“I was so surprised and thrilled to receive this grant and it could not have come at a better time. The last 18 months have been very long, this grant gave me a boost,” said grant recipient Lauren Brewer, the founder of Union Worx, a coworking space in Downtown Arlington, “We all need a boost from time to time, and I love when women can do that for each other. The Women’s Alliance is such a great group of leaders and businesswomen in our community. It’s great to see women recognizing women, that kind of thing helps us ALL be empowered.”
Brewer’s small business journey began when she decided it was time for a career change. Coworking had become a movement that was sweeping the nation and DFW. The thought of bringing people together so they can achieve more and work better resonated with Brewer. As she researched national coworking spaces and visited local hotspots, she began to build the foundations for what would become Union Worx. She wanted to put in an up-and-coming, cool place, and Downtown Arlington fit that bill. Engaging with the SBA and the Fort Worth B.A.C. for mentors and guidance, Brewer wrote a business plan, talked to lawyers, bankers, landlords, and made the two-year journey to opening the doors. But that’s when the real work started. Building the community that is Union Worx, telling the story of how working in a place designed to do your best work can take you to the next level and working with our amazing members.
Union Worx is a dedicated space for coworking and collaborating. We’ve built a community where ideas can grow and thrive. Our private offices, open workspace, and meeting rooms are comfortable, energizing, and designed to inspire your best work. Our easy memberships range from drop-in day passes that get you a seat in our open space to power through your inbox to a turnkey office space where we handle everything from the desk to the chair, coffee, snacks, super-fast internet, and meeting rooms. Union Worx is designed to let you focus on the work that matters. We can customize a membership for any need. We are building a community of entrepreneurs and doers that want to leave their mark, and we are a launchpad for success.
Woman-Owned Small Business Grant Process
For the inaugural year of the Women-Owned Small Business Grant powered by the Greater Arlington Chamber Women’s Alliance, Chamber members were asked to nominate woman-owned small businesses in our community. The criteria for nominations stipulated that the woman-owned start-up must be in the greater Arlington community (including Dalworthington Gardens & Pantego), a for-profit business and in operation for three (3) years or less. Each nominee, meeting the requirements, was asked to participate in the application process, where each application was scored against a rubric to have an understanding of how their business helps support the Chamber’s and Women’s Alliance mission. Five finalists were selected to interview in front of a live panel to decide this year’s recipient.