A riveting development
Women-oriented coworking and community space pins down new West Austin location
A women-oriented coworking and community space called The Riveter has nailed down a location in Austin for its first outpost away from the West Coast.
In early March, The Riveter— named after World War II icon Rosie the Riveter — is set to open a 12,000-square-foot space at 1145 W. Fifth St., two blocks west of North Lamar Boulevard.
The Riveter says its Austin site will offer a mix of office seating, lounge seating, conference rooms, “locally sourced” amenities, and an array of educational, cultural, and wellness programming. The addition of the Austin location is part a nationwide expansion — fueled by a recent infusion of $15 million in capital— being rolled out this year.
“We see a world in which equity of opportunity in work and business is not a promise, but is a reality,” The Riveter says on its website. “We build our coworking spaces, programming, and events to provide women access to everything they might need to accelerate their businesses and professional lives. We are proud to focus on women while being welcoming to all.”
The Austin location will be The Riveter’s sixth site in the U.S. It currently operates three spaces in Seattle and two in Los Angeles; the first location opened in 2017 in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The coworking startup envisions opening 100 more locations around the country by 2022.
The Riveter’s gender-related strategy sets it apart from national competitors like WeWork and Regus, as well as homegrown operators such as Capital Factory, Firmspace, and Link Coworking. The Riveter describes itself as “the first all-gendered national collaborative space helmed by women in a multibillion-dollar industry of male-founded companies.”
“It was important for us to have Austin as the first city in our expansion,” Amy Nelson, founder and CEO of The Riveter, says in a release. “Austin has been blazing its own trail since its inception, and the female founder community is building an incredible movement that we’re excited to be a part of. We can’t wait to watch how the Austin community shapes The Riveter to reflect its own innovative and vibrant spirit.”
The Riveter won’t be the only female-focused coworking space in Austin. The Refinery, a coworking operator that opened downtown in 2018, is converting to a women-only business and social center in February.
In 2018, Inc. magazine positionedthe rise of women-focused coworking spaces as a “trend-within-a-trend.”
“In the #MeToo era, when conversations surrounding workplace harassment continue to take center stage, these hubs aim to offer a more safe and supportive work environment for women and people who identify as non-binary,” Inc. reported.