We’ve all spent the past several years putting our best foot forward, managing constant undulations, both personal and professional, all while facing forces – economic turbulence, ever-worsening climate change, and a resounding hope that things will settle, over time, into something that feels less tumultuous.
As the founder of The Hivery, Grace Kraaijvanger had to pivot the co-working space and inspiration lab she launched in in 2014 that welcomed thousands of women entrepreneurs, writers, and artists to downtown Mill Valley. Grace had started a first-of-its-kind female-fueled coworking space in the United States, bringing people from all over the Bay Area and beyond to her innovative and beautiful space. So, when the pandemic turned her in-person business upside down, Grace held steadfast to her mission to elevate the potential of women, even if it meant creating an entirely new offering.
“The pandemic was the worst thing that could happen to a business like ours (focused squarely on in-person connection), but I was determined to keep serving the women entrepreneurs, writers, artists and seekers that I built The Hivery for in the first place, even if it meant years of tenacious reinvention.”
Before the pandemic, The Hivery’s unique co-working model was dedicated to its mission of elevating the voices of women through space, mentorship, inclusive events, and gatherings, featuring acclaimed guests such as Dr. and First Lady Jill Biden, Diane von Furstenberg, Marie Forleo, Kelly Corrigan, Dr. Tererai Trent, Rosie Acosta, Chip Conley and Lynne Twist, among others. Grace expanded the business to San Francisco, opening a second location at the Fort Mason Center for the Arts just a few months before the pandemic closures.
Prior to the pandemic, and during what was hoped to be a short and temporary closure , The Hivery boasted more than 600 members and thousands of others who attended the Hivery’s regular personal and professional workshops and events. Driven by inclusion, the Hivery sought to help women, whether their current path was a career change, getting back in the workforce, launching a new business, writing books, monetizing their art, exploring a new field or something else entirely.
So what was drawing women to the Hivery in droves at that time? In short: Grace, the space and a sense of belonging.
Artist Amanda Reeves was invited to hang her work at the Hivery’s former Sausalito space, and did so again in the Hivery’s downtown location. Reeves said at the time that she loved the energy emanating from The Hivery so much that she moved her studio from Sausalito to another space at 38 Miller just to be closer to it.
“Grace’s energy, positivity and support is infectious and has set the tone for an amazingly creative work environment,” Reeves said at the time. “And the confidence boost that I get from being surrounded by Hivery energy is immeasurable.”
Grace Kraaijvanger at The Hivery in 2016. Photo by Jacquelyn Warner.
In the stress-laden years that followed amidst the pandemic closures, few did more in confronting those complex forces with the relentless resilience that Kraaijvanger has over the past four years. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent shelter in place order, the thriving support system for women became very much not business-as-usual for a business, given its reliance on in-person connection. In the early stages of the pandemic, possible outcomes were unclear. Kraaijvanger was among those aided by the Mill Valley Chamber’s COVID-19 Biz Fund, and she feverishly sought ways to innovate through the choppiness.
The Hivery closed its doors when the shutdown order was issued, and transitioned to a Virtual Membership + Online Community. The Hivery reopened for a time in June 2021, but later closed the physical space for good due to consequences of the pandemic.
But The Hivery remains alive and well, even after closing the brick-and-mortar spaces, still after all these years, fully committed to serving women creating their next chapters, unveiling new membership and mentorship offerings, creating pop-up coworking sessions at local businesses, and continuing her Incubator program for women entrepreneurs. She evolved her community and created The Hivery’s Momentum Lab (a mentorship, accountability, and community for women creating solo-based businesses).
In the years since, Kraaijvanger continues to blend innovation and resilience, engaging with all manner of complementary organizations to co-host events, including an Own Your Voice event at Assembly, hosting book talks and a fundraiser at Club Evexia in May 2023, a food and wellness fair in Sept. 2022, as well as a collaboration with Poet and/the Bench for a Summer Soulstice Soiree in June 2023. Grace also leveraged the incredible Assembly event’s page, highlighting many of Grace’s events and meetings in recent years.
In the past couple of years, Grace started a podcast dedicated to women creating their next chapters, The Art of What’s Next and launched a new membership, The Hivery Momentum Lab, dedicated to women growing their businesses, writing their books, and getting paid for their art. This hybrid membership provides masterclasses and guest experts online in combination with local meetups in-person. The tenacious pivoting worked, and Grace and The Hivery community continue to serve women who are creating their next chapters in new and impactful ways.