Reserve Tāmaki Turns Proximity into Progress: Physical Spaces Creating Connection

Reserve Tāmaki turns proximity into progress

Walking into Reserve Tāmaki (ReserveTMK), the sweet, soulful sounds of Erykah Badu are playing, and the bubblegum pink feature wall adorned with Māori, Pasifika and street art catches your eye as soon as you enter. The room feels alive, where colour, music and culture combine to create a space that invites creativity.

When ReserveTMK first opened in 2024, it arrived at a time when working from home was the new norm. The pandemic had normalised home offices and video calls, but the absence of real connection left gaps that digital tools could not bridge. Research shows that remote work often deepens silos, while in-person environments create the chance encounters and shared energy that drive innovation. ReserveTMK was deliberately created to restore those in-person interactions, offering entrepreneurs a place to share ideas in the moment, kanohi ki te kanohi, and not just through a screen.

Intentionally local and founded with Tāmaki in mind, ReserveTMK was always intended to be more than desks and Wi-Fi. It was envisioned as a launchpad, a place where people who live in Tāmaki could grow their businesses close to home, supported by their community. Three years on, ReserveTMK feels like working proof that physical space still matters. It sits proudly in the Glen Innes Town Centre at 133 Line Road, operated by Tāmaki locals Kim and Ra Beazley, entrepreneurs in their own right. “We’ve always believed in creating aspirational spaces that feel like they belong here and brave spaces where people can take risks and thrive. Having a place in the heart of Glen Innes means entrepreneurs can grow close to home, supported by the people and culture that shaped them. For us, it’s always been about showing that innovation belongs in Tāmaki and that local talent doesn’t need to leave the neighbourhood to succeed,” Kim says.

ReserveTMK’s kaupapa encourages people to see themselves as part of a collective rather than competitors in the same space. The community it nurtures is built on openness, sharing contacts, resources and insights, with the understanding that collective progress lifts everyone. In practice, this might look like an entrepreneur sharing equipment with a young podcaster whose social enterprise is testing new content. Small exchanges build confidence, and over time those connections have the potential to build real momentum. Ra says, “One of my favourite parts of having a physical space is seeing the unexpected connections that happen here. People who might only ever pass each other at the local shops end up sitting side by side, sharing ideas or skills. When those relationships spark without us even needing to step in, that’s when the magic happens.

You start to wonder, what ripple effects will come from this? What new opportunities will grow just because people had the chance to be together in one place?”

A sense of belonging is reinforced by cultural cues woven into the environment. From the art on the walls to the warmth of the space, it affirms identity, and with many young Māori and Pasifika entrepreneurs collaborating in the space, it is empowering to see a space that reflects who they are. As part of Auckland’s wider innovation network, ReserveTMK connects Tāmaki into a citywide ecosystem, while remaining firmly grounded in its community. Its impact will not only be measured in businesses launched, but in the confidence of young people choosing to start here, and in the revitalisation of Glen Innes as a centre of creativity and entrepreneurship.

ReserveTMK shows that physical spaces are more than backdrops, but catalysts that have the potential to provide the spark of collective imagination, the daily encouragement that makes people believe their ideas are possible, and the proximity that turns strangers into collaborators.