The Community (the Hive)

We are more than a workspace. Our Hive community is built on the many relationships between our members within our accepting space. By design, coworkHERS is a space and community like no other.

Our founder, Heather, created this community for women to feel welcome, safe, and connected to others. Building upon that foundation, we welcome others who have not always felt welcome.

coworkHERS is a space to develop friendships as adults, support one another, and impact change within the larger Portland community.

Get to know your future coworkers:

Professionally, our members are:

  • Event Planners, Design & Officiants

  • Coaches & Consultants

  • Therapists

  • Writer (including best-selling novels)

  • Photographers

  • Content Developers/Creators

  • User Experience Designers

  • Lawyers

  • App Developers

  • Public Health Policy Professionals

  • Art Curation Specialists

  • Voting & Environmental Advocates

  • Data Analysts

  • and the list goes on…

Personally, our members are:

  • Parents & Partners

  • Leaders & Advocates

  • Cyclists

  • Runners & Hikers

  • Home Renovators & Designers

  • Foster Parents

  • Pet Parents

  • Artists & Crafters

  • Pole Dancers & Performers

  • Chefs & Foodies

  • Gardners

  • Meditators & Yogis

  • Bloggers

  • and the list goes on…

Just like you, our members are so much more than the labels shared here.

You belong at coworkHERS if you…

  • Identify as a woman, from a marginalized community, or you have felt at all uncomfortable or judged in any other workplace. 

  • Are looking for a professional home - you want to feel at home where you work (but don’t want it to be IN your home)

  • We also welcome allies of core membership if they want to support our members and be a positive addition to this community. 

How we connect

Many of our members are quite busy with work, so to foster community and connection we set up a number of member events and gatherings as well as clubs that happen monthly.

Fork and knife icon in black.
Dice, open book, scissors icon in black.
Two glasses clinking icon in black.
Clipboard with checklist icon in black.
Ticket icon in black.
Three people together icon in black.

So, about the Bees…

They are a theme: from our logo of Queen Bee to the names of our meeting spaces to the art in our space, we embrace the bees!

Our founder Heather views the bee metaphor as an extension of our female-focused workspace. Bees work together to meet a common goal, supporting one another in building a home and sustaining a community. This is at the foundation of who we are. Welcome to our collective hive. 🐝

Meet the Team

  • Heather Ashby in an orange sweater with hair down and red lipstick, background of dark grey and white.

    Heather Ashby

    FOUNDER & OWNER

    Heather is our fabulous founder. She created the space because she saw a need for herself and other women and people of marginalized communities. She is an incredible interior designer, space shaper and community builder. She is our Mama Bear - taking care of all of us, always. She finds so much joy in meeting members and supporting them in their needs, especially those that are needing community/friends in Portland.

  • Piper Anderson in a black shirt with hair up and gold accessories on our gold couch with pink furry throw in the background.

    Piper Anderson

    COMMUNITY MANAGER

    Piper is the go-to for all our members and all your needs. She is originally from the midwest but chose Maine and we’re so glad she found her way to us. She is welcoming, grounding and organized (which we all love)! She also helps out with fun community events and outreach/engagement opportunities. She is our welcoming committee, help desk, event ambassador and all-around staple in the space. She is here to help you with anything, anytime.

  • Kay Kerina in blue shirt wearing glasses and headband, with a background of a tall green plant, white railing, and dark grey stairs.

    Kay Kerina

    FUN & FOOD AMBASSADOR

    Kay embodies everything we love about coworkHERS. She is friendly, welcoming, kind, inspiring and just an all-around wonderful person. She helps out around the space when needed, but more importantly, she shares her love of food and fun with us. She has taken to hosting fun events for the members from Tea time to Waffle Wednesdays to Mac & Cheese Monday. We love how enthusiastic she is about the community.

  • Rev. Devin Green in a dark gold colored chair wearing a dark shirt and light green scarf, white walls and plant in the background.

    Rev. Devin Green

    BUSINESS & CULTURE CONSULTANT

    Devin (Rev Dev) has supported Heather from the beginning. She has been instrumental in helping us to establish and grown the business while fostering a community of inclusion and connection. She is our sounding board, perspective provider, business advisor, personal and business coach, mentor, idea generator, community builder and connector. As an interspiritual minister, intuitive coach and consultant, she also supports members individually and in our coaching groups.

What the Hive is saying:

  • Incredible! Words can't describe what great work this place is doing for Maine.

