Coworking spaces are among the fastest-growing workplace solutions in Canada, offering options from single desks to small offices. But for Charlotte Kirby, founder and CEO of The Village Hive, coworking spaces are more than a place for your laptop. They are a place to find your community.
“The reason I opened is because I was missing that sense of belonging. The space at The Village Hive has helped build community for people who felt lonely working remotely or on their own businesses,” she says.
Like many entrepreneurs, Kirby’s inspiration to launch The Village Hive stemmed from her own experiences. Kirby was working from home as a physician recruitment consultant and working part-time in a toxic work environment, but says she started to feel lonely and unproductive when working from home.
A sold-out Toronto TEDx talk would soon change her trajectory.
“One year, I wasn't able to get a ticket, but then I heard that the Center for Social Innovation was doing a live stream of the event, so I went there. It’s one of the first coworking spaces in Toronto, and it triggered an idea in my head. I just thought, ‘Could I do this in Markham. Are there other people who feel lonely working from home and craving community,” Kirby says.
Kirby had a discussion with her husband and decided to leave her part-time job and pursue her dream of building a coworking space in Markham. As luck would have it, the perfect space had just become available.
“I had driven by this beautiful old schoolhouse in Markham Village quite often, and always wondered what was going on in there. Then a for lease sign went up,” she says.
The Village Hive opened in Markham Village in 2016 and quickly grew its membership and took over additional space in the building. Today, the Village Hive Markham has over 70 members, including 15 wellness practitioners who book space on demand for patient sessions.
“It allows them to grow their business without having the overhead of paying a monthly rent. That has helped many of these therapists build their rosters and move into a full-time office,” she says.
In addition to dedicated desks, office space, and day passes, The Village Hive also offers virtual mail memberships. These members can use The Village Hive as their mailing address and attend social events and lunch-and-learn sessions.
“We’ve got almost 50 of these members. It's great because I get to see them when they come in and pick up their mail. They may work from home, but they can still be involved with a community and meet other small business owners,” Kirby says.
The Village Hive’s expansion isn’t limited to Markham. Kirby was approached by a Toronto landlord who had heard of The Village Hive’s reputation and wanted to offer something similar. After a few conversations, Kirby was convinced that the model could be repeated. Today, you can find community building in action at The Village Hive locations in North York and at Yonge and Eglinton.
Kirby’s commitment to community extends beyond The Village Hive. She is a member of the Markham Board of Trade and FemCity Markham. You can often find her and her husband at Markham at the Movies, shopping on Main Street, or picking up beer from Rouge River Brewing Company.
As a community builder and connector, Kirby brings her passion for helping small businesses and entrepreneurs to every project. Recently, she helped with the launch of another new coworking space in Markham, The Curators Hub, and is working on additional new coworking projects.
“They came to me and said they knew about The Village Hive’s success and asked for help. We even partnered on their opening, where Mayor Scarpitti remarked that rather than being competitors, we collaborated. That’s what community is all about,” she says.
