Blackbird Collective, located in Culver City, California, was created with the intention of empowering women of color and allies in the creative and entrepreneurial fields to create positive change between themselves and the world. Here, a part of the workspace used by members.
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Blackbird Collective, located in Culver City, California, was created with the intention of empowering women of color and allies in the creative and entrepreneurial fields to create positive change between themselves and the world. Here, a part of the workspace used by members.
mahogany and company
When Lisa Gordon set out to find the perfect coworking space for her new business, she knew she wanted one that would meet all of her needs.
“I knew I needed a space where I could feel very focused and be in my flow and push myself further [these] it dips while i’m doing this transition [to entrepreneurship]Gordon told NPR.
The retired psychology professor turned social entrepreneur said she tried a number of coworking spaces in the Santa Monica, California area, but felt they came with pretensions that didn’t feel welcoming, especially as a woman of color.
“Even though it was very enriching, I couldn’t relax. I felt like I was singled out a little bit in the spaces because there weren’t a lot of people that looked like me there,” Gordon said. “And I went with it because I didn’t know there was anything else available.”
But there was. Finally, Lisa found a way to become a member of the Blackbird House.
A community coworking space based in the Los Angeles area, house of the blackbird aims to support, guide, and advance women of color and their allies, both professionally and personally in a “safe space.”
“I didn’t see many women of color represented [in coworking spaces]. I was curious what it would be like to start a space like this,” founder and CEO Bridgid Coulter Cheadle told NPR.
Bridgid Coulter Cheadle speaking at a Blackbird House event in Culver City, California. Cheadle created, designed and launched the Blackbird Collective concept to help support women of color in the creative and entrepreneurial workplaces.
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“We’re unapologetically focused on women of color. But we’re also open to allies,” said Cheadle, who transitioned into interior design after starting out as an actress in the ’90s.
When she was looking for an office space for her interior design business, Cheadle said she had a hard time finding one that felt inclusive.
“I’ve always been drawn to spaces created by women, for women. Eventually, I thought, ‘I really want to develop something for women of color,'” Cheadle said.
Women of color continue to seek inclusive work environments
The concept of coworking spaces aims to bring people together for a sense of community. But research suggests women of color still face challenges finding an inclusive work environment.
Researchers at McKinsey & Company say the pandemic has disproportionately affected women compared to men. And women of color “continue to have the worst experience at work.”
At McKinsey’s 2021 Women in the workplace report, data shows that women of color only make up 17% of entry-level corporate positions in the workplace. And they only make up 4% of C-suite leaders.
Erika James, dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a interview 2020 in all things considered That change in the business world has been slow to reflect both the current gender and racial makeup of our country.
“I think if we can create social media platforms, if we can put people on the moon and if we can have self-driving cars, there’s very little we can’t do,” James said.
“So the fact that we haven’t yet created a more diverse work environment means we just haven’t prioritized it,” he added.
It is more than a coworking space
By offering in-person and digital opportunities that are tailored to the productivity, wellness and advocacy of women of color, Cheadle aims to expand the Blackbird House brand in the US and internationally.
The main location in Culver City offers members a number of services including a community work environment, six private offices, several conference rooms, a meditation room and a coffee shop.
“Some people walk in and say, ‘I need to do my job,’ and you can put your nose in the grind and do it,” Cheadle said.
“But then there’s the other side of doing it, looking around and seeing people [in the room] who look like you,” he added.
Blackbird Collective, located in Culver City, California, was created with the intention of empowering women of color and allies in the creative and entrepreneurial fields to create positive change between themselves and the world. Here, a part of the workspace used by members.
mahogany and company
hide title
toggle title
mahogany and company
Blackbird Collective, located in Culver City, California, was created with the intention of empowering women of color and allies in the creative and entrepreneurial fields to create positive change between themselves and the world. Here, a part of the workspace used by members.
mahogany and company
Spending a significant amount of time curating Blackbird to feel cozy with its members, Cheadle said he hopes this coworking space will be more than a “fold-out table in the back,” but rather an experience for his members.
“I want you to come in [to Blackbird] and think this is as beautiful as SoHo House or Noia House or any of these other spaces that are beautiful and luxuriously designed. I want us to think of ourselves that way,” she said.
For Gordon, she says that Blackbird is a space where she can be herself without the pressure of having to switch code while working.
“It’s perfect for me. It’s what I’ve wanted in other coworking spaces,” he said. “I don’t have to do that in Blackbird. I can only breathe.”
NPR’s Ari Shapiro contributed to this report.