Every month PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice catches up with a Peloton member. This month Ben Taylor is covering for her, interviewing Katherine Soverel, Executive Director of the Maine Veterinary Medical Association.
Tell me about your background.
I’m originally a Mainer, growing up on a farm in Acton. I went to college in New York City. I stayed there after school, working in the non-profit sector and as a consultant. While I was in school, I studied abroad in China. I worked to learn the language, and after a few years in New York, I quit my job and moved to Hangzhou, China.
I continued to study the language at a university there, but when my teacher left to join a startup, I left with her and worked there as well. The company was trying to create a Hollywood-themed amusement park in the city. So, I worked as a liaison for Western clients as we tried to get a major motion picture studio to come on board.
When I got married to someone who was also from Maine, we decided to move back to be closer to family, and Portland was a nice compromise between the bigger cities we’ve lived in and the rural parts of Maine we grew up in.
What does the Maine Veterinary Medical Association do?
We are a professional organization for vets, representing their interests at the state level. We also put on meetings and provide professional development and support.
What is your role?
I am the Executive Director, but also the only employee, so my job ranges from dealing with upper-level issues like opioid abuse, to publishing newsletters, to providing my own tech support when my computer breaks down. I’ve really enjoyed learning about lobbying and other aspects that I hadn’t encountered in my previous jobs.
What other things are you involved in?
I’ve started to work with the Maine chapter of the Brain Injury Association of Maine on legislative advocacy, to see how the state might better support people with brain injuries. My husband has suffered a brain injury, so the issue is really close to my heart.
How has Peloton been helpful?
I’ve really loved it. The part of my job that is the hardest for me is working by myself, and I don’t always have the discipline to work from home. Working at Peloton has allowed me to keep the flexibility of working from home but there’s still an office to go to, and it’s been great to make the connections with other members. It’s also nice to 
have a printer I don’t have to fix myself if it’s not working.
PelotonLabs
A coworking space in the West End of Portland, Peloton’s mission to connect and encourage people who are stepping out of traditional modes employment so they can improve their lives and contribute to the world around them. Learn more at www.pelotonlabsportland.com.
