There’s a magical new place in Northeast Portland. It’s a place where entrepreneurs can gather for productivity, socializing, and learning with (get this) on-site drop-in childcare for kids 3-12! This place makes the dream of starting a business or restarting a career after children a reality. It’s called VIDA Coworking, and it’s situated in the old Jantzen Beach Swimwear compound on NE 19th Avenue in Portland. Full of thriving plants, cozy seating, and smart people, VIDA is just the sort of place I’ve been looking for. Not only does it have many beautiful spaces to work and meet with clients, but the on-site childcare offering a seasonal curriculum is just the thing I need to fill in childcare gaps when my youngest daughter turns three. Members can also access childcare for their clients, making impromptu meetings far more feasible.
I’ve been “starting a business” for several years now, but I quickly learned the popular vision of working with clients or writing books while my children play happily at my feet is a pipe dream. Businesses are not unlike small children in their ceaseless demands and urgent needs, so trying to juggle my new ventures and two children has been challenging to say the least. Being a mom and an entrepreneur can be lonely, but VIDA’s coworking space creates a sense of place and community that gets members’ creative fires burning.
The coworking space layout is planned with every client need in mind. There is a cozy lactation room tucked just beside VIDA Play, the children’s playroom. Other amenities offered include three boardrooms, free Wi-Fi, a lending library, fitness classes, and complimentary coffee and health tonics.
With membership options starting at $125 a month and childcare for $12 an hour, VIDA’s coworking membership is competitively priced and costs just a bit more than a few visits to a coffee shop! Plus, you can schedule appointments for on-site Thai massage, business consulting, and even mental health counseling. Personal care services like a blowout bar and facials are in the works. The idea is that you can go to VIDA to work and care for your body, mind, and spirit and then go home to live the rest of your life.
Codirectors Melanie Marconi and Greer Kern love to foster what they call, “VIDA Magic:” moments where members find just the help they need from other members. This magic may take the form of help with website coding, an extra set of eyes on a blog post, or a play date with another member’s kids who are the same age as yours. I was there for a Member Mixer where member after member talked over a delicious spread of charcuterie and cheese about how VIDA was a game changer for their work-life balance. I was inspired by just being around all the passionate, driven people who have chosen VIDA as their work-home away from home.
You never know what shape the VIDA Magic will take, and those are the moments that make VIDA such a special coworking place. Schedule a free tour to see VIDA Magic for yourself, and keep an eye out for hosted Portland Moms Blog events at VIDA later this fall!
