“We can have this rhetoric of overthrowing oppressive systems, but we have to balance that with the work of overthrowing the oppressive system operating internally that actually keeps us enslaved.”

—Lama Rod Owens

I helped found a coworking space, Mercury Studio, in 2012. In 2017 we merged with The Makery at Mercury Studio to form The Mothership. We devoted over eight years to developing a membership-based business, offered work space for individuals and small businesses, retail space for makers and curators, and event space for both our members and the larger Durham community.

The Mothership was shifting work culture by cultivating a working community that sought to meet a foundational but all too often undervalued need: to be more human in our work life. I helped develop The Mothership because I believe that community spaces, shared resources and supportive relationships make our work more sustainable and pleasurable. My work there focused on making space for community connections that encouraged self discovery.

Through our unique and heart-centered community, we provided access for people who might not have otherwise found what they need for their work in other settings. At our closing in 2020, we left behind a community of over 420 folks woven throughout the fabric of Durham who continue to embody our mission in their own work and lives as individuals, as small business owners, as remote workers and employees, as creatives, artist, and makers.