Seven years ago today, VIDA Coworking opened its doors in Portland with a clear mission: to build a community-focused coworking space where small business owners, entrepreneurs, and professional women could work, connect, and grow — without the impersonal, one-size-fits-all feel of national chains like Regus or WeWork.
How VIDA Coworking Got Its Start
VIDA’s founder, Melanie Marconi, first envisioned the space in one clear picture: a Portland coworking community built specifically around the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs, where members would be centered, celebrated, and treated fairly. Eighteen months of planning, fundraising, and hard work later, that vision became a physical space — and VIDA Coworking held its grand opening, at its NE Portland location, to an enthusiastic business community.
Weathering the Pandemic
By early 2019, VIDA was approaching break-even and beginning to plan for sustainable growth. Then the pandemic hit — setting the company back to square one and requiring two years of rebuilding. That period also sparked a renewed vision for how VIDA could best serve its members going forward.
Growing the VIDA Community: VIDA Virtual and a Third Location
That renewed vision has translated into real growth. In August of 2023, VIDA opened its SW location, in Beaverton at the Valley Plaza building on Beaverton Hillsdale Highway. And then in January of 2026, VIDA launched VIDA Virtual, an online facilitated coworking membership community designed for women solopreneurs who want structure, accountability, and connection — no matter where they’re working from. A third physical location is set to open this fall, expanding VIDA’s footprint beyond its current Beaverton and NE Portland spaces.
A Community-Driven Model
What sets VIDA apart isn’t just the physical (or virtual) space — it’s the community. VIDA Coworking has grown through the support of members, lenders, landlords, investors, and the dedicated #TeamVIDA staff who bring the day-to-day experience to life for members across both locations. That network — combined with the love of coworking and our core values — has helped VIDA grow from a single idea into a multi-location, multi-format business.
What’s Next for VIDA
As VIDA celebrates seven years of serving its members in Portland and Beaverton, we are committed as ever to building flexible, community-centered workspaces for founders and small businesses, remote workers, solopreneurs, and nonprofit organizations.
We know you have options when it comes to where you work — from home, from a coffee shop, from a traditional office. But what makes VIDA different, in Portland, in Beaverton, and online, is that we’re intentional about the community we build around the work. Seven years in, that community is stronger than ever, and we’re just getting started!
Whether you’re a founder in Beaverton, a solopreneur in Northeast Portland, or a remote professional connecting through VIDA Virtual, there’s a seat for you here — today, and for another seven years (at least!).
Interested in learning more about coworking membership options at VIDA? Explore our locations and membership plans →
Happy summer and we hope to see you in soon!
VIDA Coworking is Portland’s premier shared workspace, with locations in NE Portland, Beaverton and online at VIDA Virtual.