Flourish Market will open a new coworking space for women at Raleigh Iron Works

The Flourish Market , a woman-owned boutique selling clothing, accessories and other items, is moving and adding a coworking space at Raleigh Iron Works .

Flourish Coworking will open in October 2024, Flourish founder Emily Grey told The News & Observer.

While The Flourish Market has already been open at the mixed-use development since March (at 1101 E. Whitaker Mill Road Suite 110), it’s a temporary space. The new store will open with an updated look soon after the new coworking space does.

Flourish Coworking will have its own entrance, but it will be right next to the boutique. Both will be near YoBa Studio, at the corner of one of the Raleigh Iron Works buildings. They’ll occupy around 3,850 square feet, nearly double The Flourish Market’s current footprint.

Flourish Coworking initially launched in 2019 specifically for female entrepreneurs. But Grey said many women other than entrepreneurs were interested in having a coworking space, and the Flourish team wanted to include women from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

“We just had to find the right space that would allow us to broaden our impact,” Grey said.

What makes Flourish Coworking different?

The coworking space is dedicated to women . Members may be in the corporate world, in nonprofits, entrepreneurs or even people looking for their next opportunity.

“The idea is that we must be each other’s favorable environment,” Grey said.

Inside, members will find shared community tables with ergonomic chairs, a kitchen with high-top tables, two phone booths, a focal wall with banquette seating and smaller tables for those looking to concentrate on completing tasks.

But unlike other coworking places, there will be no private meeting rooms or offices .

Women have been involved throughout the process to create a space with a “Caribbean understated glamour” design, Grey said.

When potential members complete an interest form, they’re asked for their thoughts about the design, and in focus group meetings, members discuss options for features such as wallpaper, tile and cushions. Flourish Coworking has partnered with woman-owned BridgePoint General Contracting , and the Gensler lead designer working on the new space is female.

More than a coworking space

Flourish Coworking won’t just be a place women can work.

Grey and her team are focused on providing ways for members to connect, network and grow. Even before the space opens, they plan to have a welcome event.

Then about once a month, Flourish Coworking will host socials to help women network with each other without feeling “forced” or “inauthentic,” Grey said. They also want to have professional development sessions, welcoming experts to discuss topics that women want to learn about, such as salary negotiations or building a resume.

Grey said she’s already hearing that women are excited about on-site summits , which will be held on a few weekends throughout the year. Led by Grey, the interactive summits will be focused on aligning members with their purpose and joy.

How to get involved

Flourish Coworking can only accept 100 members, and more than 100 women have already submitted applications. However, there’s still time to fill out the interest form online .

The Flourish team will schedule one-on-one meetings with applicants to get to know them and answer questions.

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