The Wing is now owned by a male-run international corporation. Lots of women-only working spaces, clubs and professional organizations founded by women have struggled or even closed in the face of social distancing requirements and the toll of the coronavirus pandemic. So, do women-only membership clubs actually have a post-coronavirus future? Our correspondent Meredith Lepore investigates. Spoiler alert: the relatively new elite women-only membership clubs like The WIE Suite and Chief are alive, well and online.
the future of elite women-only membership clubs in a post-pandemic world
remember the wing?
When I wrote about a new women’s-only club called The Wing back in 2016 it sounded like an absolutely revolutionary idea.
It helped that at its helm was the impossibly small but colossally powerful Audrey Gelman. BFF to Lena Dunham, former girlfriend of Terry Richardson and PR dynamite, she realized that women’s clubs had fallen out of fashion but were desperately needed.
But her intuition was that they needed to be brought back as a place to allow women to network to benefit their careers, to focus on their work. And – social media being what it is – the women also wanted a space to take a really great photo.
The elite women-only membership club The Wing. Courtesy Photo.
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Thus did The Wing hatch.
building on a long history of women-only brick-and-mortar membership clubs
Gelman explained to me that between 1890 and 1920, there were over 600 women-only clubs in New York City which expanded to 5,000 nationwide by the 1930s.
New elite women-only membership clubs like Chief and The WIE Suite head online.
These social clubs were formed to provide women with a chance to pursue literary, philanthropic, and artistic endeavors. By the mid-’60’s they took on a new meaning, as they became enclaves for the second wave of feminism.
However, although feminism continued to grow, these clubs did not.
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the heady days when the wing took flight
In the late ‘teens and pre-COVID 2020, it was clearly women were waiting for these institutions to come back. The opening of The Wing was overwhelmingly successful. At its height it had 20 locations across the U.S., between 2017 and 2019 it raised $117.5 million in funding, listed Serena Williams as an investor, Meryl Streep as a fan and speakers including Hillary Clinton. It seemed unstoppable. And, of course, other similar clubs (though perhaps slightly less instagrammable) opened shortly after growing the trend.
impact of the pandemic and staff accusations on the wing
And then the unthinkable happened. In 2020, employees of The Wing started publicly calling out the company for discrimination and for creating a toxic work environment. With the pandemic making co-working a relic of the past, revenue for The Wing dropped 95% by April 2020. Shortly after Gelman resigned saying she had failed as a leader.
New elite women-only membership clubs like Chief and The WIE Suite head online.
Perhaps they bit off more than they could chew. Or were more concerned about image and aesthetic than being a true community for women. “Simply put, The Wing doesn’t practice the intersectional feminism that it preaches to the rest of the world,” a statement that was released by employees said after Gelman’s resignation.
the rising new generation of women-only membership clubs
Luckily there are other women’s clubs that have been founded in the last few years that have thrived and even grown their membership base through the pandemic. The common thread among them? These are women-only membership clubs and networks that at their heart are focused on community and helping women succeed, and also helping other women do the same.
Another interesting element? Women of color are in the lead.
Chief
For example, take Chief, a private membership network and club focused exclusively on executive-level women. Co-founder and former head of operations of Handy Carolyn Childers told CNBC, “The idea of Chief came from a pretty personal place for Lindsay and me. We were getting more and more senior in our careers and spending a bunch of our time managing our team. We were mentoring other people and realizing that there was no community or resources for us anymore, as we were now the resource for other people.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKZngCFMoit/
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Chiders and co-founder Lindsay Kaplan launched with 200 members in New York City. They now have a prestigious group of over 4,000 members and an 8,000-person waiting list. They have multiple locations across the country where they hold in-person events and workshops for members. Membership is between $5,000 – $8,000, and companies can sponsor their employees.
The WIE Suite
Another thriving elite women-only membership club is The WIE Suite, a power women’s leadership network with the hashtag #WomenWhoDo. It was founded by Dee Poku-Spalding in 2019, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, its primary focus was a series of in-person dinners with luminaries and fellow power women club members.
