Natalie Batlle, CEO of Juno House: "We are a springboard for female talent”

There has always been an aura of mystery about private clubs: what goes on behind their closed doors, what is talked about, who belongs to the club? First came the famous gentlemen's clubs. It was in London at the end of the 17th century that the English elite - aristocrats, the enlightened, bankers and businessmen - met in exclusive surroundings. Spaces that were “only suitable for gentlemen". It would be almost two centuries - 1868, to be precise - before the first professional women's club opened its doors. The city, New York, and the name, Sorosis. It was founded by two journalists, Fanny Fern and Jane Cunningham Croly. Both felt the need to create such a place after Fern was thrown out of a dinner in honour of Charles Dickens. It was a brilliant idea that spread like wildfire across the country and, of course, to Europe with the creation of thousands of 'women's only' clubs.

A networking club for women. "Collaboration to face the competition"

Unfortunately, as time went on, these women's clubs became less and less popular... Until today. Exactly one year ago, in 2022, Natalie Batlle and her partner, Liana Knight, founded Juno House, the first women's club in Barcelona. Born in Chicago to a Catalan father, the businesswoman wanted to bring to Barcelona the entrepreneurial and cosmopolitan spirit of other big cities such as London and New York. Thus, was born this "safe space", as she calls it, created by and for women. Much more than a club, much more than a workspace. A "meeting place for the development and well-being of today's women. Here we promote female networking, a sisterhood and cooperation rather than competition," says its ideologist. A way to dispel the false myths of competitiveness or rivalry between women.

A creative hub for networking, but also the creation of business opportunities.

Its members are women of all ages and professions. "One of the things I like most is seeing how our Juno women help each other, regardless of age. The older ones help the younger ones and vice versa. This has created new synergies and businesses," she explains. A female-led start-up platform in an atmosphere that fosters personal and professional connections and relationships. "We are a springboard for female talent but also a safe space where you feel welcome," Natalie remarks.

Its headquarters are in an unbeatable location, in the Sant Gervasi district, the city's commercial centre par excellence. An eighteenth-century industrial building, known as La Farinera d'Aribau, with a surface area of more than one thousand four hundred square metres. After its renovation, the result was nothing less than "a space where women have been the protagonists from the very beginning". A place where everything has been thought out and designed with them in mind: from the colours to the decorations to the lighting itself," says the founder with pride. As soon as you walk through the door, you enter La Nave, an open space full of details that invites you to "co-create and benefit from professional development" whether it’s for individual work or meetings and events. Meanwhile, in the annexe, La Farinera awaits you. It has various areas designed to promote the leisure and lifestyle of its members. Glow Studio, with a boutique studio for barre, Pilates, yoga or meditation; Little Juno, with activities and games for the little ones; or the Clubhouse, where you can enjoy cocktails, tastings or dinners with friends. And finally, the Beauty Bar, a space dedicated to personal care with restorative baths, dressing tables, beauty treatments... And, of course, the place where we met Natalie for this interview.

Get to know all there is to know about Juno House and Natalie Batlle, its founder.

A "low profile" make-up

For that day where the aim is a natural and flattering make-up.

Cocktails with girlfriends