The workforce is going back to the office, and Alexa von Tobel wants to ensure they’re more than happy to do so.
As the founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital, von Tobel has transformed her firm's office into a testament to the power of intentional design. Collaborating with residential designer Benjamin Vandiver, she has created an 11,000-square-foot environment lined with artworks by Alex Katz, Xan Padron, and the like, as well as a coterie of covetable furniture pieces.
Prior to Inspired Capital, von Tobel founded personal finance site LearnVest, later acquired by Northwestern Mutual. She is the author of two best-sellers, Financially Fearless and Financially Forward, and was an inaugural member of President Obama’s Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship. Here, she opens up about how her approach to the workplace goes beyond function, treating the office as a living, breathing ecosystem that nurtures an entrepreneurial spirit by prioritizing comfort, creativity, and unexpected design.
CULTURED: How did you come to work with Benjamin Vandiver on this project? What about his work spoke to you?
Alexa von Tobel: Benjamin is a dear friend, and I’ve long admired his aesthetic. There’s so much that makes his work unique, but I’m especially drawn to the way he combines vintage and modern elements. When my business partner and best friend Lucy Deland and I set out to design Inspired’s original office back in 2022, Benjamin was our first call. This space was the second collaboration between me, Lucy, and Benjamin. We moved into a larger space in the same building, so we had a completely blank 11,000 square foot modern, vibrant canvas to play with. Ours is the only office space he has done, and it was highly intentional that we picked a residential designer. We wanted Inspired to feel like a chic home that guests never want to leave.
CULTURED: What do you hope to accomplish in this space? From your perspective, what is the relationship between gathering and entrepreneurship?
Von Tobel: I love this question, because being a founder is an unbelievably lonely road. We are a team of company-builders ourselves, so we know that sleepless nights and difficult decision-making are inherent to the job. We think of [the office] as a hub of collaboration. We regularly host founders and operators for a variety of events. It’s really magical to see two founders connect with each other, compare notes, and become each other’s support systems.
We’ve also incubated companies in the space, so the office has been the first place entrepreneurs have kicked off ideated, incorporated and started to assemble their early teams. We are in our space five to six days a week and get to see time and again how gathering leads to spontaneous moments of creativity and connection, which are essential to building truly special products and companies.
CULTURED: There are pieces from Alex Katz and Noguchi featured in the space. What do you look for in a potential acquisition?
Von Tobel: Benjamin has a fantastic eye for unique pieces, so we were really excited to let him drive the process of selecting art to complement the space. We’ve prioritized pieces that are a bit playful and colorful—just breaking the mold of what you expect to see in an office setting.
CULTURED: What artists are you currently most excited about?
Von Tobel: So many, but to name a few: Laird Gough, Joe Henry Baker, Field Kallop, and Gwen Hardie.
CULTURED: What do you think people get wrong about designing an office space? What do you want to see more of?
Von Tobel: I think that office design often starts with the function of the space and design is an afterthought or a finishing layer. Often everyone uses the same materials with art as a last step. Even if the mid-century modern seating area is visually pleasant, it can be impersonal.
We started from the opposite end. We asked ourselves how we wanted the office to make our team and our guests feel. This is our home, so we considered how we wanted to guide their experience—physically, visually, and even olfactorily. Of course, the space needs to deliver on its function—that is never overlooked—but rather than a box in which work gets done, I believe we should approach our offices as spaces that we, quite literally, live in, day in and day out.
I think we should honor that time spent in an office with an elevated environment, and I believe that everyone benefits from it. The spaces we inhabit can influence our productivity, creativity, comfort, and openness far beyond their discrete function.
CULTURED: What spaces were on your moodboard for this project?
Von Tobel: In Benjamin’s words, he was feeling nostalgic of old Italian design ateliers where designers brought personal items to the office to feel like home—and I think he nailed it!
CULTURED: What is your go-to advice for young entrepreneurs?
Von Tobel: The most critical skill for an entrepreneur is adaptability. I believe that resilience enables companies to survive through change—but it is adaptability that allows teams to take advantage of change and attack the opportunities and challenges that arise. If you can remember to keep pushing yourself to take calculated risks, you unlock the ability to evolve at a faster pace than your peers and to build something of unique value. When I think of adaptability, I of course think of Charles Darwin who said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
