The co-founder of Ada Coworking has written a book about women-focused coworking spaces: Sisters in Arms.
Tags: Coworking Space, Cobot, Coworking

How did you determine the research methods, and what existing data was relevant?

I started with desk research to identify and map women-focused coworking spaces of all kinds and gather available data, mostly from websites and social media: opening date, founding team, positioning, tariffs. I found coworking concepts that were women-only or on the contrary open to all, work collectives for freelancers, or more sophisticated spaces with services, and even coworking with babycare or childcare. I also dug up some associated concepts (a startup incubator, a few non-profit organizations…). Then before departure I built a framework to run a “look and feel” analysis to assess the user experience once taking my place at a workstation. Finally I posed a set of questions to founders, owners, community managers, and members, whether on site or remotely, in formal interviews, or casual conversations around the coffee machine. It was only after I had finished all my field immersions that I began a work of analysis and typology to classify and compare all these spaces with multiple approaches.

Did you hold assumptions about creating your own space that you’ve revisited after your journey?

Yes! In a context marked by the influence of Anglo-Saxon clubs such as The Wing, which have opened luxurious coworking spaces financed by investors, my first reaction was to think big from the start and imagine a space of several hundred square meters, like the largest female coworking spaces in my study sample. Beware however, between 300 and 600 square meters of space remains relatively modest compared to the rest of the market! But the success of a female coworking space is based on the patient and progressive construction of a community of women entrepreneurs, independent or even salaried, in a given area. Fixed costs that are too high at the launch can quickly prove to be penalizing if the clientele is not there quickly enough. But it takes time to make yourself known and to educate your market!

It is more relevant for me to emulate the model of female coworking spaces that started by creating ephemeral locations to test their market, or that operated from a small location (less than 100 square meters) even if it means moving later, or opening several addresses in different cities.

Not to mention possible online activities. I am thinking of WeSpace in Zürich (ephemeral pop-up before opening in the city-center), The Tribe in Totnes (40 square meters and an online program planned from 2021), or #Workmode which is present in 4 cities in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen, Utrecht). It’s a way of prototyping with early adopters. In the meantime I discovered the concept of Carlos Moreno’s 15 Minute City which echoes the many testimonials I have collected. Women living within a 15 minute radius are the most likely to take out a full-time subscription. Beyond that, if their trip takes 20 to 30 minutes or more, they will in the vast majority of cases prefer a part-time pass and cowork once or twice a week maximum. I have therefore reviewed my approach with a fresh eye on the ultra-local market in order to develop my Ada Coworking project on the outskirts of the Paris metropolitan area, in Poissy, even if it starts relatively small, as a prototype, and then consider other locations to follow.

Could you describe the nature and effectiveness of some of the partnerships you encountered?

Partnerships are interesting because they lift the constraint of fixed costs initially, the time it takes to develop a community of women. In Dublin, where the cost of real estate did not necessarily make it possible to open a fixed location, Women Co began by organizing itinerant coworking sessions. Each one-day meetup was held at a mixed coworking partner’s premises. This is a militant act, when we know that on average women only represent 40% of the members of coworking spaces (Deskmag, 2019). Often, in the most tech-focused coworking settings, they are invisible. So imagine the effect of a group of 10, 15, or 20 women arriving one fine morning to work all day long! I really like the approach of their co-founder Magdalena Kuraczowska, who defines herself as a “Coworking Community Architect:” it is not a question of pitting women against men, but of using the local ecosystem to create an environment of work, mutual aid, learning… that is conducive to the creation of fruitful links between women. These are spaces and occasions of empowerment that have been sustained during periods of confinement through virtual coworking days by video-conference. Because what counts are these moments of shared sorority!

Another example of partnership inspired me in Warsaw. Brain Embassy is one of the leading coworking operators in the market with three breathtaking sites and, above all, a highly developed community. It has partnered with the Foundation for Women’s Entrepreneurship (Siec Przedsiębiorczych Kobiet). The foundation has its office in the coworking space and in return takes care of organizing events for women. During training workshops, for example, a certain number of places are reserved for Brain Embassy members.