He served as the commissioner of economic development under former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who ran for president in the 2004 Democratic primary and served as chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009.

"The side benefit of The Lightning Jar is promoting small business startup and development opportunities, because a lot of times relationship building generates those opportunities for folks," Dimitri Garder, interim director of the co-working space, who also is a technology entrepreneur, said. "If some members are looking to start a business, networking with other folks might be able to help them tap into other potential partners or just other resources in the community. So, The Lightning Jar is really about building up that entrepreneurial ecosystem in our area."

The name of the co-working space originated from one of Vermont's most successful entrepreneurs, Henry W. Putnam, who lived and worked in the building where VSECU shares its new branch space with The Lightning Jar in downtown Bennington. He received a patent in 1859 for a wire design that fastened a cork in place as a lid for mason jars and other bottles. At that time, they were called bottle stoppers or fasteners. For marketing purposes, Putnam called his fastener the Lightning fastener and successfully sold variations of it for jars.

Scott Trafton, who was one of the first to join The Lightning Jar, said the center has been inestimable in developing his startup.

"There is a whole lot more to running your company than I think anyone expects when you jump into it," Trafton said, who developed software solutions that improve the management of commercial pools. "Being able to have access to people at The Lightning Jar who have been there and done that before is pretty much invaluable."

Trafton is planning to tap a pretty big national market. Across the U.S., there are more than 400,000 commercial pools.

Commercial pools are typically shut down because the chemicals in the pool are out of balance and that violates health codes, he explained. His company, Pool Shark H20, is a cloud-based solution that accurately calculates and monitors the appropriate levels of pool chemicals to keep people safe.

Trafton said Dimitri and others at The Lightning Jar have helped him with marketing, business plans and how to prepare and deliver presentations to attract investors.

Bob Pinsonneault, founder of Vermont Wooden Blocks, said The Lightning Jar has been instrumental in helping him with general business development issues and to focus on the markets that can help his company grow locally. Before marketing his products nationally, he wants to secure his patents.

In his basement, the Vermont entrepreneur produces a variety of wooden blocks and packs them in educational toolkits for schoolchildren to assemble them into log cabins, chair sets, doll cribs, tables and stools.

But as Pinsonneault points out on his website, the things that can be built are as limitless as a child's imagination. What's more, kids can create structures for toys and creative play or encourage groups of children to solve more complex challenges of engineering furniture and forts.

"My daughter owns a day care center and asked me for more wooden block sets, then later she asked me if I ever thought about selling these blocks because everyone at the day care loves them," he said. "For someone like me who has never run a business, The Lightning Jar is something that is definitely needed – something like an iPhone. You don't know you need it until you have it."

Initially, Miller was uncertain about the need for a co-working space until he began looking for a new branch location in Bennington after the $4 million P.M.H Credit Union merged into VSECU two summers ago. VSECU, based in Montpelier, Vt., wanted to continue to serve the P.M.H's 1,210 members with a local branch.

Though he found the commercial/retail space where Putnam once lived, the only problem was that the location was a bit too big.

During the summer of 2014, Miller met Garder, founder of Bennington-based Global-Z International that provides companies with customized sales and marketing database solutions.

"Rob explained to me that they had extra square footage that they didn't need for the credit union's new branch, and he asked if I had any ideas," Garder said. "I knew from my other workings in Bennington's economic development projects that the area was interested in building a co-working space for some time, but they just couldn't find the right space and couldn't make the economics work with existing commercial space that was available. With VSECU reaching out for a community-based project, it seemed like the perfect fit."

Miller couldn't agree more.

"I think at our very first meeting, we essentially agreed to do this," Miller said. "My only caveat was it had to be community based. If the community didn't support it then we didn't see it as very worthwhile."

Indeed, the community supported the concept.

Bennington city leaders secured a state grant that paid for most of the co-working space set-up costs. The balance was paid by the credit union. VSECU also agreed to provide full access to the 980-square-foot space at no charge and allow members use of the branch's kitchenette, bathrooms and break room.

The co-working space includes 365/24 access to dedicated and non-dedicated workspaces, meeting rooms with video presentation capabilities, flat screens, WiFi, internet, faxing, printing and scanning services. Different membership plan levels also offer free admission to most social and professional events for networking opportunities. The Lightning Jar also sponsors various business development and educational seminars.

While members of the co-working space can access it through a door within the branch, that door is locked and secured when the branch closes at 5 p.m. After hours, members access The Lightning Jar through another door on the other side of the building. In addition, security card keys have different levels of access for branch staff and members of The Lightning Jar.

While it may take the co-working center another two or three years before it becomes financially sustainable, Miller said that is not the primary concern.

"Our measure of success is really based on the success of The Lightning Jar space, not necessarily on its ability to pay us back," he said. "When we make an investment that makes things happen for the benefit of our community and our members, then that will ultimately translate into business for us. After being in business for one year, I think The Lightning Jar is wildly successful. So far, so good. We'll see over time how it continues to develop."