What you need to know about Coven Girl Gang - networking for the Instagram generation | London Evening Standard

Millennial marketing: Coven Girl Gang is networking for the Instagram generationA new tech incubator is teaching Gen X women to market their brand, says Katie Strick The future is female: Sapphire Bates, pictured at Sketch, is the founder of the Coven Girl Gang, a tech incubator for 20-something women in business Adrian Lourie

It launched in June and already has more than 300 paid-up members, from freelance influencers to full-time accountants: fashion designer Claire Possamai and author and broadcaster Emma Gannon are among its high-flying following.

It’s networking for the Instagram generation: the Coven’s page is a collage of millennial pink, feminist power outfits and empowering quotes, but there’s practical appeal alongside the eye candy.

Become a member and you’ll get access to mentoring, live videos from industry experts, exclusive webinars on how to grow your business and an online directory of contacts around the world.

Membership starts at £10 a month and there are four tiers depending on how much you want to invest: the top tier costs £99 and includes 90 minutes of mentoring every four weeks plus all other member benefits such as event calendars and portal access.

The Progress 1000, in partnership with the global bank Citi, is the Evening Standard’s celebration of the people who make a difference to London life and will be announced on October 10. #Progress1000

Bates says 95 per cent of Coven activity is online, meaning it’s “open to everybody” whether you’re a working mother who can’t leave the house or someone who travels a lot for work —but there are some physical meet-ups too.

The last one was a laid-back networking evening at Devonshire Terrace in the City.

Bates wants the Coven to be a support network for womenAdrian Lourie

Bates calls it a “sisterhood” and says all self-identifying females are welcome — ages range from 18 to 60 and the group includes students, mothers and business owners.

“There are no rules. Everybody has something to teach everybody,” she insists. She thinks women needed a space to connect and that the Coven will be the “supportive network” she needed when setting up her floristry business and studio, The Flower Arranger, at the age of 22.

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“I had no business experience and there were many days when the only person I spoke to was my dog,” Bates recalls, saying she found comfort in other women she met who were doing similar things and building their careers. “The more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be amazing to have a space where these women could come together and support each other and help each other to grow.”

She thinks the Coven fills that gap — especially for time-poor Londoners. “In London, you’re surrounded by so many people doing so many incredible things but you can feel so alone, especially when you’re starting a business.”

She hopes her community will introduce women to people nearby who can help them grow, whether it’s developing a side-hustle or going freelance.

There’s an international aspect too. Current Coven members come from as far afield as Los Angeles and Amsterdam, so you’ll have a network wherever you go. Bates says it’s similar to online dating, “but hopefully a little less awkward”.

• The Progress 1000, in partnership with the global bank Citi, is the Evening Standard’s celebration of the people who make a difference to London life and will be announced on 10 October. #Progress1000