Recall those Instagram-perfect granite work tables? Those fancy lattes topped with a flower design and a dash of cinnamon and honey? Lavish work spots backdropped by trendy, motivational music? These are all elements that make up the enticing environment of The Wing, an exclusive women’s co-working space, which has become the quintessential dream for independent, female entrepreneurs across America.
At The Wing, books are neatly lined on lavender shelves—color coded, of course. There are plants, luscious and vibrant, near window sills. And what about the bathrooms? Well, have no fear as they are stocked with fine, luxury beauty products and hygienic products. The idea for such an idealistic workspace was initiated by Audrey Gelman, a then 28 year-old public relations professional who had grown tired of dashing between meetings from New York to New Jersey to Washington DC. In fact, she often found herself charging her phone in coffee shops and freshening up in fast food chains between meetings. What Gelman envisioned was a kind of feminine pit stop—a private, exclusive club where women could “blow their hair out and check their email in comfort and peace” (New York Times).
In two years, The Wing has become a truly impressive, sensational sphere built on a clear purpose: to foster a feminist co-working space. The Wing has built up a committed social media following and launched an in-house magazine and online store offering stylish merchandise adorned with feminist catch phrases.
While The Wing continues to grow its community of female identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming members to more than 6,000, its exclusivity is brought into question. At The Wing, members aren’t allowed to bring in food and there is no refrigerator or microwave. All food is prepared and sold through a cafe, The Perch, that is exclusive to the club. Thus, over the course of the day, women report that they spend an average of $20 on food, which includes a coffee, salad, and a side of tuna. The cost is just under $2,000 a year or about $185 a month, which many women are unable to afford. The Wing seems to only cater to a certain group of women—it has labeled itself a coven, rather than a community. Among “Wing Women” are actress and model Hari Nef, the Women’s March co-founder Linda Sarsour, social media influencers, and best-selling authors.
Per critic Kaitlyn Borysielwicz, the Wing focuses on “the advancement of a certain type of woman.” The founders of The Wing has made it clear that the company focuses on promoting the type of “woman who could readily and easily afford to spend over $2,000 a year.” However, unfortunately, that type of woman is certainly not the type of woman who needs the opportunity of and access to such a space the most.
Recently, many workers who had been hired to The Wing with the same promises of career opportunities have revealed their disillusionment in the reality of their work. The Wing employees, many who are women of color, are coming forward to reveal how The Wing is purely appearance-based—beautiful on the outside and for Instagram but greatly missing the point of their intended mission. The employees have expressed that they are seen merely as “the help,” unimportant people who come much after the members of the club. For example, those who were hired to work the front desk have been tasked to scrub toilets and wash dishes, while staff members have received racist comments from The Wing members. Mental health issues from the workers have been dismissed as “creating an unstable work environment” and many members have even shared disempowering encounters with the CEO, Audrey Gelman, herself.
Due to such criticism, The Wing has started offering two-year scholarships for those who can’t afford its membership. The Scholarship Team focuses on individuals who work in industries that are underrated in the membership quotas. However, The Wing is merely allocating a small fraction of their resources to underserved women, who are also required to compete for such a scholarship. While The Wing’s foundational mission is valuable and the establishment in itself is a milestone for corporate America, there is much to be realized about the realities of establishing an inclusive space: an Instagrammable, pink utopia is unable to mask inequality.
