Hera Hub Phoenix, a coworking space for women, opens its doors today in central Phoenix.
International Women’s Day is commemorated every year on March 8 to raise awareness for women’s rights, equality, safety and justice. While the technology industry tends to take pride in changing the world of work, the tech sector is actually further away from achieving gender equality than the U.S. economy as a whole. Crunchbase did a study that found of the 43,008 global companies that received initial funding between 2009 to 2017, only 6,791 (15.8%) have at least one female founder.
Thus the rise of support networks and even female-focused workspaces supporting more female-founders. The 4,000 sq. ft. space is located at 2111 E. Highland Ave, Ste 240, Phoenix, AZ 85016 and has received significant support from the community and is focused on supporting women. The space is launching with 20 founding members, including Kristin Romaine, leader of Women Who Startup to host the monthly Phoenix basecamps and Dr. Kristine Quade, Director of Athena Valley of the Sun AZ. A launch party and art opening will be from 5-7pm, on Thursday, April 19th and is open to the public.
Shatha Barbour, Founder of Hera Hub Phoenix
Leading Hera Hub’s expansion into Arizona is Shatha Barbour. “It’s time to put women business owners and entrepreneurs of Phoenix on the map like other cities. We’re one of the largest cities in the country and have a thriving ecosystem of women in business. I’m excited to create this landing space and launching pad for women. When women business owners succeed, the whole economy and ecosystem succeed. We’re on a mission to support women and grow an inclusive, diverse, and generous city.”
Phoenix and its surrounding metropolitan areas are growing at a rapid rate, forecasted to be the #4 largest city by 2020. Phoenix is intent on bolstering its small business and entrepreneurial environment to compete with the other cities due to a number of favorable factors. This makes it a prime location to open a Hera Hub and support the female entrepreneurial market.
“We see Phoenix/Scottsdale as the perfect market to expand Hera Hub’s reach because it is host to so many growing industries, such as aerospace and defense, technology and innovation, renewable energy, bioscience, optics, and advanced manufacturing,” says Felena Hanson, Hera Hub’s founder. “Shatha Barbour is a natural connector, the perfect person to lead and support women in the region.”
Hera Hub’s shared workspaces serve women across multiple industries, from biotech and high-tech, business operations, legal advisors, and tax professionals to artists, designers, educators, and creative experts. The spaces, which offer an open layout, lend to collaboration across industries. Weekly educational seminars, intensive workshops, and one-on-one mentoring also strengthen the business acumen and ties among members. While Hera Hub was designed by women, for women, it is open to all independent workers who value collaboration and community.
For more information about Hera Hub Phoenix, visit www.HeraHub.com/Phoenix.
About Hera Hub
Hera Hub is a coworking space and business accelerator where entrepreneurial women can create and collaborate in a professional, productive, spa-like environment. The platform provides members with connections to other business experts, access to educational workshops, and visibility within the community, thus giving them the support they need to be prosperous. Hera Hub offers cost-effective monthly membership options that are suited for freelancers, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and authors. The company was founded in San Diego, California in 2011. www.HeraHub.com
