Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Nelson.
Amy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
During my time as a lawyer, I understood first-hand how difficult it was to be a mom and a full-time professional in a world that was designed for men (who are still in the minority in terms of primary caretakers) to succeed. I noticed that fewer women continued practicing law after having a child, and even fewer became partners.
While pregnant with Reese, my second child, I came across a telling statistic from Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In:” 43% of highly-trained, professional women “off-ramp” after they have children. I remember thinking: if this is true, corporate America is completely broken, we all seem to know it, and yet nothing is being done. This, paired with seeing my own capacity to be both a mother and lawyer called into question, strengthened my desire to help women succeed and to make a career pivot.
This made me want to start The Riveter, a community and coworking space built by women, for all. It’s really important to us to include all genders in the effort to move women ahead in the world. We really are better together. We opened our flagship location in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in May 2017, followed that September with our second location in Seattle’s Fremont area. We expanded to Los Angeles in 2018 with the June launch of The Riveter West Los Angeles.
We’re opening a second LA location in Marina Del Rey on August 1, and the fifth location in Bellevue, WA on September 4. We also recently launched an incredible digital platform to help our members connect and share resources. We’ve raised over $5 million to grow – most recently in a Series Seed led by Madrona Venture Group, the first money into Amazon – and will expand to 12 cities over the next few years.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As with any startup, there are lessons learned along the way that make you stronger as a leader and as a business. We’ve ramped up quickly and will have opened five spaces in two markets within 16 months. Some of our biggest lessons learned came from the logistics of how to open spaces, from understanding what designs we should include making a collaborative experience for members to decide the types of programming that would best serve our members. I’ve personally learned how to lead and motivate a team because the internal growth is also so important.
One of the hardest things has been to share with the world what we’re doing. The corporate world is really built by men, for men. And most people think that if something is built by women to change the world for women, that means we’re women only. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. We believe the world is ready for – and we’ve seen this to be true – spaces built by women and welcoming to all.
On a personal level, it’s been an interesting first year to start a business. I welcomed my third daughter in three years in August 2017, meaning I started The Riveter while pregnant. It was hard to raise money, raise the girls, and raise a company from the ground, all while getting bigger every day. I’m so glad I have an incredible team and family, who helped every step of the way!
Please tell us about The Riveter.
The Riveter is a female-forward coworking space that is designed by women and their advocates to make powerful things happen. We have inviting workspaces with flexible membership programs, allowing our members to choose a month-to-month option that includes as much time in our spaces as they need. Our connected community provides an engaged network that helps bring the right people together to collaborate on big ideas.
And we have The Riveter School – our enhanced learning and development programming both in-person and online – that provides hands-on trainings for anyone growing a business, making a career pivot, heading into a venture capital raise, or wanting to work on personal development.
What sets us apart is that we’re inclusive with flexible membership and programming options that best support our community. At The Riveter, programming and events are intentionally designed to build connections and help women broaden their networks. We create opportunities for members to ask for assistance and collaborate with new partners.
Connections that might not have otherwise taken place. We do believe that kind of support and investment comes from all of us, not just women. The Riveter is an inclusive community, and we welcome all advocates, including men, into our membership and our movement for equity in the workplace. More than 20 percent of our membership is male. They value the community and realize it’s an opportunity to affect change they too believe in.
What I’m most proud of is how quickly this business idea turned into a trusted community – one that has built businesses and provided opportunities for women to redefine the future of work.
Pricing:
- Community Memberships – $99/mo [All the benefits of our community without the desk! Attend our events, join us for skills programming, and network with our incredible members. You can also purchase co-work time at discounted prices and appear in our member directory.]
- Floating Desks [10hour/mo flex] – $150/mo
- Floating Desks [Part-timer: 12 half-days or 6 full days per month] – $250/mo
- Floating Desks [ Monthly; 8a-5p weekdays] – $450/mo
- Dedicated Desks [24/7 access] – $550/mo
- Private Workspaces [24/7 access] – $2,200/mo and up, depending on needs.
- Floating Desks [ Second shift: 5p-8a or “after hours”] – $300/mo
Contact Info:
- Address: 2236 S. Barrington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064
4505 S. Glencoe Ave., Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 - Website: www.theriveter.co
- Phone: (206) 486-5793
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @theriveterco
- Facebook: facebook.com/theriveterco
- Twitter: @theriveterco
Image Credit:
The Riveter
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