Socially conscious professionals will have a new place to work and network come September.
Global hospitality brand Eaton Workshop soon will open a hotel on K Street combined with a coworking space, Eaton House, geared to activists and artists focused on social change. It offers an opportunity for like-minded creatives to collaborate in the same space, in the hopes that their collective social conscious will breed new partnerships and projects aimed at improving the world.
Founder Katherine Lo, daughter of hospitality billionaire Ka Shui Lo, says a careful vetting process will distinguish Eaton House from other coworking models.
“Members hail from a variety of fields but are united by a shared psychographic and values,” Lo said. “Our vision is to offer the optimal setting for socially conscious leaders across environmentalism, design, tech, nonprofits, activism and the arts to maximize their dreams and ambitions.”
Lo found inspiration in Warhol’s Factory, Burning Man, the newsroom in the film “The Year of Living Dangerously” and “other cultural touch points, including 1960s counter-cultural/civil rights movements, and City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco for its role in the beatnik movement.”
Membership is capped at 370, and anyone can apply by filling out a questionnaire that includes queries like “What kind of revolution would you start, and what is going to take us there?” Applications are then reviewed by an internal selection committee that includes Lo.
Rates are comparable to other coworking spaces. There are three levels: Nomad (drop-in access) starting at $400 per month, Pioneer (with a dedicated desk) is $800 per month and Collective (private office access) ranges from $1,800 per month for a two-person office to $4,500 per month for a six-person office.
Members will have access to the hotel’s wellness center – with a yoga studio, meditation room and more – Eaton Radio station (which resembles The Line Hotel’s Full Service Radio), 50-seat screening room, events programming, private conference rooms and cafe with a full espresso bar.
There’s also set to be a new restaurant, American Son, onsite from renowned chef Tim Ma.
For artists who can’t afford the fees, Lo says there will be in-house artist and residency programs providing reduced rates. “Our impact and outreach program is currently being developed and we will have some exciting things to share in the coming months when we officially open our doors.”
Eaton Workshop is in the process of becoming a Certified B Corporation and Benefit Corporation. Eaton House will open Oct. 1, following the opening of the hotel in late September.
Another Eaton House location will open in Hong Kong soon after Eaton DC, its flagship hotel. Additional locations will follow in San Francisco and Seattle in coming years, Lo said.
