Coworking in Rhode Island is Here to Stay

A group meeting at the Westwey Club in downtown Providence. Photography courtesy of Westwey club.

Coworking spaces have been popping up across the state, offering small and startup businesses and remote workers the opportunity to share resources and offices. Being part of a community has been so popular, in fact, especially during the pandemic years when professional networking disappeared, that these types of shared spaces have become infinitely more valuable. 

As demand continues, the Hive in North Kingstown is looking back while gearing up for the future. Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, it was one of the first coworking spaces in the state and has been the nucleus of the Mill at Lafayette ever since.

The Hive offers comfortable work spaces and opportunities for people to come together to network and share ideas in a more
casual manner. Photography courtesy of the Hive and David Andrew Photography.

Co-founder and director Tuni Schartner has helped redevelop the space into what she calls a community-based economy, where people work alone but together, spurring business growth and professional connections. Now at nearly 100 percent occupancy, it hosts more than 100 businesses, from massage therapists and chiropractors to scientists and engineers, software developers and event planners. Not a traditional incubator or coworking space, the Hive is a place of action where people come together, much like a beehive, with private workspaces mixed with casual collaborative settings and networking opportunities.

“We filled up because people were working from home, and their homes weren’t necessarily conducive to it. This space made sense financially to bring in revenue, and to fulfill the needs of the community, which is what we’ve really been trying to do. I call this a living organism that I support, and it grows naturally,” she says. “We are tapped into that innovation economy in a different way.” thehiveri.com

Photography courtesy of the Hive and David Andrew Photography.

Other Rhode Island Coworking Spaces

CIC Providence 

At the heart of the Innovation and Design District, CIC’s Providence location, at 225 Dyer St., is designed to nurture collaboration and creativity. cic.com/providence

Innovate Newport

More than 10,000 square feet of dedicated office space in a redeveloped school has become a brain trust of innovation amid shared workspaces. innovatenewport.org

The Rail, Pawtucket 

A collaborative coworking space, the Rail offers members access to its professional partnerships to help startups get going. therailpawtucket.com

Social Enterprise Greenhouse, Providence 

An ideator, incubator and accelerator, SEG provides the networks and resources to help entrepreneurs and small businesses make an impact. segreenhouse.org

Spire Space, Middletown 

Spire Space offers shared work areas and resources, like Wi-Fi and coffee, as well as a mentor member that guides new businesses from startup to success. spirespace.co

Sprout CoWorking, Providence 

Private and shared office spaces in Providence’s Rising Sun Mills, as well as event spaces, meeting rooms and gallery nights are all part of Sprout’s expanding mission. sproutcoworking.com

Westwey Club, Providence 

Located at the intersection of Westminster and Weybosset in downtown Providence, Westwey Club is also at the center of innovation and partnerships in the regional business ecosystem. westweyclub.com