Probably the most discussed value in coworking circles, community is what makes a coworking space more than just a place to get work done. In this technological age, we are always connected but we are starved for authentic and intimate interactions. Having a space where communities can connect in person is important. But unless members have a sense of belonging to a trusting, engaged and mutually supportive community, a space is just a space. Community is what draws people out of their (free) home offices and into relationships with other members that can be both personally and professionally rewarding.

Women know the value of community in our souls. The village to raise a child. The ancient and universal power of talking circles. Current best practise in global economic development has come to rely on the feminine value of community, because of its proven multiplier effect: when we invest in women, they turn around and reinvest in their communities. Community is central to the feminine paradigm and is naturally intertwined with other core feminine values such as empathy, non-hierarchical structures, and co-creation.

A 2105 coworking study found that women in coworking spaces around the world take advantage of the community aspects of their membership more than men do - turning to each other for help solving challenges or bouncing ideas off each other more often, and even renting conference rooms more frequently than their male counterparts.

SheCoSystem is first and foremost a community - and I hope that this will remain at the forefront of what we are and what we do even when we move into a beautifully and functionally designed space of our own. In fact, the community that has already started to grow is what will shape the bricks and mortar iteration of the SheCoSystem - from determining what facilities and resources we need to offer to shaping membership options to suit the community’s needs. Rather than imposing a top-down structure upon a group of people, a business built on feminine values means that the community will give rise to structures that fit its shape.

SheCoSystem encourages women to participate actively in our coworking community by giving and receiving mentorship, engaging side by side in wellness activities, socializing, referring each other, co-creating workshops and events and more.

The more concrete spaces designed to cultivate empowered communities of working women, the more positive impact each individual woman will in turn create in all of the other communities to which she belongs. That’s why SheCoSystem exists: to hold space (real, concrete space) for the limitless potential of women who work in community.