DES MOINES, Iowa — In recent years, coworking spaces have become more and more popular. They are shared spaces for people from many different sectors to work from and collaborate with each other.
Now, a Twin Cities-based company is expanding into Des Moines, focusing on creating a coworking space for historically underserved communities.
Seven years ago, a group of women working in the advertising and marketing industries in the Twin Cities were frustrated with the way workplaces treated women, so they took action to address that problem.
"What we decided to do was to create a space that really centered [on] women in all things, really thinking about how women, non-binary and trans people really move through the world," said Alex West Steinman, one of the four co-founders of The Coven.
Since 2017, The Coven has opened four Minnesota coworking spaces, as well as one in Wisconsin. Soon, they hope to add a Des Moines location to their roster.
"What I love about this community is that investment in economic development and entrepreneurship, it's a decent-sized community," West Steinman said.
Currently, the Des Moines expansion is in its market development phase, with West Steinman in town to kick off the process.
"We’re looking for a space and we're looking for an operator,” West Steinman added. “And so, while I’m here, I’m doing some exploration of driving neighborhoods, I’m just finding out you know, what is here. And where is the need for a space like this."
West Steinman said having spaces that can hold diversity is important for progress in business.
"I think that it makes businesses better,” West Steinman said. “We know that businesses have a higher [return on investment] when they really embrace diversity, and that's what's really important about our communities is, you know, there haven't been a lot of spaces that have been created specifically for women, non-binary and trans people."
The Coven hopes to have the Des Moines location up and running in the next six to 12 months. They offer individual memberships, team memberships, day passes and other services like business coaching.