LUNA’s got a new home.
From eco-friendly founders to tech-forward farmers, Byron Bay has always been home to entrepreneurial ventures. Today, it’s also host to LUNA’s newest home.
Our brand new satellite office is situated in the plush Habitat Precinct – a cleverly designed village where work meets play. Think renewable energy, car sharing, bars, cafes, fitness, shopping – the works.
It’s in this little oasis that you’ll find our breezy hub, replete with a kitchen, a pool, some surfboards for a midday ride, and a private zoom room towards the back. And that’s not all — it comes with a fully-furnished apartment right above – and it’s open to all LUNAtics, LUNA clients and LUNA partners. On a good day, the office also comes with Panther, LUNA’s OG mascot i.e. Ronen's 7 year old friendly Golden Retriever.
But how did we get here? Let’s rewind the clock a bit.
The year was 2020, the world was collapsing, and everyone was adjusting to working and living out of the same space, day in and day out. Like many others who relocated for what seemed to be a “brief hiccup” in our lives, our Founder and CEO, Ronen Heine, too decided to do a short work-from-Byron stint.
What was meant to be a few months soon turned into 2 years, a new LUNA office, and a push to broaden LUNA’s approach to work. The impact of remote-working from Byron is what pushed Ro to extend it to our team and clients – to inspire them to think differently about what working-from-anywhere truly meant.
Ro & Panther out front of our newest hub Ro, Emma & Panther off for a walk Laia (our first Byron hire!), Emma & Ro
Ask Emma, our Head of Legal, who quite literally packed her bags and moved to the Byron office for a few months. When asked what prompted her move, she said, “After 2 years of Melbourne lockdowns, I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. A month in, and I’m finding my groove and leaning into the Byron lifestyle like never before. The yoga classes, the local markets, and meeting new people – it’s been amazing to be able to work while having all these new experiences.”
It’s fairly clear. For LUNA, work-from-anywhere isn’t just a sexy startup policy, it’s a reality that the team gets to live of their own will. It’s a collective attempt at increasing team engagement and has allowed us to grow as a business and connect with new communities — a temporarily relocated member and 4 new hires are testament to this.
It’s been interesting watching the startup community evolve in the Bay, and you might even notice a common theme running across some of the activity, with the likes of ZeroCo and FliteBoard meeting resounding success of late. Our own clients and co-working colleagues at Tie Up Farming and Twoobs have their stories to share, and VC firm ReGen continues to scale its mission of building companies that restore the planet.
When we chatted to Ro about this, he couldn’t help but mention how diametrically opposite the work culture felt in Byron. “The startup community here is burgeoning – and it’s very different to what the cities have experienced in the past few years. There’s been an influx of ideas, people, opportunities, offices – the change is rapid – and it’s amazing to witness. I can’t think of a more fitting environment for startups to grow in.”
There’s a sense of future-focussed work in Byron. People genuinely give a sh*t about climate change, and decisions are very much driven by conscience.
“I see people building businesses holistically – the startup mindset here, even in tech, is so different to how we’ve understood it to be this whole time – and it’s bound to grow tenfold with the kind of collaborative and conscious effort that people put in.”
It’s hard not to fall in love with the town’s collective commitment to nature. Emma’s favourite part about residing there has literally been the bird and frog sounds (we’re not kidding).
“I couldn’t be more proud of our work culture here – it’s in such stark contrast to how we run in Melbourne or Sydney. Don’t get me wrong – each LUNA hub has a unique working experience – but I can’t not highlight how fulfilling it is to press pause on your work day to go surfing together. Being outdoors and in nature truly boosts creativity – and we see it reflected in our work.”
There’s definitely a blanket of calm here. People are greener, the culture’s relaxed, and who doesn’t love a warm hi from a stranger across the street.
LUNA might be new to the town – but we’re definitely here to stay.
If you’re keen to swing by for a coffee, come say hi at 4 Parkes Avenue, Habitat Precinct.
And as for where next on the map we plan to be?
You’ll know as soon as we do.
By Nikita Lamba
