This Black-owned coworking space wants to advance and support businesswomen of color

Blackbird Collective, located in Culver City, Calif., was created with the intention to empower women of color and allies in the entrepreneurship and creative fields to create positive change for each other and the world. Here, a portion of the workspace used by members.

When Lisa Gordon set out to find the perfect coworking space for her new business, she knew she wanted one that met all of her needs.

“I knew I needed a space where I could feel very focused and be in my flow and push me past [these] dips while I’m making this transition [to entrepreneurship],” Gordon told NPR.

The retired psychology professor-turned-social entrepreneur said she tried a series of coworking spaces in the Santa Monica, Calif., area, but felt as though they came with pretentiousness that didn’t feel welcoming — especially as a woman of color.