FOUNDER & OWNER

JENNIFER THOEMKE

Jennifer Thoemke is founder and CEO of Connects Workspace and Managing Member of Cafe 13. She is a Colorado native with over 25 years of leadership experience ranging from non-profit, small business and Corporate America. In June 2015, she opened Connects Workspace, a 3000 square foot coworking space in Golden, Colorado and has since expanded to 15,000 square foot of coworking space and over 200 members. Connects Workspace has been a staple in the business community of Golden and won 2019 Business of the Year for the Golden Chamber of Commerce. In June 2018, Jen purchased Cafe 13, neighbor to Connects Workspace. Through this opportunity she has been able to bring the love of creating community to Golden as a whole.

Spending twelve years in the mortgage industry before opening Connects Workspace established Jennifer as a strong, passionate, energetic leader who loves a challenge and seeks creative solutions to help others succeed.  Ending her mortgage career as the Vice President of Secondary Marketing, Jennifer carried Pinnacle Mortgage Group from single loan sales to building a 500 million dollar mortgage portfolio, creating an income stream that placed Pinnacle in a position for a Fortune 500 Company to purchase the portfolio and company.   

Volunteerism is a priority of Jennifer’s: she is on the board of Neighborhood Rehab Project, a part of the leadership team of Hillside Community Church, a member of Women Presidents’ Organization and President of Golden Women in Business. 

Jennifer’s biggest passion is her growing family, which includes Dan, her husband of 28 years, four adult children and two grandchildren. On the weekend you will most likely find her throwing a party or inviting family and friends to hang out.

COO

KATE HUBBARD

Kate’s passionate about bringing people together and building communities through both coworking & food. After several years in corporate engineering, she realized her love of creative problem-solving and creating new experiences was meant for local business. Kate grew up in the Rockies, moved around the country, and knew she was home once she discovered Golden and wandered into Connects. Outside Connects, she’s fixing up a 120-year-old Clear Creek miner’s cabin with her partner, Kirk; hiking with their dog, Scout; or hanging out on the patio at any of Golden’s amazing local breweries.

COMMUNITY SPECIALIST

AMANDA MCCARTHY

Amanda is a proud New Englander who has just recently arrived in Golden. She chose her new home based on one simple thought - where does her soul feel most alive? So here she is. Her life looks a lot like: loving on all of my houseplants, indulging in mountains of ice cream, and diving into deep conversations about horses’ facial expressions. 

COMMUNITY MANAGER

JUDY MAXWELL

Judy Maxwell has worked for Coors Brewing Company, Abbott Laboratories and Ricoh.  Her background is in Organization Development with a focus on Leadership & Team Development, Process Improvement, and Customer Satisfaction.  Judy designs experiential learning workshops. The workshops allow participants to walk through processes and develop steps that will support in bringing about positive changes in their lives.

CMO

COURTNEY WAINWRIGHT

Courtney Wainwright grew up in Golden and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins and graduated with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Business Administration in December 2017. Courtney has been with Connects since March 2018 and enjoys the connections she makes on a daily basis.  When Courtney is not at Connects, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her son, and their two Golden Retrievers.