Today I had the opportunity to participate in the Readers and Writers Conference at ModernWell, the Twin Cities’ first women’s coworking space. The afternoon featured three keynote speakers, two breakout sessions with multiple craft and motivational panels, and lots of mingling with wine and appetizers in the building’s fresh and open gathering areas. It was the first all-women conference I’ve attended and there was definitely something different in the air, an attitude of support and strength and the underlying celebration that those two things are not mutually exclusive, that in fact they feed each other. The spirit was captured best when one of the authors lifted up her five-month-old daughter, proclaiming her the youngest member of ModernWell, and everyone cheered.
ModernWell opened this month and offers professional women different levels of membership based on their business needs. There are community work spaces, private offices, conference facilities and even a yoga studio, on top of all the regular amenities you would expect from an office. According to Julie Burton, founder of ModernWell, their members include everyone from writers, editors, and lawyers to entrepreneurs and figure-it-outers. The space is absolutely gorgeous and even Lorna Landvik, one of the conference’s keynote speakers, mentioned she would be moving her office into the bathroom at ModernWell. I only wish this fabulous facility was closer to my house. As it is, I was lucky to be part of today’s event, which gave me a wonderful energy boost as I dive into revisions for the next book. You’ll hear more about that soon…
