One Year After Its Mill Valley Comeback, The Hivery Thrives as a Women-Fueled Hub for Community, Creativity, and Growth!
The Hivery Celebrates it’s one year anniversary comeback in their beautifully reimagined Miller Avenue space. The Hivery has reemerged as a vibrant women-fueled community hub, hosting author events, workshops, coworking, mentorship programs, and creative gatherings that draw women from across Marin and the greater Bay Area. One year after reopening its new home, The Hivery is celebrating a milestone that marks the resurgence of one of the Bay Area’s most enduring hubs for women-fueled creativity, connection, and professional growth.
Founded in 2014 by Grace Kraaijvanger, The Hivery has supported more than 8,000 women through events, mentorship programs, workshops, and gatherings. After pandemic-forced closures and a period of reinvention, The Hivery reopened in early 2025 in a thoughtfully reimagined space in Mill Valley. One year into this new chapter, the community is thriving.
“This space is our comeback kid and a testament to the resilience of women-owned business. We fought for years to bring this concept back into a brick-and-mortar offering, and it took tenacity and courage to make that happen. We did this because of our belief in the impact of women supporting women and spaces that celebrate women’s brilliance,” says Grace Kraaijvanger, Founder of The Hivery.
The light-filled space includes open coworking and inspiration areas, private nooks, dedicated event space, and a sunlit backyard lounge. Built largely with upcycled and curated materials, the design reflects The Hivery’s commitment to sustainability and intentional beauty.
Over the past twelve months, The Hivery has welcomed hundreds of women from across Marin, San Francisco, and the greater Bay Area for weekly community lunch and discussion gatherings, creativity sessions, professional development workshops, restorative retreats, mentorship circles, networking events, co-working, and its signature 12-week Incubator Program.
A sampling of this year’s gatherings reflects the depth and diversity of The Hivery’s programming. Highlights included a screening of Between the Mountain and the Sky by Maggie Doyne, an intimate evening focused on resilience and global maternal health, and a sold-out conversation with Shannon Watts centered on grassroots leadership and civic engagement, as well as a workshop taught by best-selling author Elise Loehnen. The space also welcomed bestselling author Kate Schatz for a pre-launch evening celebrating her forthcoming novel Where the Girls Were, featuring a mother-daughter conversation, audience Q&A, and time for connection. A full calendar of upcoming events can be found at https://www.thehivery.com/events.
“The Hivery is so much more than coworking,” says Kraaijvanger. “It is a place to gather with intention. In that gathering, women find the support, inspiration, and clarity to move their ideas forward.”
The impact of this first year can be seen in the projects members are bringing to life and celebrating together, often marked by the ringing of The Hivery’s Victory Bell, a ritual that honors milestones both large and small.
Writer and filmmaker Amber Allen-Peirson completed The Unrooted Bloom, a lyrical book and companion film exploring identity, belonging, and resilience. The work has drawn praise within literary circles, with one Bay Area poet-critic calling it “one of the most fearless collections of poems I have ever seen dance.”
“Through the Incubator Program and the encouragement of The Hivery community, I gained the clarity and confidence to finish both the book and the film,” says Allen-Peirson. “The Hivery expanded what I believed was possible.”
Artist and poet Rachel Hébert completed The Book of Thanks: A Catalogue of Gratitudes, featuring 108 artworks and 52 poems. The book received national recognition, including a feature review in The Marginalian. Hébert credits The Hivery’s mentorship and accountability structure with helping bring the project to completion.
When Kraaijvanger initially launched The Hivery in 2014, it quickly became one of the first women-centered coworking and community spaces in the United States. At its height, the Mill Valley and San Francisco locations hosted more than 600 members and welcomed guests including Dr. Jill Biden, Diane von Furstenberg, Marie Forleo, Kelly Corrigan, Lynne Twist, Maggie Doyne, Shannon Watts, and Elise Loehnen.
During the years of transition, Kraaijvanger expanded the organization through virtual programming, hybrid offerings, The Momentum Lab, and her podcast The Art of What’s Next. Her leadership earned her the 2024 Spirit of Marin Award for resilience and community impact.
“Our mission has not changed,” says Kraaijvanger. “We exist to help women create their next chapters of meaningful work. This first year back in our new home confirms how powerful this community truly is.”