The Ruby is a community space and collective of women-identifying, transfeminine, and non-binary creatives located in the Mission District of San Francisco. It was founded in 2018 by author Rachel Khong. In addition to providing a space for artists and writers to work, it also hosts classes, workshops, community meals, public events, volunteer opportunities, and other cultural programming for members and the public.
The Ruby serves as a collective community project and co-working space, with the intention of a different atmosphere than co-working spaces that are tech-focused according to Khong. [1] Stevie Stacionis, a business owner in Oakland, described it as a "gritty, open-minded co-working space, where vulnerable conversations about race, politics, literature and motherhood take place over spritzes and noodles" after hosting a wine event at the Ruby. [2]
With a previous career that involved both food and the arts, Khong wanted to make "food and beverage programming a crucial element" in the Ruby. [3] Every other Friday, the Ruby invites local chefs from various culinary backgrounds to prepare meals for its members, spanning cuisine styles like Vietnamese, Mexican, Indonesian, Ethiopian, Malaysian, Native American, and more. For happy hours every other Friday, the Ruby also hosts makers specializing in a variety of drinks, particularly women-identifying and non-binary winemakers. [2]
Other programming includes various clubs, including a book club and a writing club, as well as occasional events by members and individuals from the broader San Francisco community. On-site, the Ruby has a rolodex where individuals can look each other up for networking purposes. [4] Online, the Ruby also provides an online rolodex for businesses owned by women-identifying and non-binary individuals. [2]
After graduating from the University of Florida's MFA program, Khong moved to San Francisco and worked at Lucky Peach, a food magazine co-created by David Chang. She then began writing her debut novel, Goodbye, Vitamin, which was later published in 2017, and started writing her second novel, Real Americans in December of 2016 after witnessing the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign. Shortly after, the Lucky Peach magazine shuttered. [3] From then on, Khong focused on her own writing, hopping from cafe to cafe to write, though she found herself unsatisfied by their lack of community. [5]
Khong then thought a lot about the nature of community in the city, which spurred her to establish the Ruby, intended as a collective space for women and non-binary people. She took inspiration from other co-working spaces in the city, specifically the Makeshift Society in Hayes Valley that closed in 2016. [5] After finding the space for the Ruby—a 3,800 square foot building—Khong amassed a network of 50 people who helped her design and furnish it. The Ruby officially opened in 2018. [1]
Over time, Khong acquired works of art by local members to continue decorating the Ruby space with. [5] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Khong hosted virtual programming like book clubs and movie clubs. To keep her lease, Khong briefly rented the Ruby space out to Something Labs, an organization focused on personal protective equipment. [6] In 2021, Khong retired from managing the space and moved to Los Angeles. [1]
Six months into its founding, the Ruby had over 130 members according to Bon Appétit. [2] Past and present Ruby members include Meng Jin, R. O. Kwon, Mimi Lok, Rita Bullwinkel, Esmé Weijun Wang, C. Pam Zhang, Cecilia Rabess, Gabriela Garcia, and Shruti Swamy. [1] [4] [7] Events have included Crystal Hana Kim and collaborations with Litquake. [8] [9] Writers in Residence at the Ruby have included Nicole Chung and Mimi Tempestt. [10] [11]
In 2020, Built In recommended the Ruby in an article listing five women's co-working spaces in San Francisco. [12]
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