Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 7 , 2 0 2 6 14 S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P F O C U S Organizations include Maine Boys to Men are members, as is DraftKings, Maine Votes/Maine Voices, Maine Conservation Voters and a host of other profes- sionals of all genders: lawyers, writers, engineers, an insurance agent, a matchmaker, IT/tech specialists, therapists, marketers, consultants, artists and a fitness instructor who hosts clients in the gym. e membership mix plays out at all the coworking spaces we surveyed. In Bath, Union + Co. members include creatives as well as people who work for large corporations and in finance, bioscience, insurance and education. "ere's no typical member," Ireland says. Peer support Private offices are the most in demand at all facilities, but many members choose to work in collaborative spaces and often help each other to grow their businesses. Tess Dunlap, a florist who leases space at coworkHERS, has expanded her work, thanks to another member who plans weddings. Dunlap has a private studio in Yarmouth for the physical floral work, and chose to lease at coworkHERS to support the administrative side of her business — client consultations, proposals and marketing. "I've met a wonderful group of women entre- preneurs here," she says. "We meet once a month in our support group. We bring our current chal- lenges to the group and help each other network and grow as entrepreneurs." Dunlap also benefited from the support in getting a second business of the ground, special- ized in color analysis. "e entrepreneurs' support group has been instrumental in my confidence, launching this second business," she says. "ey've given me a lov- ing kick in the butt to go for it." Union + Co. hosts an informal group, called Wind Tunnel, of small business owners who meet monthly to share experiences and news. Raynor Large, director of business advising at Coastal Maine Enterprises, joins in as a resource. e Centre Street building is also available for events and can accommodate up to 200 guests, though Ireland finds the 20-to-60 range to be ideal for meaningful conversations and interactions. "We see ourselves as a vertically integrated space that can help you with all of your workspace needs," he says. "Here in Maine, most of us are entrepre- neurs and startups in some capacity." An entrepreneur for others Patrick Roche has been an entrepreneur him- self, developing coworking spaces in Maine since 2010. He opened three locations — in Portland, Yarmouth and Biddeford — and has since sold all but the Portland spot. It's located at 533 Congress St. in the city's Arts District. at location was one of the first in the state and is now one of the larger facilities at 9,000 square feet, and with close to 150 members. Over the years, ink Tank Coworking Portland served as a launch site for a number of now established businesses, including boutique law firm Opticliff Law and Defendify, a cybersecurity firm. "It's a bit of a sanctuary here," Roche says. "e lights are always on and it's a clean and creative work environment. Many of us are more produc- tive in context. I see members coming in evenings to work on a hobby or passion projects; gaming, meeting with colleagues and friends before dinner, screenwriting meetups, you name it. "We even have board games and allow parents to bring their kids and dogs, as a lifestyle buffer," he con- tinues. "For me, coworking is a necessary third space, not to mention a great way to activate a downtown that is woefully absent a traditional office culture." Roche was also involved with initiating leg- islation in Maine to support coworking spaces, collaborating with then-state Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland. e law took effect in 2015, and Roche received a $10,000 matching grant within a year to offset his expenses. Pandemic shift Having an office outside of the home became espe- cially important during the pandemic, when remote work was challenging for people with children or with partners or roommates also working from home. "We joke that ink Tank has been saving mar- riages since 2010," Roche quips. e need for safe office space during the pan- demic jump started a significant expansion at coworkHERS, where Ashby says she quickly filled her then-empty third floor. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 1 0 Think Tank Coworking, at 533 Congress St. in Portland, offers a variety of spaces for members, including group meeting rooms and private offices. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY At coworkHERS, members choose from dedicated desks, collaborative spaces, conference rooms and private offices, or meet with clients in the mini gym or masseuse rooms. There are treadmill desks, soundproof phone booths and a room for nursing mothers. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY

• Cover