Kim Lee is the Founder and CEO of Forge.

She never dreamed of owning her own business. Kim studied hard in school and got her Master of Arts in Counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary. Her goal was to work with troubled teens. But life didn’t quite turn out that way. Because of her husband’s schooling, Kim needed to find a job quickly after she finished her program.

When she couldn’t find a job right away, Kim took a position focused on business development and operations in a residential window washing and commercial cleaning company. It was there that she discovered her love of business—especially business as a service.

The priority was serving customers with excellence and treating each other with love and respect. This position deepened her understanding of the intrinsic benefits of treating all businesses, regardless of the industry, as hospitality and service businesses.

When Kim’s husband finished his schooling, they moved back to Birmingham. Their youngest entered her final year of preschool and that led Kim to work. This is when she first became aware of the coworking industry. The more Kim learned about it, the more certain she grew that this was a business she could succeed in. Hospitality, serving business owners, creating community, and supporting new and growing businesses are all areas that Kim is passionate about.

When Kim is not at Forge, you can most likely find her at some sport’s field cheering on her kids!

Grace Lockett is a Birmingham, AL native and the Community Manager at Forge.

She is responsible for front and back house operations and management of Forge. Grace got her undergrad at Ole Miss with a degree in Hospitality Management and a minor in Business. Grace loves meeting new people, building connections and learning about all the different things that people are passionate about.

Kelsey Sizemore is the Marketing Manager at Forge.

Kelsey is from Birmingham and graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Public Relations. She loves listening to podcasts and audiobooks, eating Asian food and hanging out with her husband, two sons and mini dachshund.

Russell Briley is the Operations and Sales Manager at Forge.

Russell graduated spring 2024 from Samford University with his BBA in Business Management. Russell loves connecting with people, being in nature, participating in any form of competition, and he loves all different kinds of food and drink. When Russell is not at Forge, you’ll often find him enjoying quality time with friends, whether sharing a meal, playing golf, disc golf, pickleball, or catching any sports game on TV.