Fortunately, there are a handful of businesses working to address the need for culturally relevant shared workspaces. Zora’s House in Ohio, Dream Village in Maryland, Ethels Club in Brooklyn, and more have taken care to prioritize these needs. LC Johnson, 31, had a particular vision when she launched Zora’s House in 2018. Though Zora welcomes women of color, its demographic is predominantly Black women, which Johnson says she doesn’t take lightly.

“It’s really important for me as a Black woman to make sure that the space is truly safe for Black women. In many women’s spaces, even women of color spaces, we’re not always prioritized, validated, or safe,” she says. “For us, combating anti-Black racism even as we build solidarity with other communities of color is key. I think it’s important for non-Black women to practice being in solidarity with other Black women.”

Some 500 miles away, Najla Austin, 28, is preparing for the launch of Ethels Club, expected to open by the end of the year. There are thousands on a waitlist to become members, and Austin says Black people have shown the most interest. (Feminist author and activist Roxane Gay famously invested in the project.) Austin says the space will be equipped with places to work and commune, including programming that partners with local artists, vendors, and creators. Members will even have access to on-site therapists of color and other wellness activations. Community is key at Ethels Club, and Austin says “intentionality is our North Star.”

“We’re providing this comfortable community of like-minded people where you can actually unburden yourself from the rest of your life,” Austin says, noting that she admires all The Wing has accomplished.

It is worth noting that the majority of women-focused, Black-owned co-working spaces cater to women of color rather than Black women specifically, even though many of them boast large populations of Black women. Still, none of these workspaces, and those like them, have seen the success and profitability of massive shared workspace companies like The Wing and WeWork. This is likely because Black businesses generally lag behind the growth of those belonging to other groups. Black women businesses suffer most, largely due to a lack of capital, Forbes reported. This was the case for Meagan Ward, co-founder of Femology, a Detroit-based community of co-working spaces for women, launched in 2017.

“B lack women have created these spaces for as long as we’ve been here — they’ve just been in our kitchens, our dorms, our auntie’s backyards, in community centers — they’re all in spaces that we create.”

“What has helped The Wing expand so large, so fast is that they were backed by women who believe in their vision and they had an insane amount of access to capital,” Ward, 28, says, noting that she is an ardent supporter of The Wing.

“The statistic is less than 3% of women get access to venture capital funding. When it comes to women of color, it’s less than 1%. We’re dealing with some hard statistics here, especially if we’re talking about women trying to open up national, female-focused co-working spaces.”