A New Incubator Program For Women-Owned Businesses
A New Incubator Program For Women-Owned Businesses
The Guild launch at The Wing Williamsburg, Brooklyn location Sunday, March 8. SHELLY KROEGER/THE WING
Women’s coworking startup The Wing has launched a new initiative to support female founders. The program, aptly called The Guild, kicked off on International Women’s Day and will provide 13 female business owners, including a jeweler, baker and doula, the opportunity to partner with The Wing’s new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for one year.
“The mission of The Wing is advancement through community,” says Lauren Kassan, cofounder and COO of The Wing. “As we expand into new neighborhoods, we want to support local women-led businesses by helping them utilize The Wing as a platform to grow.”
The Wing will offer custom programming and mentorship opportunities to The Guild’s inaugural class of business owners throughout the year. Ultimately, the goal is to roll out the initiative in all of its markets and build a network of female entrepreneurs around the world.
SHELLY KROEGER/THE WING
“When we open a space, we’re very conscious of the location and its surrounding ecosystem,” Kassan says. “The purpose of a program like this is to localize us and support women within our four walls—but also outside of them as well.”
Since founding in 2016, The Wing has capitalized on the zeitgeist of the modern feminist revolution by creating a community where its members—or Winglets, as the company calls them—can work, eat, network, shower, breastfeed and even “stage a small coup” if needed. Celebrities such as Serena Williams, Kerry Washington, Megan Rapinoe and Lena Dunham are among its founding members and investors, and Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Maggie Haberman, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Mock, Hillary Clinton and Christiane Amanpour have spoken at its member events.
