Photo: (l-r) Anita Garrett and Jessica Boyd, creators of CLUTCH Cowork.

October is National Women's Small Business Month, and two local businesswomen are celebrating with the announcement of a unique opportunity for women in the Midlands. Created by 20-year business veteran Anita Garrett and startup creative entrepreneur Jessica Boyd, CLUTCH Cowork is a two-day pop-up collaborative workspace for women entrepreneurs, freelancers, and side-hustlers to promote innovation, support personal development, and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit. The pop-up will be open November 19th and 20th, 2018, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily at 701 Whaley, Columbia, S.C. 29201. Registration (ranging from $15-100) opens October 15 at http://www.CLUTCHCowork.com.

“With South Carolina ranking fourth in the nation for women-owned businesses, it only made sense that a space like this exist here in the Capital City,” says Boyd, a brand strategist and designer who became an “accidental entrepreneur” after losing her job in 2014. “Between national examples like The Wing and Hera Hub and other emerging local resources like the Women’s Business Center of South Carolina at Columbia College, CLUTCH joins the conversation as an exploration of how collaborative workspaces can support women in business.”

From daily guided meditation and a fresh juice bar to on-site website reviews and lunchtime business coaching, the two-day pop-up is jam-packed with perks and activities to supercharge both business and personal growth for women across the Midlands. Designed with the wealth and well-being of women entrepreneurs in mind, the pop-up will also advance the concepts of coopetition and true collaboration.

“It’s no secret that women – especially women entrepreneurs – can find themselves last on their own list of priorities,” says Garrett, a 20-year business veteran, philanthropist, and management consultant. “Our goal is that every aspect of the pop-up experience will promote an enduring culture of women working well.“

Professional working women are also excited about the unique opportunity the pop-up collaborative space offers local employers. “As someone who works in a traditional office setting, I look forward to a change of scenery that encourages out-of-the box thinking and a place to meet like-minded women in business.” says Ashleigh Wilson, a local attorney.

Serial entrepreneur and community leader Barbara Rackes adds, “Columbia needs a space for women entrepreneurs that says, ‘You are welcome. You are needed.’ The CLUTCH Cowork pop-up gives an exciting taste of what that looks like.”