When it comes to finding an environment that both challenges you and makes you feel at home, there’s no better place than a co-working space.
Working alongside others for a company instead of alone can be one of the most rewarding and productive experiences of your professional life.
Co-working spaces are often more like social hubs than workspaces, with a wide variety of options to meet and collaborate with like-minded individuals in a comfortable setting. There are plenty of benefits to taking advantage of a co-working space other than just the proximity to other like-minded individuals.
Co-working spaces are an excellent fit for women in business because they offer various support services that can make your life as a solopreneur easier. Offering the space to operate under the same roof instead of being isolated from others, co-working spaces can also provide a hub for small businesses to meet with potential clients. Here’s a list of the best co-working spaces for women and women-owned businesses.
Women-Centered Co-working Nationally
As women entrepreneurs continue to dominate industries from tech to logistics, founders may look for a co-working space designed to support female entrepreneurs. These national office spaces are made with women in mind:
Luminary, New York, NY
Luminary is a revolutionary professional networking hub that is women-owned, primarily for women. It is a career advocate for all phases of women’s career journeys. They offer advice to help build, grow, connect, and advance. Their membership program allows access to numerous events and resources (both virtual and in-person) to help women rapidly change and grow. Not to mention, over 1,000 hours of digital content are available to members for never-ending training and education.
The Gathering Spot, Atlanta, GA
This space features locations in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., with new ones coming soon. It is black-owned and has memberships by invitation only. Each space has a full bar & restaurant, an event space, and, of course, a co-working space. Their community comprises a diverse range of entrepreneurs, artists, lawyers, musicians, and more.
Industrious, Chicago, IL
Industrious homes have over 100 locations in the U.S. alone, plus international locations. They offer various space options to fit your team’s needs and size. These spaces come fully furnished, so you can get to work right away with all the supplies you need readily available. With month-to-month term options, it’s easy to convert your workspace as your company’s needs evolve.
Charley Co. Denver, Colorado
This co-working space in the RiNo neighborhood offers a variety of membership options, from day passes to month-to-month memberships. The space is home to several other businesses, and it has a lot of amenities to offer. You can find everything from an espresso bar to office hours for one-on-one consulting sessions.
The Coven – Minneapolis
The Coven is a co-working space in Minneapolis specifically geared towards women. There are many benefits to having your own dedicated space, which they offer. For example, this co-working space can provide tangible mentorship opportunities and support services to help you achieve your professional goals. The Coven offers various programs that can relieve some of the pressure on solopreneurs trying to balance their business with their personal life.
The Emerald – Arizona
The Emerald is located in downtown Phoenix and has a chic modern vibe. Open desks, private offices, conference rooms, and lounges are available for rent. The space also features an on-site café with coffee and snacks.
The Emerald is an ideal co-working space for women because of their convenience and sense of community. They offer ample parking spaces in the garage connected to the building and bike racks right outside. You’ll never struggle to find your way around with the building’s digital key card system that alerts you to which floor you’re on and where doorways are located. The ground floor houses a yoga studio, nail salon, boutique clothing store, and salon—all services can also be found within walking distance from The Emerald.
If you’re looking for one of the best co-working spaces for women in Arizona, this is it!
evolveHer – Chicago
evolveHer is a women-only co-working space in Chicago. It was the first women’s only co-working space ever created, and it offers 24/7 access to its online platform and events held at the space.
The Riveter – Los Angeles
The Riveter is a women-founded co-working space in Los Angeles, California. The founders wanted to ensure that the space was welcoming to everyone so people of all backgrounds could find community and success within their walls. Two best friends created the space to create an inclusive and supportive environment for other women.
The Riveter provides a range of amenities, like personal phone booths, conference rooms, and workshops that teach skills like how to use Excel or start your own business. Their goal is to help you grow your business while removing some of the financial barriers many entrepreneurs face.
The Wing – New York
The Wing is a full-service co-working and social club for women. They offer everything from private office space to group work to meeting rooms and a community kitchen. The Wing allows members to work in their own area but also have access to spaces shared by other members. They have one of the most complete programs for networking that you can find, including events, workshops, and conferences.
Women-Centered Co-working Across the Globe
Living and loving the benefits of a WFA (work from anywhere) life? We’ve got you covered with these co-working spaces across the globe:
One Roof, Melbourne, Victoria
One Roof is a co-working space in Melbourne, Victoria. The Co-working space is Australian-owned and operates as a social enterprise. It’s one of the best co-working spaces for women because it offers various services to help solopreneurs succeed. One Roof offers mentoring, training, and workshops on finance, business development, and marketing strategy to help empower women entrepreneurs. They also have co-working spaces designed specifically for women. One of the best things about this business? It’s big enough to accommodate all types of businesses, from freelancers to female-led startups to entrepreneurs with physical stores.
Bloom by Jumpstart – Hong Kong
Bloom by Jumpstart is an invaluable co-working space for female entrepreneurs. They offer the opportunity to share their office space with other like-minded women, and they offer a wide range of programs geared towards empowering women. With co-working spaces like these, you’ll have access to workshops on using social media for business purposes, developing your brand, and more.
