Surrounded by swaths of punchy pinks, canary yellows and neon greens, SheSpace (shespacehtx.com) founders Stephanie and Katie Tsuru have created the ultimate coworking-slash-meeting space that will undoubtedly propel its tenants toward their next big ideas.
Kim McClellan, Stephanie Tsuru and Katie Tsuru pause for a quick pic at SheSpace. PHOTO BY MARITERE RICE
SheSpace is the exact type of forum that is in high demand these days. Can you tell us a bit more about how you came up with the idea to open? ST: Although there are scores of women organizations in Houston, there are few inspirational places that are large enough for them to gather outside of someone’s boardroom or back rooms of restaurants. This was frustrating and somewhat unbelievable. And an extension of that was exhaustion from what I call doing the coffee shop shuffle: looking for a clean, quiet coffee shop to have a small meeting, and then suffering through a 90-minute break with nowhere to go. And finally, contrary to popular myth, women work very well together. We encourage and problem solve and have an implicit understanding of each other’s worlds and common struggles. And as one member said, I like coming to work and being able to say what I am thinking, act myself without the underlying concern of being judged. This is a healthy and happy work environment that promotes productivity and job satisfaction.
The space features art from three local women and a custom mural. There’s also custom wallpaper throughout, making it an influencer’s dream backdrop. PHOTO BY MARITERE RICE
Now more than ever, a platform connecting creatives such as this one has piqued so much interest. What does SheSpace offer that other forums do not? We feel women are worthy of working in a place that devotes as much time and energy to creating a beautiful workspace as they spend on their personal endeavors. We love color and design and knew exactly what we wanted, but we also knew we needed talented design professionals to do the job. I should mention here that SheSpace was 100% funded, designed and executed by women.
PHOTO BY MARITERE RICE
“It is exciting to envision what a year of collaborations will bring.” –STEPHANIE TSURU
Can you expand on the different offerings you provide your clients? We have a lot going on inside our walls. Our mission is to provide women with what they need to be successful and to propel them closer to fulfilling professional and personal goals. This is why we looked at almost 40 locations before we found the right one. Convenience is paramount for women, so we moved out of traditional office areas into the Lower Heights District. We value women’s time.
What are some trends you’ve seen in terms of creative outlets, collaborative design, etc.? We see powerful collaboration within our walls all day, every day. Women running into each other while getting coffee, and you can see the wheels starting to turn. From a wider perspective, people are starved to be together; we need human contact. Isolation is unhealthy and leads to complacency and lower productivity. Energy is contagious. Another trend we see is the beautifying of workspaces. After working from home, women are no longer content with being surrounded by black and varying shades of gray. Some of the offices here are design dreams.
What are you most looking forward to in 2021? Every day the most amazing women walk through the door, and it is exciting to envision what a year of collaborations will bring. And then I’m looking forward to hugging, and some uneventfulness and predictability are welcome.
Photography by: Maritere Rice
