The Wing — the women-focused Women’s Coworking Space Chicago that channels Ida B. Wells and the “Girls do whatever they want” champion on Instagram — officially opened the 8,500-square-foot space on Fulton Market Street in the West Loop on Thursday. . This is The Wing’s sixth location, adding locations in New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
More than just a place to work and have a cold drink, The Wing space is designed to bring women together and foster community. For starters, there are full restaurants and cafes featuring food from women-owned restaurants, women-only art galleries, and bookshelves stocked with more than 2,000 titles curated by independent bookstores Women & Children First and Strand, the company said.
Women’s Coworking Space Chicago
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The Women’s Coworking Space Chicago location is also stylish, drawing on the inside Frank Lloyd Wright in muted tones and geometric shapes to create an inviting workspace.
Each week, the Chicago office will host weekly workshops and events for women around topics such as salary negotiations, health, financial planning, and more.
Membership runs at $185 per month for Chicago locations only or $250 for all access. The Wing also offers scholarships for women working in underrepresented industries.
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Step Aside, WeWork
The Wing was launched in New York in 2016 with a mission to empower women through community. The idea was modeled on the women’s work clubs of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as the Lady Flashers and Lady Millionaires.
Since then, they have amassed more than 8,000 members and hosted speakers such as Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Stacey Abrams. The company also runs No Man’s Land, a multimedia platform featuring women’s history magazines and podcasts.
The company has raised more than $117.5 million in funding for its efforts and has plans to open five additional co-working spaces including Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles, and London.
For Chicago, The Wing added a diverse voice to the burgeoning coworker scene. As of 2018, there were 99 co-working spaces occupying more than 2.6 million square feet in Chicago, according to real estate news site The Real Deal Chicago.
Of course, there’s WeWork, but there are also innovation stations like 1871 and Blue1647, a remote enclave at Serendipity Labs and one for freelancers outside the Loop called Second Shift.
The women’s club is expected to open in March at 811 W. Fulton Street right near the neighborhood’s neon gate sign. The organization first started in New York in 2016 and has since launched in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. This is the second female-only coworking space in the city, after EvolveHer which opened in River North in late 2017.
The 9,000-square-foot space has many of The Wing’s design advantages including modular furniture, gold lighting fixtures, brightly colored tiles, and a color-coordinated library.
The Chicago space will have plenty of open space for work, private meeting rooms, quiet spaces, bookshelves stocked with women-identifying and gender-non-conforming writers, a cafe with food and drink, a beauty room, and a mother’s lactation room.
The space will also host events, workshops, and panels for members and guests—previous events have covered topics such as salary negotiations, writing elevator promotions, criminal justice reform, and skincare.
Other Wing locations have hosted speakers such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tina Fey, Christiane Amanpour, and Venus Williams. Members have access to halls and all events, plus unlimited free drip coffee.
If you are interested in joining The Wing, you can apply for the Women’s Coworking Space Chicago location here. Membership costs $185/month or $2,100 per year. A membership with access to all locations costs $250/month or $2,700 per year.
The club will offer a free two-year full membership as part of a scholarship program to people whose work supports an important community in Chicago. Wing also prioritizes nonprofits in its cities—I’ve partnered or worked with the Women’s Prison Association, Every Mother Matters, and Family Sanctuary.
Adding to the flurry of co-working outfits that have sprung up around downtown Chicago in recent years, former entertainment and media executive Alicia Driskill last month launched EvolveHer, collaborative office space in River North meant to offer the same workplace flexibility lauded by industry giants like WeWork. , but only for women.
Tucked away in an open-concept, 5,000-square-foot loft at 358 W. Ontario St., this office is a different spin on the co-working trend that Driskill bets will attract female entrepreneurs seeking a shared space complemented by another community of women in business.
List of Women’s Coworking Space Chicago
“We really wanted to create a space that fosters collaboration,” said Driskill, a 39-year-old former vice president of global partnerships at entertainment agency WME-IMG, who is funding the venture on her own. “We want this to be the members’ space. This is about building it together.”
The Wing
Who they are: The Wing — the Chicago Women’s Coworking Space that channels Ida B. Wells and the “Girls do whatever they want” champion on Instagram — officially opened the 8,500-square-foot space on Fulton Market Street in the West Loop on Thursday. This is The Wing’s sixth location, adding locations in New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
- Fun fact: There is a full restaurant and cafe serving food from women-owned restaurants, a women-only art gallery, and a bookshelf with more than 2,000 titles curated by independent bookstore Women & Children First and Strand.
- Location: Fulton Market (811 W Fulton Market FL 2)
- Cost: Membership runs at $185 per month for Chicago locations only or $250 for all access. The Wing also offers scholarships for women working in underrepresented industries.
WeWork
Who they are: WeWork is perhaps the main institution in the coworker circuit, providing a creative and collaborative space for entrepreneurs, freelancers, technicians, and innovators to build their ideas into great things.
- Fun fact: WeWork has become a global force in the coworker movement, with more than 70 locations in more than 20 cities around the world. More than 40,000 people have signed up as members, with more than 8,800 companies also signing up for membership.
- Locations: Grant Park (332 S. Michigan Ave), Fulton Market (220 N. Green St), River North (111 West Illinois St).
- Fees: Grant Park offices start at $750/month; Fulton Market has offices starting at $700/month and desks at $350/month; River North has an office at $650/month and a desk at $455/month.
- (Photo of Lauren Kallen’s Fulton Market WeWork)
Assemble
Who they are: Assembling is a great choice for busy professionals with big ideas. They offer 24/7 access to office space with a number of benefits and resources, and their monthly rental is a good option for fast-growing startups.
- Fun fact: Part of their membership package includes discounts on smart transportation options like Divvy and Zipcar.
- Location: West Loop (600 W Jackson Boulevard), Gold Coast/Old Town (1165 N Clark Street).
- Cost: Places start at $350 per month.
MakeOffices
Who they are: A more recent addition to the co-working environment in Chicago, MakeOffices was recently launched in the city as one of the larger co-working spaces by space.
- Fun fact: Their 45,000-square-foot space at River North has 145 private offices, 112 open desks, 11 conference rooms, and 10 private call rooms, in addition to other community spaces.
- Location: River North (350 North Orleans), Loop (1 North State Street).
- Cost: Private offices start at $550/month, but members can also choose an open desk space for $250/month or a virtual office for $75/month.
Coalition: Energy
Who they are: Located in Loop, Coalition: Energy is a collaborative environment for ideas and innovation.
- Location: 18 South Michigan Avenue
- Cost: Daily co-workers cost $20, with 10-day tickets costing $150. They also have tiered monthly plans — from $85/month for a virtual office to $850/month for a private office.
Industrious Office
Who they are: Diligent is a national chain of Chicago Women’s Coworking Spaces, with a presence in cities such as Chicago, Austin, Brooklyn, St. Louis, and Nashville.
- Fun fact: Let’s talk perks. Industrious serves a number of local specialties, including Abacus coffee, Bennison pastries, and beer from a local brewery served daily.
- Location: River North (320 W. Ohio Street).
- Cost: Desks start at $420, while private office space varies depending on team size.
End Word
Unlike other boutique partners, Frankly Co will target large companies with 25% of projected revenue from big businesses. While it will focus on women, they won’t ban men: ‘We’re not saying ‘no men’ – they can come if they want,’ Startup told The Sydney Herald. “We targeted the key areas where Women’s Coworking Space Chicago is: flexibility and parenting.
Source: builtinchicago.org and chicago.curbed.com
