Diary / Lifestyle / Sep 26, 2022
Elevate Your Grind by Joining a Women’s Co-Working Space
Written by: Noël Duan
Have you heard of the Shine Theory, coined by Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow? It’s the idea that magic happens when women come together and uplift each other—as opposed to viewing each other as competition. When they rise, you rise. And these days, there’s no better place to witness the Shine Theory in action than the women’s co-working spaces and social clubs blossoming around the world. They have in-house spas, networking nights, yoga studios, lending libraries, healthy cafes, fast wifi, lots of comfortable desk space (and power outlets), and most importantly, inspiring women who want to collaborate with you. If you’re looking to upgrade your 9-to-5 grind, here are our favorite women’s co-working spaces around the world:
The Wing
Locations: New York City (three open locations so far) and DC. Coming soon to London, Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago, West Hollywood, and Seattle.
Membership Fee: $2350-$2700/year
Scholarships Available? Yes, the 2018 pilot program awarded two-year scholarships to 100 women and non-binary individuals whose work supports the advancement of marginalized girls and women. A partnership with Retail Action Project also provides scholarships for members who work in hourly retail jobs.
Total Members as of 2018: N/A, but reportedly there is an 8000-person waitlist.
Perks: Discount with Glamsquad, free coffee, events with speakers like Hillary Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence, discounts to women-owned businesses, an online directory of members for networking, and occasional goodie bag freebies from brands like Chanel and Outdoor Voices.
Amenities: Lending library with books by women, lactation room, art by women selected by in-house curator Lolita Cros, beauty rooms with products like Harry Josh Tools and Glossier, roomy showers with Parachute robes and towels, a rooftop in the summer, a yoga/meditation room, a podcast room, an in-house magazine called No Man’s Land, and healthy cafés.
The Broad
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Membership Fee: $1000/year
Scholarships Available? Yes, they work with youth partner, Girls For A Change, and UnBoundRVA to provide access to low-income entrepreneurs.
Total Members as of 2018: 185
Perks: Weekly office hours with accountants, lawyers, and financial professionals, two weekly yoga classes and a guided meditation, discounts at female-owned businesses in the city.
Amenities: Coffee from a local female-owned roastery, local and organic beauty products, and a space designed by and for women from the lighting fixtures to the soundtrack to the bookshelf and the gallery walls.
The Ruby
Location: San Francisco, California
Membership Fee: $1000-$2000/year
Scholarships Available? Yes, special rates are available to government employees, teachers, students, veterans, and single moms.
Total Members as of 2018: 125
Perks: Friday catered lunches by a woman chef and Friday happy hours featuring a woman winemaker or drink maker, artist residencies, book readings and book clubs featuring the authors themselves, primers on local elections, cooking workshops, and late-night organized creativity sessions just for night owls.
Amenities: Coffee and tea every day, and event snacks and drinks from local favorites like Daughter's Granola, House Kombucha, Lo-Fi Aperitifs, and Imperfect Produce.
The Assembly
Location: San Francisco, California
Membership Fee: $2700/year
Scholarships Available? Not yet!
Total Members as of 2018: 350
Perks: Signature fitness and wellness classes, acupuncture, biofield tuning, astrology readings, nail art, tarot card readings and opportunities to gather for breakfasts, family meals, happy hours, discounts at female-owned businesses in the city.
Amenities: Phone room for private calls, a pump room for breastfeeding mamas, a kitchen for sharing a meal, a large studio for daily fitness classes, a backyard, a refresh room with outdoor showers, and a healthy café.
The Hivery
Location: Mill Valley, California
Membership Fee: From $1,200 for two 6-month community memberships to $4,740 for unlimited month-to-month co-working
Scholarships Available? Yes!
Total Members as of 2018: 400
Perks: Personal brand workshops, entrepreneurship incubators, weekly meditation practice, intimate group circles dedicated to special interests (writers, creatives, entrepreneurs, etc).
Amenities: Standing desks, printing services, video conferencing, an atrium work café with snacks and coffee, and hiking trails just out the front door.
Radiant
Location: San Francisco, California
Membership Fee: $3000/year
Scholarships Available? Yes. They have an entrepreneur-in-residence program that caters to entrepreneurs at different stages.
Total Members as of 2018: 40
Perks: Events like a clean beauty workshop with Etta + Billie and a health optimization panel discussion with Parsley Health.
Amenities: A meeting room that doubles as pump room for nursing mothers, unlimited health snacks and teas.
The Coven
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Membership Fee: $2200/year
Scholarships Available? Yes, for every five memberships sold they offer one scholarship.
Total Members as of 2018: 300
Perks: Events rooted in economic empowerment and personal/professional growth of women and non-binary people, from a “Business of Art” panel discussion to a Mother’s Day fundraiser benefiting mothers in jail for non-violent, low-level offenses, and discounts to local businesses.
Amenities: Fresh coffee and organic snacks/beverages from The Wedge Community Co-op, printing services, a self-care room stocked with beauty supplies for every skin and hait type, and healing services from wellness professionals.
Bloom
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Membership Fee: $99-$149/month
Scholarships Available? Yes, brand ambassadors receive free membership in return for services.
Total Members as of 2018: 50
Perks: Workshops for everything from meditation to social media.
Amenities: Podcast room, LaVazza coffee and Tazo tea, snacks, printing services, free parking.
Circle + Moon
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Membership Fee: $50-$200/month
Scholarships Available? They’re working on it!
Total Members as of 2018: 28
Perks: Roundtable discussions, new moon circles, networking events, and marketing seminars—all hosted with mindfulness in mind.
Grace Belgravia
Location: London, England
Membership Fee: Approx. £5000
Scholarships Available? No.
Total Members as of 2018: N/A
Perks: Events like the Chelsea Flower Show pre-lunch and DKNY fashion show, discounts at luxury brands, complimentary health consultation, guest passes, and partnerships with brands like Reebok and Chloe.
Amenities: Full restaurant and bar dedicated to wellness, delivery food services, event spaces with catering, and 100+ fitness classes every week.