Born from the realisation that there is a persisting gender gap in entrepreneurship, One Roof is creating spaces for women to start and excel in their businesses.
Recently, One Roof raised $1 million in capital to set up their next flagship premises in Melbourne.
CEO Sheree Rubinstein oversaw the process, which closed on 1 February 2019 and came from five family offices – all of which are led by prominent female investors.
They have also received significant corporate in-kind and financial support from Central Equity, Optus and MYOB.
“Raising capital by yourself is a challenging process, especially as this is the first time I’ve done it,” Rubinstein said. “However, I knew who I wanted to invest in One Roof, and I was strategic with choosing the right kind of investors to help me take my dream forward, the ones who care about One Roof’s mission and values as much as I do. And I did find them. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with all the investors.”
“I also really love that the majority of our investors are women — it’s hard to find female investors out there. It’s amazing that we have so many women willing to back our business and movement”.
One Roof began as a pop up co-working space in an Airbnb mansion in St Kilda in 2016. When 400 people came through the doors in the first week, it was immediately clear there was a desire for a female focused co-working space.
Now, 85 businesses are working under its roof and it boasts the most female start-ups in Australia. By June, One Roof aims to have its new premises in Melbourne secured.
Carol Schwartz is one of the new investors.
“Trawalla Foundation is really excited about our investment in One Roof,” Schwartz said.
“Not only has Sheree Rubinstein proven the concept by having run One Roof successfully over a period of time, the organisation’s mission of supporting women as entrepreneurs and investors is perfectly aligned with the values and objectives of the Trawalla Foundation.”
There is more to come from One Roof, as they look to expand across Australia in the near future, hoping to incorporate exciting features into their co-working spaces for women. Onsite childcare, cafes, wellness spaces, photography and podcasting studios and business lounges are all on the agenda.
They are also building an online business portal available to members, which will include business support so that members from anywhere around Australia and even globally can tap into One Roof’s extensive business support.