All-male networks are no longer the sought out spaces they once were thanks to women creating their own havens.
AllBright, UK’s first women-only member’s club, was founded by Debbie Wosskow and Anna Jones and has meeting rooms, women-related discussions and events, a bar, a salon and small gym.
“During our research, 32 percent of female founders or aspiring female founders told us they need a place to work to launch or grow their business,” said Wosskow and Jones.
Of that number, 27% were self-described nomads and 33% said they wanted a more professional environment for business and client meetings.
In the U.S., there is The Wing, which started off as a coworking space for women in New York and has expanded its locations to Washington D.C., San Francisco, and more.
In 2017, The Wing raised $32 million towards its growth, with investments from the likes of WeWork. Now, the company has over 5,000 members including actress Lena Dunham and founder of beauty brand Glossier, Emily Weiss.
Membership fees have led critics to accuse such spaces of targeting privileged feminists, but the founders have attempted to provide tools that are accessible to all.
For example, Wosskow and Jones run a free 10-week digital program to equip women with practical business skills.
Now, there are numerous female-centric workspaces including The Second Source, a journalist network for women; The Coven Girl Gang, a network and business incubator; and Bumble, the feminist response popular dating app Tinder.