The Greeneville ‘Woman with the Space’ has plans to open a coworking hub
Katherine Hackler wanted a space where people could come together, collaborate, and create — a place that doesn’t exist yet in Greene County.
When people think of economic and community growth, Greene County, Tennessee, might not be the first place that comes to mind. But downtown Greeneville is buzzing with new energy.
In 2024, the town experienced a surge in population growth, new neighborhoods, and a renewed focus on revitalizing its downtown. That’s where Katherine Hackler enters the story.
Hackler has spent the past several years cultivating Hackler Hall, a multi-use event space on Summer Street. Now, she’s turning her attention to a new kind of venture for her hometown: a coworking space.
Currently, the nearest coworking options are nearly 45 minutes away in Jefferson City or Johnson City. Hackler believes bringing one to Greeneville could be transformative for local entrepreneurs, remote workers, and small business owners.
It’s this vision that earned her the nickname around town: the “Woman with the Space.”
“I see so much opportunity here and so much benefit for my community,” Hackler said.
Born and raised in Greeneville, Hackler left to study at Middle Tennessee State University and later worked full-time in Memphis. But she always knew she’d return. Greene County had a special place in her heart.
When the opportunity came to work remotely, she jumped at it.
“I missed my family, and I missed my community. There’s something special about this place,” she said.
Still, Hackler quickly realized Greeneville lacked resources for remote workers and creatives.
“I got tired of working from home. I wanted to see people and be in a collaborative environment,” she said. “But there aren’t a lot of places to work around here. No place to print or host meetings. Greeneville was missing something.”
That realization sparked a series of projects. First, she purchased a home near downtown and turned it into an Airbnb. Then she transformed a vacant building on Summer Street into Hackler Hall to host weddings, birthday parties, fundraisers, and civic events. It became very successful, even leading her to be awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” at the Northeast Tennessee Pinnacle Business Awards in June 2025.
But the idea for coworking stayed with her. Hackler began drawing up blueprints to reimagine part of Hackler Hall as a coworking hub, complete with private offices, hot desks, and collaborative meeting spaces. The front of the building would remain an event venue, while the back would serve as the town’s first coworking center.
That vision gained momentum when Hackler Hall was awarded more than $250,000 through the Entrepreneurial Placemakers Grant in July, administered by SyncSpace and the Northeast Tennessee Regional Hub.
“The grant won’t cover everything, but it will cover a lot of the renovations that need to be done to make it functional,” Hackler said. “Then, we can continue to build on the base over time.”
For her, it’s about more than just building a space—it’s about changing the way Greeneville thinks about opportunity.
Hackler hopes the coworking center will encourage more people to see entrepreneurship as a viable career path and breathe new life into downtown.
“We’re starting with one, and I hope it’s so successful that I can build two more coworking spaces,” she said.
Construction could begin in the coming months, with a formal launch planned for spring 2026.
Learn more about Hackler Hall.
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