Retail space at Cary mall becomes coworking hub for women entrepreneurs

For 11 years, Lisa Archer, a single mom, grew her "Pickle Pie Designs" quilting business from her own home.

She wanted to be there for her kids, but there were drawbacks.

"It's isolating working from home," Archer said. "Collaborating with others and just having somebody to talk to at the coffee machine has been really nice."

At Vibe, Archer and other women can do their own work alongside one other.

"Not only do you share space, but you share ideas," said Vibe co-founder Leah Campbell. "You're collaborating, you're networking.

Campbell and Nanette Mattox, Vibe's other co-founder, offer different levels of membership. Some women only need Vibe about eight hours a week and work in a communal space. Others, like Archer, have their own office.

Sarah Rafiee, a former IT worker, is now fulltime artist. Rafiee said she didn't just need a large studio space -- she also craved support.

"What a wonderful idea this is -- that we can all get together in one place and share what we know," Rafiee said.

Vibe members make it a priority to share their expertise in a wide range of fields -- and the founders say you can feel the energy.

"This is where coworking really becomes valuable," Campbell said.

"It feels so great to have women coming together and connecting and finding a place to work," Mattox added.