Business Lounge Dallas and its services for minority entrepreneurs

Business Lounge Dallas is focusing its energy on one-to-one business growth for minority entrepreneurs

Coworking is on the rise, but to Dallas entrepreneur Ro Simmons, there’s a huge gap in the industry.

Simmons noticed that throughout the country, there was rarely any spaces founded by women of color. So she decided to do something about it—opening what she says is, historically, the “only female black-owned coworking establishment in Texas.”

Located in Addison, Business Lounge Dallas (BLD) aims to be a hub for North Texas-based entrepreneurs of color. Since launching last year, Simmons has hosted over 1,500 people in the 900-square-foot space, assisted more than 100 clients with business ideas and launches, and formed national partnerships (like TEDx).

“I started the Business Lounge because I wanted to equip the entrepreneurial community—especially black and brown entrepreneurs—with the resources needed to do business in an elegant and uplifting atmosphere,” Simmons says. “And, make it relatable to them as I am a woman of color.”

Simmons isn’t alone in her feat—around 56 black-owned coworking spaces have opened in urban communities over the past decade, according to Vice, each focused on promoting inclusive innovation. But, that’s compared to the more than 4,000 spaces that exist in the U.S. And Simmons runs one of the very few establishments of its kind in Texas.

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