The Wing, a women-focused workspace, is set to open a Chicago location, its first in the Midwest, this year.

The Wing has been active since October 2016 and has approximately 6,000 members in five locations. It was originally founded in New York and now has three locations there, as well as in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. The organization is set to open in other cities this year including Chicago, Boston and London.

The Wing is a workspace dedicated to giving women in business the resources and flexibility to grow. The organization charges a monthly membership fee. According to its website, it is $215 for a single location and $250 to have access in various cities. 

The membership also includes women’s amenities, such as beauty and lactation rooms, special events, internet access, a library and more. The annual fee for a single location is $2,350 and all access is $2,700. 

Many people are excited for The Wing to come to Chicago, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who recently issued a letter to The Wing indicating his support for the organization.

Junior early childhood education major Suzannah Meza was thrilled to hear The Wing will be expanding to Chicago. 

“It can really help the women in business here,” she said. “The Wing is also a place where you can network with people, so Chicago is a great place to have this opportunity.” 

Rana Liu, a second-year arts management graduate student, is ecstatic about the The Wing coming to Chicago. 

“They are self starters,” she said. “They are helping women in male-dominated field[s].” 

Liu also said that The Wing is important because females are underrepresented. “As a [female] business student, a lot of the times the entrepreneurs that we do meet are men.”

Emily Chertow, a community coordinator for The Wing, also thinks it is a great place to meet strong women.

“The Wing is an amazing environment for connecting with other powerful and empowering, strong women while also serving as a space for people to gather together to work and get things done,” she said. 

Chertow, who has been working at The Wing’s Soho location since October 2018, said The Wing can greatly benefit Chicago, and she encouraged her cousin to join the space once it opens this year. 

Alicia Driskill, CEO of EvolveHer, another women’s co-working space in Chicago, located at 358 W. Ontario St., said in a Feb. 8 email, “We believe all women should have access to a strong community.” 

She added that each space has its own unique personality which allows more women to find a space that aligns with their needs.

Driskill said it is important for women to have a place where they can talk freely about sensitive topics such as the Me Too movement, the gender pay gap and the challenges of balancing motherhood and a career. 

Based on the response to EvolveHer since its opening last January, Driskill said women clearly want more spaces dedicated to women.

“EvolveHer [has] held over 350 events and connected with over 38,000 women,” Driskill said. “This shows the city’s appetite for female-forward events and the desire for true connection. We welcome any company that is dedicated to helping drive true equity for women and look forward to partnering on this mission.”