Belén Fleming, owner of Belu Photography, takes a meeting in the ModernWell conference room. Photos: Chris Emeott
When Minnetonka’s Julie Burton first envisioned ModernWell, her Minneapolis co-working space, she wanted to craft a sanctuary for professionals seeking connection and inspiration. “It’s a space where people can get out of their house or their office and carve out time for themselves to work on their business, or work on their novel, or meet people and explore possibilities,” Burton says.
The original Minneapolis space, which opened in 2018, is what Burton calls “woman-centered” (although it welcomes folks of all genders) and hosts everyone from freelance writers to C-suite executives. The concept was born of Burton’s own experience as an author, freelance journalist and public relations marketing executive and part of the fitness and wellness space—while trying to balance work and motherhood. “I yearned for a space to go that wasn’t just the library or a coffee shop—a space that I could sort of call my own,” she says. ModernWell Minneapolis hosts members in its serene co-working area, featuring individual desks, group meeting spaces and private offices, and has welcomed writing clubs, networking events and more.
Julie Burton of Minnetonka is a connector, bringing together people with various talents and interests.
Fast forward to late 2019, and ModernWell Minneapolis was thriving. Burton wanted to maintain the location’s capacity (“… so people weren’t having to hunt for a desk,” she says). And those members, many of whom live in the Lake Minnetonka area, started asking for another location closer to home. “I started looking,” she says. “I loved the energy in Wayzata. It’s a walkable little town; you can grab lunch or go for happy hour around work.” But just as she had a lease in hand, COVID-19 erupted, upending her plans. “My focus became just keeping the Minneapolis location alive,” she says. And she did.
ModernWell is finally getting its westward expansion—to a beautifully turned out space in Wayzata that opened in September. With 2,500 square feet, ModernWell Wayzata includes an open co-working area, plus six private offices, conference rooms and other flexible spaces, including a reservable phone booth and a recording booth. “We also offer our space as an after-hour and weekend community gathering space,” Burton says, so local groups can hold book talks, celebratory get-togethers, fundraisers, nonprofit meetings and more. “We really want to be part of the Wayzata community and have our membership be part of that too,” Burton says.
One local member who’s making use of the new Wayzata space is Belén Fleming, owner of Belu Photography. She’s been a member at the Minneapolis location since the beginning. “I live in Excelsior, so I’m especially excited to have a space that brings creative energy and community even closer to home,” Fleming says. “I use it for focused workdays, client meetings and meaningful community connection.”
As owner of Covey, a boutique marketing and event consulting firm, Dré Barthel works in one of the ModernWell’s private office suites.
And Dré Barthel, who lives in Maple Grove isn’t just bringing her own “desk” to ModernWell Wayzata—she’s bringing her whole staff. Her business, Covey, a boutique marketing and event consulting firm, rents one of the private office suites in the new space. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to build relationships in the co-working spaces too,” Barthel says. “My desire is to be a resource, a calm and bright presence … and to learn from the ModernWell family.”
Burton says she’s pleased to bring ModernWell “home” to the lake area after the uncertainty of the pandemic years—and excited to see where things might go. “I want to give people space to connect and create and work and evolve—and really to build their dreams,” she says.
Giving Well
ModernWell lives out its focus on community and philanthropy. The company offers need-based scholarships for its memberships and donates to various charities, including Twin Cities-based nonprofits and other causes that members bring to owner Julie Burton’s attention. “We also have specific charities we’ll donate to each quarter,” she says. “We want to keep bringing more structure to our charitable giving.” Last month, ModernWell Wayzata collected food donations for Pack Away Hunger, a program run by Temple Israel.
Designing Women
ModernWell Wayzata’s interior spaces were designed by Stephany Eaton, owner of PureAlchemy Design. “We wanted the space to feel like a breath of fresh air—intentionally calm, elevated and rooted in a strong sense of belonging,” Eaton says. She used soft patterns and a serene palette of blues and grays to set the tone. Warm wood and board-and-batten details nod subtly to Lake Minnetonka. The environment should “support both quiet focus and collaborative energy,” she says. “Ultimately, we were designing not just how the space would look but how it would feel to be there.”
PureAlchemy Design
Instagram: @purealchemy_design
ModernWell Wayzata
Instagram: @modernwellwayzata
