We're building the room we wish we'd had.
HerSpace Café began with a simple observation: women are starting businesses in record numbers, yet so many are doing it alone — at kitchen tables, in noisy coffee shops, or in offices never designed with them in mind. We're changing that, one warm, well-lit, welcoming space at a time.
A café and a co-working space — because women need both.
"Hospitality taught me that a room is never just a room. Get the welcome right, and people do their best work in it."Uzma Akram, Founder
Across Canada there are more than 1.2 million women entrepreneurs and over 2.7 million self-employed professionals, and the number working remotely or in hybrid roles keeps climbing. Ontario is at the heart of that shift. Yet most co-working spaces are designed for large corporate teams, and most cafés aren't set up for a full day of real work.
HerSpace Café sits in the gap between the two. It's a proper café — good coffee, warm room, friendly welcome — and a proper workspace, with fast Wi-Fi, quiet zones, meeting rooms, and memberships that flex around your life instead of locking you into a lease. Most of all, it's a community built specifically for women: a place to work, meet clients, learn, and find the people who understand the road you're on.
We're a new Ontario company, incorporated in 2026 and now forming in Cambridge. This site is your early invitation — join the founding list and help shape the space from day one.
Empower women to thrive — in business and beyond.
Our mission
To give women entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers a safe and supportive environment to work, connect and grow — and, through flexible workspaces and community-driven events, to help them thrive in their business ventures and professional journeys.
Our vision
To be the leading women-focused co-working space in Ontario, fostering a dynamic community where women in business can collaborate, innovate and succeed — with room to grow across the province and beyond.
Six values shaping every corner of HerSpace.
Empowerment
Practical support for women building businesses — the space, tools and confidence to grow on their own terms.
Community
Networking nights, workshops and mentorship that turn a solo venture into a well-connected one.
Flexibility
Daily, weekly and monthly options that flex with your workload — no long-term lease, no wasted spend.
Inclusivity
A welcoming environment where every member feels valued, respected and genuinely at home.
Wellbeing
A calm, relaxed atmosphere that protects mental wellbeing and makes work-life balance feel possible.
Sustainability
Local sourcing and efficient, responsible operations — good for the community and the bottom line.
Uzma Akram
Founder & Managing Director
- MSc International Project Management — York St John University
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
- 3+ years in restaurant & hospitality management
Operations, hospitality, and a genuine care for people.
Uzma Akram is the founder and driving force behind HerSpace Café. She holds a master's degree in International Project Management from York St John University and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and she brings more than three years of hands-on restaurant and hospitality management to the venture — including running her own dining establishment as founder and proprietor.
Her career spans day-to-day operations, staff leadership and training, financial management, and event coordination, along with earlier experience administering a busy healthcare clinic. It's a background built for a business that has to be equal parts warm café and well-run workspace.
Proudly local, in the heart of Waterloo Region.
HerSpace Café is registered at 73 Water Street North in Cambridge, Ontario — steps from the Grand River and the city's historic downtown. It's a community full of makers, freelancers and small-business owners, and a natural home for a space built around collaboration.
We plan to source coffee, baked goods and ingredients from local suppliers wherever we can, so a visit to HerSpace supports the wider Cambridge and Waterloo Region economy — and we're building toward serving members across Kitchener–Waterloo and beyond.
Help shape HerSpace from day one.
Founding members get first access, launch perks and a real voice in the space we build. Add your name to the list — we'd love to have you in the room.
Join the founding list