A first-of-its-kind women’s coworking space is in the works in Baton Rouge.  Abbey Kish, CEO of Kish Consulting, plans to open The Pathos Collective, a child-friendly women’s coworking space and membership-based community in early 2025.  The space will include communal work areas, dedicated desks, an event hall, a coffee shop, office space, creative studios for photography and videography, and in-house child care. Members will have access to grab-and-go meals, wellness workshops, training, snacks, events with industry experts, and business resources.  “Women need community support in a different way than men do, and there’s nothing built into the infrastructure of our city that provides that support,” Kish says. “Women are still opening up businesses at double the rate of men, but we don’t have access and resources to figure out how to scale and keep our companies alive.”  Kish aims to raise $200,000 and have 60 paying members to open The Pathos Collective. Still in the planning and development phase, she plans to compete in pitch competitions and is looking for local partners to contribute capital and in-kind services for the women’s hub.  The membership program has three tiers starting at $99 per month.  Kish has not yet signed a lease for a building but plans to open it in a central location in Baton Rouge. “We’re just taking one step after the next, creating this space and seeing who in the community flocks towards it,” Kish says. “So far, people have been flocking, so there’s been a lot of excitement. I know that it’s something that the community needs.”