Denver has its fair share of coworking spaces, but a new player will enter the market this spring with the goal of empowering the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
After two successful years in St. Louis, RISE Collaborative Workspace will open its second location in Denver in April.
Stacy Taubman created RISE in search of a place where women could grow and build their companies. At the time, she was operating a tutoring and coaching company and struggled to find a home for her business.
“Coffee shops are great, but they sure do get old really quick,” she said.
After speaking with hundreds of female entrepreneurs, Taubman realized there was a common need not only for workspace, but also for female entrepreneur networking.
The company launched in St. Louis in early-2017, gaining 270 members over the first two years. Of the 270 members, 120 are signed up for RISE’s social membership, giving them little access to the coworking space, but full access to the myriad of networking and professional development workshops.
“For me it was about the space, I wanted a place to come work,” Taubman said. “But, for the community, it’s about so much more than the space.”
RISE offers weekly professional development programs focusing on building up female entrepreneurs and enhancing collaboration among members. The company also offers mentoring opportunities, pairing members with driven high school students.
RISE will open its newest location on the corner of Colorado and 7th Avenue in an 11,000 square foot space above Snooze Eatery and US Bank in April. The space will feature 14 private offices; 10 dedicated desks; free parking; conference rooms; a classroom; a social media room; two phone/Mother rooms; and an open coffee and snack bar.
Taubman said RISE already has 50 founding members at the Denver location and has filled nearly half of the private office spaces.
Memberships vary from $40 per month for a social membership to $450 for a dedicated desk space. While RISE is female-focused, men are also welcome to work out of the space. Taubman said RISE has male guests and members in St. Louis.
According to Taubman, she chose Denver primarily for its similarity to St. Louis, both in size, businesses and in female workforce. Taubman said RISE’s location in St. Louis is located in a similar neighborhood to Cherry Creek, making the decision to move there a simple one.
Over the next six months, RISE will research cities for its next round of expansion, as Taubman sees the company scaling to a national and potentially international brand.
“My dream is to have one of these in Paris,” she said with a laugh.
On April 17, RISE will host a grand opening ceremony at the new Cherry Creek location where prospective members are invited to come tour the space. More details here.