Dee Poku-Spalding, Founder and CEO of The WIE Suite, a women-only membership club. Courtesy Photo.
When coronavirus hit, Poku-Spalding cleverly pivoted to online salons with topical issues, engaging social activities and lots of peer-to-peer networking. There are sub-groups for Founders and corporate executives, and collaborations across matters related to business, creativity, wellness and public policy. Full disclosure: our Founder and CEO is a WIE Suite member, and it’s one of the best women-only organizations that she’s ever been a part of.
Poku-Spalding, herself a Black woman, also created Black Women Raise to raise the profiles of black female entrepreneurs. These founders struggle to raise funds through traditional angel and seed investors, and she has taken a personal interest in showcasing the ones who have done it against all odds – and helping the next generation learn from their experiences.
Poku-Spalding told The Cut in 2019, “I’ve found that every time I have a need, I can tap into my network and get to the knowledge, get to the funding, get to the access, very, very quickly,” she said. “There’s value in creating these networks and focusing in on who [you’re] building relationships with and staying in touch with people. It’s been an invaluable resource for me, having strong people around me.”
Several other thriving elite women-only clubs
There are many other wonderful and empowering women’s clubs that are flourishing during the pandemic as they largely pivot to becoming virtual-only communities. Including The Cru, The Jane Club, The Riveter, Ellevest and BumbleBizz to name a few (full disclosure: our Founder and CEO is a board member at Bumble).
The future of women-only clubs? The Jane Club. Photo Credit: Harpers Bazaar.
Grace & Frankie star June Diane Raphael is the founder of The Jane Club. She told The Evening Standard when they pivoted to digital back in the spring, “It’s been a lifesaver because I’ve had this community to check in with, work out with and meditate with. I’m not just the founder, I’m also a customer. As much work as it’s been, I’ve gotten so much out of it.”
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These relatively new elite women-only networks, most of which have no virtual clubhouse, and instead have lots of powerful members and momentum, could point the way to the future post-pandemic.
will it be back to the future with the wing?
Meanwhile, the future of The Wing is somewhat questionable. IWG, a Swiss flexible workspace company run by billionaire Mark Dixon, now owns a majority stake in The Wing. In February Lauren Kassan, cofounder of The Wing said in a statement to Insider, “Partnering with IWG provides an exciting opportunity to expand our spaces and network designed for women during a time of increasing demand for alternative work environments in the midst of the pandemic and shifting workplace norms.”
support networks for professional women are in high demand
The whole future of co-working is somewhat up in the air but communities that help and encourage women are more important than ever. A new American Express poll for International Women’s Day found that while 56% of working women surveyed agree that they still feel ambitious for their careers, 66% agree their priorities have dramatically changed due to the pandemic. Over 30% of the women surveyed have delayed a major life decision. This includes working a new job, moving to a new home, or having children, because of the pandemic. However 26% have started their own company (either full-time or part-time) and 41% report that the pandemic has inspired them to find a new career path.
what is the post-coronavirus future of elite women-only clubs?
The successful growth of relatively new elite women-only clubs like The WIE Suite and Chief online during the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 lockdowns is testament to the value these kinds of membership clubs provide, especially when they’re women-only.
It appears that the idea of a community of like-minded women sharing resources and ideas both professionally and personally is something that will thrive again in the post-coronavirus era. If anything, the rise of apps like Clubhouse make us confident that organizations that foster meaningful human connections – even if they are formed and nurtured online – are here to stay.
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This article contains affiliate links to products independently selected by our editors. As an Amazon Associate, Dandelion Chandelier receives a commission for qualifying purchases made through these links.
Meredith Lepore is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist. Her work has appeared in Marie Claire Magazine, Women’s Health, InStyle, Architectural Digest, The Observer, and Travel & Leisure. She earned her Masters in journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Meredith resides in New York full time, and enjoys reading, jogging, spinning, and playing with her small dog, Otis.
