The Riveter, a Seattle-based startup that operates several women’s coworking spaces around the country, recently announced it is closing all its physical locations and will be shifting to an online community.
This decision was made due to the ongoing health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, CEO and founder Amy Nelson said in a recent blog post that The Riveter’s online community — now 30,000 strong — will receive all the same support, including networking opportunities, insights from industry leaders and career advice.
“Our mission has always been to create change for working women,” Nelson wrote. “We launched our digital community in February, and then the world changed. The need for support increased and our mission became more urgent. The Riveter’s online community has been sharing their stories, resources, and experiences, learning new skills and attending virtual events.”
The Riveter was founded in 2016. In 2018, it raised $15 million, making it one of the only women-led companies to do so that year. The company has gotten insights from the likes of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Stacey Abrams and, just this week, took to social media to support the viral #BlackoutTuesday movement, vowing to “mourn with, walk with, and take action with Black Americans in the fight against racism.”
“As a space built by women for everyone, we want to stay true to our mission and support all of our communities in their time of need,” the company said in a Facebook post. “We are developing new programming and will be providing more resources for our community members, most importantly for those who live with racism every day, and also for allies and advocates.”
