Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 S E P T E M B E R 7 , 2 0 2 6 F O C U S S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P "e space was formerly occupied by the Maine attorney general's office, so it already had a perfect floor plan," she recalls. "We just swapped out the old wooden doors with glass doors, and the cubicle walls became glass walls so we could let in light, see each other and feel less isolated, but not breathe the same air. "Twenty-two offices filled up in two weeks," she notes. "So we did the same thing to the vacant fourth floor, adding 33 more offices, more meeting rooms and amenities." Growing segment As coworking gains momentum in Maine, the spaces are drawing a broader mix of users beyond entrepreneurs and remote workers, including new- comers looking to make connections and visitors seeking a place to work for a few hours. "Quite often, people who just moved to Portland join to meet people," Ashby says. Along similar lines, Roche says that "even tour- ists in town for a few days find us for work sessions and day passes." T i n a F i s c h e r , M a i n e b i z s t a f f w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t t f i s c h e r @ m a i n e b i z . b i z A Smart start for new businesses. Switch today at maine.bank Smart Business Checking No monthly maintenance service charge PLUS no transaction fees up to 500 items per statement cycle: now that's Smart. For me, coworking is a necessary third space. — Patrick Roche Think Tank Coworking Portland P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Patrick Roche, owner of Think Tank Coworking, opened his first location in Portland in 2010, and later created two more spaces for entrepreneurs and small business owners, in Yarmouth and Biddeford.

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