most important thing. Like in a parking. So the social fact and the facilities to connect were so attractive for me.

 

Alejandro: In our case, we were working at home, but we wanted to reach the next level. Specially for our meetings with customers or potential clients. We thought that coffee shops were not the best place to do it. So when we came to CREC, we had a nice feeling from the start and we have been so integrated. Now, after half a year, our experience can’t be better.

 

Dani: Apart from that, we loved how Poble Sec space totally adapts to disabled people. No other coworking spaces created this positive impact in us.

 

What did you expect before to start in CREC? Have your expects been satisfied?

 

D: We didn’t expect to create so many connections. It’s so easy to meet a lot of professionals here, and they are always ready to help and create new partnerships. This environment is so nice and productive.

 

A: Our expects have been absolutely surpassed. We only searched an office to get installed and create a professional image to our customers. But the importance that community builders give to the connections is a differentiating factor. CREC people are also like one more coworker.

 

 

 

“The importance that community builders give to the connections is a differentiating factor. CREC people are also like one more coworker”

 

In our concrete case, how was your connection created?

 

J: We have to admit that Alfredo Vera, community builder of CREC, had a really good eye. He connected us because we share technology and computing, but he also thought that our personalities would fit very well. Before we meet, we don’t have any project in our minds. So our common and ambitious idea about the employment office for disabled people is the result of our great relationship. And thanks to Alfredo’s intuition.

 

What do you think about the role of the community builders?

 

J: I think it’s one of the main advantages of CREC. We all have some determined skills when we socialize, but without them we would lose a lot of potential connections. It’s a key factor that they know all our projects and their intuition to imagine which collaborations can be successful. My advice is that every coworker has to be opened to have a meeting with community builders, because they can create powerful projects between us.

 

A: I think that CREC and their community builders are a really big help for us when we have to create new relationships. Here, we have very opened people always ready to socialize, but there’s also shy people with more insecurities. Then, CREC takes your hand and helps you to do a hard first step, which one you are able to create nice connections.

 

 

“It’s a key factor how community builders know all our projects and can intuit which collaborations can be successful”

 

 

Apart from your common project, you have also more powerful connections in CREC…

 

A: Absolutely yes. For us, our connection with Netmentora is amazing. At the start, we dislike the possibility to have a coach because we had bad experiences previously. But thanks to their help, we are growing as a business and building a very solid future. Then, we value the trust that CREC has shown by introducing us Netmentora. They believe in ourselves, and that’s so reassuring for us. We have opportunities that we would be missing in other coworking space.

 

And in your specific cases, you have also connected with CREC…

 

J: Exactly. A few weeks ago, I had created the new Workshops page in CREC website. It has been done for all the people, being coworkers or not, so now they can enjoy our formations. But the collaborations are constants. Community builders know perfectly our profiles. If they need a photographer, they know who could help them… Then, the same with me and WordPress. They know that I’m always ready to collaborate, especially if CREC workers need some formation.

 

A: To be honest, we didn’t expect to connect with CREC. And the truth is that now we have a huge common project. We don’t want to spoil the deal, but we feel really excited.

 

You won’t advance nothing?

 

D: We don’t have closed a deal yet and we want you to do a new interview when we have it, so we will hide the exclusive -jokes. We can only say that all our knowledge and services will be available for the entire community and will benefit every coworker. We are sure that as soon as possible, we can announce our deal. But I can’t spoiler nothing else.

 

 

“All our knowledge and services will be available for the entire community and will benefit every coworker”

 

 

 

And thinking about a near future… What’s your opinion about CREC Sabadell? Will you move there?

 

J: Good question! As you know, I live in Rubí, so you have to know that I will be at the opening. I want to see how is the space, because it’s nearer and more comfortable. I think it will be so positive to add new coworkers from Sabadell to our community and we will have new opportunities to create synergies.

 

A: We are from Montcada, so we can be there in a moment. In fact, it will be an interesting opportunity to install Onlimitec there. But we are not worried about a change, because every coworker has the possibility to work where he wants, and we can enjoy the three spaces.

 

D: Exactly. We will probably establish our company in Sabadell but we will move around the three spaces. So you don’t have to worry, because you are going to find us in Eixample and in Poble Sec!