The Female Hub – The Netherlands
The Female Hub is a co-working space in the Netherlands that caters to women. They offer a diverse range of services for female-owned businesses, including business coaching and courses on topics like social media marketing. The Female Hub has a variety of membership levels to suit your needs, from temporary access to dedicated desks or office spaces.
Hera Hub – Sweden
Hera Hub is a co-working space in Sweden that caters to women-owned businesses, female entrepreneurs, and individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQ community. Hera Hub focuses on providing support for these groups through networking events, speaker events, and mentoring programs.
Hervana – Vancouver
Hervana is one of Canada’s best co-working spaces for women and women-owned businesses. This Vancouver co-working space was founded by two women passionate about social innovation and sustainability. They offer various programs for entrepreneurs, and their space also doubles as an event venue. Hervana is committed to fostering collaborative growth in their community, which is why they sponsor events geared towards empowering female entrepreneurs.
Make Lemonade – Toronto
Make Lemonade is a co-working space in the heart of Toronto. Along with their great location and modern office facilities, they offer various services to make life easier for businesswomen at all stages of their careers. Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been running your business for years, Make Lemonade offers various workshops tailored to fit your needs.
Mona by my little Paris – Paris, France
Mona by my little Paris is a co-working space for women and female-owned businesses, making it one of the best options for solopreneurs. It’s a high-end, boutique co-working space that offers everything you need to ensure success in your business. What sets Mona apart from other co-working spaces is its focus on community, with events like “Girls who drink beer,”; “Pampering Fridays,” where you can enjoy spa treatments, massages, and more; and “Why we march,” where you can discuss women’s rights. The atmosphere at Mona inspires creativity and innovation.
Trehaus Co-Work – Singapore
Trehaus is a co-working space in Singapore. Trehaus offers three types of office membership plans that can be customized to different needs. The first plan, the Starter plan, is perfect for those who are just starting and want to work on their own time at an affordable rate. The second plan, the Professional Plan, is ideal for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startups who need more flexibility and won’t prefer to do their work in a collaborative environment. The third plan, the Business Plan, is designed for startups with over ten people who need a private space to hire employees.
Women-Led Ventures – Tel Aviv
Women-Led Ventures is a private, startup-oriented co-working space in the heart of Tel Aviv. The space offers an attractive open office layout, flexible desk options, and a great community of like-minded professionals.
What Makes a Coworking Space Successful?
Amenities
One of the significant perks of shared office spaces is the amenities they have to offer. Work from home environments lacks collaborative opportunities and lux amenities (who doesn’t want to be able to grab an oat latte steps away from their desk?).
Some common amenities to look for:
- phone booths
- in house cafe
- beauty rooms
- gyms
- coffee shop
- unlimited access
- lactation room
Amenities are likely to draw users in, but the collaborative environment with other like-minded entrepreneurs holds the actual value.
Leaders + Mentors
Experts traditionally lead co-working spaces and incubators in the community. These fellow entrepreneurs have faced the same business challenges and can guide you through the struggles that come with launching a business. Business experts
Many co-working spaces offer workshops, support circles, and networking events to further education in all aspects of a business.
If you’re in a business accelerator, you can expect experts within your field to review your business plan, connect you with other female founders in your industry, and support you through your launch.
Female-focused co-working spaces are designed to combat discrimination that women or women-identified people face (versus their male counterparts) in the workplace and business world. In professional mentoring,
Community
The best part of any co-working space is the community that comes along with it.
A collaborative workspace creates an environment where you WANT to work. Being surrounded by like-minded professionals or other female entrepreneurs fosters connection and professional growth. Networking is the key to success in any industry, and co-working spaces allow for a natural environment to learn and connect with inspiring women.
Atmosphere
Make sure to tour co-working spaces before signing up for a membership. By traveling during business hours, you can check out:
- How other members interact and work
- How busy the office is
- The different types of office spaces
- If the conference rooms are always booked
Think about what you need in a workplace. Are you looking for private offices? Do you want a dedicated desk or a communal table? Do you want this to be more of a social membership or a private workplace?
Most collaborative spaces for women allow flexible memberships. So if you start at a lower tier, you can always upgrade if you fall in love with the community and environment.
FAQ
Is a co-working space a good idea?
Co-working is worth a shot if you’re launching a business, a freelancer, or in a work-from-home environment. If establishing a business were easy, everyone would do it; it’s even harder to do so alone.
Co-working provides you with a collaborative environment filled with other motivated people. As the saying goes, you are who you surround yourself with.
The best person to determine if co-working is a good idea is you. You know your work habits best. Do you thrive in quiet spaces? Or do you prefer the hustle and bustle of other working professionals?
Who is the target audience for the co-working space?
The general target audience for co-working spaces is working professionals.
There are spaces targeted toward startups, freelancers, or corporate employees (anyone with work to be done!) Co-working spaces are designed for those looking for an opportunity to connect with other entrepreneurially-minded people.
Women business owners and female entrepreneurs are the target audience in female-focused co-working spaces.
Can you sleep in a co-working space?
Sometimes! Some co-working spaces offer restrooms, hammock areas, etc. (But no one’s stopping you from taking a power nap at your desk)
Who uses co-working spaces the most?
Founders and freelancers were previously the most represented members in co-working spaces.
However, with work-from-home/remote jobs becoming more popular, expect to see an increase in corporate professionals and other traditional employees.
