Arriving in the Maven district, the writing’s already on the wall that this isn’t your typical neighbourhood. Splashed across a 15ft-high mural, like a feminist manifesto writ large against a hot pink background, are the immortal words: “Maven: trailblazer misfit. Those who dare to be first and stand alone”. On the side of a nearby building is yet more vibrant street art, this time a painting of a group of women lifting each other up. I’ve officially arrived at Maven, Utah’s first sister-hood where 85 per cent of the businesses are female-owned.
Starting life in 2010 as a solo pilates studio, the past few years have seen this pioneering district blossom into a buzzy network of around 100 women-owned companies. Much of the action is condensed into a single block at 9th and 9th near downtown Salt Lake City, but a quick glimpse around reveals that Maven is a rapidly expanding tribe, with building work almost complete on a second complex just across the road.