    Daisie Warner

  • Beautifully decorated and well thought out space. There is co-working, private offices, meeting rooms that can be reserved, large presentation spaces, and a great local community of women. I love the energy in this space!

    Jen Dean - Photograher

  • CoworkHERS is a great step forward toward empowering our society w/ a rational common sense approach toward managing our lives. I say yield the power to the woman for a change and let the garden grow!

    Lawrence Kelly, USAnswer Inc.

  • Beautiful and safe space for women. Would like to continue to see more women supporting other women in our business and professional endeavors.

    Deborah Brown, DEBPIX

  • Lovely shared workspace for HER. with very accessible downtown location.

    Deborah Jabine, Springborn Staffing

  • Beautiful space and friendly folks! I always feel comfortable walking in the door. Love spending time here!

    Rosa Noreen - Performer & Dance Instructor

  • Love how many community events happen there!!

    Kelly Wescott

  • coworkHERS eased the transition to telehealth during COVID by providing both a virtual address and sound-proof rooms for rent as needed. Excellent, well-equipped facility with strong WIFI signal!

    Jenna Daly, LCSW PMH-C

  • Heather is a great person with a great heart. She helps us a lot, and without coworkHERS our organization will not survive.

    Shonda Okonda - Open Door Church Ministry

  • I have a very good impression of you all. I like the building: it's safe, quiet, nice interior, so clean, convenient and centrally located.

    Okita Otolembo

  • Amazing, inclusive community and workspace in Portland! I have felt so much happier and more connected since I started here."

    Allie Andrews - Somatica® Certified Sex, Intimacy & Relationship Coach

  • coworkHERS offers a beautiful space with a lot of resources to help you on your entrepreneur journey. It provides an opportunity for networking and meaningful connections. "

    Heather Lakeman - Heather + Co.

  • Beautiful, well-appointed and conveniently located co-working space in Portland. I've rented there for a 1/2 day meeting and loved the facility, we will definitely be back. Highly recommend! "

    Shannon Kinney - Dream Local Digital

  • "Conveniently located, comfortable, safe co-working space for women"

    Laura Barnard - BREAKTHRU Brands

  • "Loved working out of coworkHERS while in Portland this summer. Great vibe and space"

    Lindsay Gaskins - BREAKTHRU Brand

  • A unique, innovative business and most critical for a community that has few co-working options"

    Paula Cohen - Knowledge for Impact

  • "Wonderful space and vibe!"

    Sarah MacLaughlin

  • Quiet, clean spacious co-working space."

    Patrick Mwaura - Boston Health Systems

  • "Entrepreneur, visionary, innovator, thought leader community builder and visionary. Heather Ashby IS “all that,” and much more. Brains, beauty and boldness…grateful to have Heather on any project or team."

    Mehuman Ernst - Mehuman Music

Connect with Us!

We love connecting with like-minded people. If you have any questions or want to connect, feel free to contact us. And, feel free to follow our journey on Instagram!

View fullsize We have so much to offer and we would love to show you the beautiful space and community we have created here. We are the most affordable coworking space in Portland, Maine and we have been voted “Best Coworking Space” of 2023!
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View fullsize At coworkHERS, we do more than just work together- we also have way too much fun!! Check out this puzzle completed by our members of the hive! 🧩🐝 What do you think??
View fullsize Our space is all decked out for the PALentine’s day season! 😍 Looking for more information on our upcoming PALentine’s Day event? Make sure to head over to the link in our bio! ✨
View fullsize Great financial seminar yesterday. We learned a lot about Mutual Funds, 401K’s vs. IRA’s, compounding interest and a whole lot more! Thank you Anastasia Lamarca with Primerica for sponsoring this and for all the great information. We look
View fullsize Joining our empowering coworking community isn't just about finding a workspace – it's about expanding your professional network! 🌐 82% of coworkers have experienced meaningful connections that elevate their careers. Ready to thrive in a su
View fullsize 🎉 Happy Friday from the coworkHERS team! 🎉 What better way to kick off the weekend than with a smile and some coworking spirit? Whether you're hustling hard or taking a moment to recharge, we hope your Friday is filled with productivity, positivi
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View fullsize Finish that sentence! It's amazing how what one little comment can do for your mindset and throw you off for the day. Someone innocently said something this morning, when I was in the middle of something, and it was all I could do to nod and smile
View fullsize Excited to share the link in our bio to the tickets for the 2024 Palentine's Day event. It's sure to be fun, sexy and yummy. Bring a pal, come solo, bring a friend or love...just get your tickets early!