Building a Community in a Space

In this episode, we sit down with Naj Austin, the founder of Ethel’s Club, to learn how she created a community for Black professionals after facing microaggression and racism in co-working spaces. Naj began her community just last year in January 2019, and after a month she already had journalists rolling in to write up posts and articles on Ethel’s Club. Naj had never experienced a space where people of color were empowered, thriving, and healing. So she set out to change this by hosting multiple events per week where people of color would gather and share creative ideas, provide wellness help, and engage in meaningful conversation. Ethel’s Club now hosts multiple events per day and has launched a virtual clubhouse with the onset of Covid-19. The question Naj continues to reflect on is: “are we still a place for everyone? If not, how do we change that?” Naj discussed how a community can remove all systemic racism, and how Ethel’s Club has been affected by the Black Lives Matter movement. Ethel’s Club is currently working on creating a social marketplace for people of color to explore, shop for products, communities, and experiences. Who is this episode for?: B2C, in person and online, Starting 3 key takeaways: -Naj affirms that an inclusive, diverse community must begin from Day 1 in order to completely remove any systemic racism. -Ethel’s Club has been ‘transformative’ for people of color who now feel like being a person of color is the norm, and they are fully empowered, celebrated, and centered. -Ethel’s Club’s core value is that their space is a space for everyone, and they continually reflect on this each day to ensure they live and represent this belief.