The Wing was founded by a female-focused social club in 2016. Its brand of bubblegum pink and bite-sized feminism were a novelty for women all over the globe when it was launched in 2016. It had famous members, exclusive networking events, and A-List slumber parties and promised to bring together change makers who embodied the start-up’s mission: to be a warm, welcoming utopia for real women—all women—who redefined what it means to be powerful.
The idyllic feminist oasis became a problem in 2020 when the company was accused of creating an environment where Black women and other women from color were mistreated. New York Times. Jennifer Cho, the Wing’s newly appointed CEO, will now be leading the next chapter.
“I think the conversation around inclusivity is all about continuing to learn,” says Cho, who was brought in as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer in 2021. “I make sure I am intentionally asking questions with people that I’m meeting that are different than me. You need to be intentional about that curiosity and continue to learn, and I thought I could do that with the team here at the Wing.”
The Wing’s co-working spaces—six currently in operation—are known for their feminist hero-titled conference booths, color-coded books, and pressed green juice. These amenities were revolutionary when The Wing opened its doors to the public. However, the concept of work has fundamentally changed since then. Cho’s vision is to not only empower a women-led workforce but also to redefine what it means for an office to be in a post-COVID environment.
“What inspired me when I first walked into Wing space was the feeling that it was possible to walk in and be my best productive self,” she says. Glamour. “I was finding a spot to sit, looking around, and thinking, ‘Hey, I can Actually have a relationship or some type of connection with everyone that I see in this space.’ I was craving that social connection and working somewhere that wasn’t my guest room. I was longing to share a cup of coffee with someone else than my husband and my dog.
While the future of a formal “return to office” in lieu of Zoom meetings in dresses over sweatpants (something Cho jokingly admits is still her WFH uniform) is still up in the air, the idea of pushing a female-led company forward has long been a driving point for women imagining a better world.
Below, Jennifer Cho of Doing the Work talks to us about her career as an intern with Eminem, growing up as a child of Korean immigrants, as well as her experiences.
I have one piece of advice to share
As I grow older, I am reminded of all the lessons my parents taught me about advocating for myself and raising the bar. As I age, I become more grateful. I’m an immigrant from the Philippines and I was the first person to go to college here. To me authenticity is about how comfortable you are with the decisions you make. Are you happy with the decisions you make? I owe a lot of that to my upbringing. My dad used to tell me that I was not the smartest fish in the pond. Once you feel comfortable, you can go to a new pond. Keep learning. I believe that this is one of the pillars of my entire career.
Navigating the different career paths
One thing that I see as a constant theme is that women just figure it out. We are problem solvers at our core. If there is a task to be done, we use the knowledge we have, regardless of whether it has been learned or traditional, and then we use the tools available to us to find the right solution.
The thing of which I am most proud during my time at The Wing
I am so proud of the education that we have done about what spaces can do and how they can support members and guests. This is especially important in this post-pandemic era where the future of work has changed. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a workspace, meeting someone at a professional event, or learning about crypto elsewhere than at a high-price NFT conference attended by a bunch of men. I’m also really proud of the culture we’ve built internally—everything from establishing our culture code, in addition to our house rules, and making sure that we’re enforcing those not only in our spaces but also internally as a corporate team.
Growing up and choosing a career as an immigrant spouse
My family had only two options: to be a doctor or a lawyer. I chose a magnet high school program that focused on medical sciences. Instead of knowing what I wanted to do, it was important that I get the best education possible. After four years of advanced biology and science classes, which included 700 hours of volunteering at different hospitals, I realized that medicine was not what I wanted to do. I went to medical sciences. My parents were supportive at that stage of my journey, and they said, “Okay, that’s cool, but now that you’re going to college, now you’re going to be a lawyer, because that’s really the only other option. So now you’ve decided your fate.” I was a political theory major, which was the broadest form of law, and my career started because I got an internship my junior year of college at Columbia, where I was interning for an entertainment law firm. I was again trying to figure out how I can make my legal internship enjoyable and still meet the requirements of a legal internship. It was a legal entertainment agency that managed Eminem, a rapper who was just starting to emerge. The Marshall Mathers album was then destroyed.
How I overcame adversity in male-dominated fields at an early age
It’s interesting to see, in hindsight. How winning was against a most visible competitor. This is exactly what battle Rap is. If you think about the time period in music history and living in New York City in the ‘90s, it influenced so much in our culture. Being in that space allowed me to see the most extreme versions of misogyny as an Asian woman who certainly wasn’t seen a leader within that space. Every experience was about having to prove myself for nearly a decade. I was always saying, “Hey, I’m a young woman, but look at the business that I’m bringing to the table to distribute your projects and make sure you won’t get sued. Without me, you can’t be you.” I had to fight tooth and nail to carve out the justification for my role and payment. It was a great way to prepare for the business world. It’s still not a great number of female executives in today’s music industry.
My drink of choice
All day coffee. Because I love the taste of coffee, I will brew my own nitro cold brew if I go to a cafe. My husband grinds and brews his coffee at home to recreate that experience. I am obsessed with the canned Starbucks Nitro Coldbrew. I feel like I want a tap in every room of my house. I usually go through at least two a day, and I do try to switch to tea in the afternoon—hibiscus, to be exact. All winter, I eat everything iced.
What I wish people knew more about female CEOs
Our society expects perfection. Every step must make sense and be part of a master plan. What’s missing is that this way of thinking doesn’t allow people to make mistakes or explore their ideas, which is just as important for some career wins. When I look at leaders, the decisions they made and the judgments you see in court of public opinion I try to take a step back to understand how they got there and try to show some grace.
What music do you listen to to get motivated
I do have a lovely playlist that I use when I need to boost my self-esteem to fight for myself or get into a meeting. It contains all the best beef records, including those from 50 Cent, G-Unit, and The Game. I grew up in New York, so it’s Biggie Smalls all day—I have all of his albums with a sprinkle of Tupac Shakur. I have a little of The Chronic AlbumA little West Coast sprinkle, however, I am East Coast all day.
My favorite event at The Wing
These night markets have been tested and we are now taking them on the road. Night markets are huge in Seoul, as I’m Korean-American. There are huge districts that open at midnight and remain open until six in morning. It includes everything from K-pop concerts to food vendors to retail sales. We held a New York night market that we promoted for two consecutive days. 350 people registered. To complete AAPI Heritage Month, Asian vendors were featured this month. Pride next month will see us redefining the definition of a nightmarket and being inclusive to all founders and business owners within our network.
Consistent elements of my work-from home routine
Vuori sweatpants are my favorite. They have the softest joggers. They have the softest joggers. I have worn them underneath a dress. My husband calls it his mullet. It’s been a great way to be able take some time out in the morning to do readings I love, and then work out at the gym.
How do I relax after a long day?
I’ve actually branded my treat myself time as “sluff” time. I am allowed to wear comfortable clothes, enjoy a drink of my choice, whether it is alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and watch so many K-Dramas. I’m referring to the originals with dramatic music and animated sparkles. The more dramatic the love triangular, trapezoid, and octagon, then the better. Itaewon Class is a great place to start if you’re new to K-Dramas. This is a modern Korean rom-com with some edgy content. I watch it like, “Wow, I can’t believe they did that. They’re kissing on the first date.”
Source: Glamour
