Collective Agency Division

TLDR: CA is a coworking space in Portland on the Eastside focused on individuals as opposed to small businesses. Try it out for the day and see if it's a good fit. I hope to meet you and I hope it changes your worklife as much as it did mine. I'm so happy I tried out CA Division coworking space in Portland for a day. I've been a remote worker for years, and being solitary all the time had started to wear on me. I worked strictly from home for a long time, but it was hard to wake up and start working 10 feet from where I slept. It's even harder to know when I was done working since the location is the same. Sometimes I wouldn't leave the house for days in a row. I started working remotely from a coffeeshop 1 day a week, then 3, then 5, then 2 coffeeshops per day. I'm grateful for having the flexibility of remote working at the coffeeshops, but eventually it became clear that I needed something more. It's challenging to focus on my work for long periods when I'm worried about outlets, coffee refills, leaving my laptop to use the bathroom, etc. I checked out some other coworking spaces in Portland, but they seemed more focused on the small businesses, and not on the individuals like me. Then I did a one day trial at the shared workspace Collective Agency Division and it finally had the vibe I was hoping for. I could hang out for 8 hours without the awkwardness of the coffeeshop and just focus on my work. I was more productive because I could use multiple monitor setup that's provided along with the raised platform for the laptop and plugging in a keyboard that's provided. The desks are a great height, the chairs are ergonomic, and the temperature is very well controlled. My favorite part of CA is the community. It's so cool to have coworkers again. There are optional events are really fun: sometimes we have lunch together, sometimes a short stroll, and sometimes a happy hour. By far my favorite is when we share ideas. I've had people help me learn how to manage my software versions, teach me about new to me programming languages, how to use Slack effectively, etc. I've also had the honor of helping others organize their thoughts on storytelling, how to start with machine learning, and how the App stores work. Overall, it's just fascinating to see how a community of people working in different industries, and companies, and technologies can work together in a shared workspace and be more productive because of it.

I joined Collective Agency Division back in August to combat the social isolation of working from home. As a freelancer,  I have seen many benefits from joining, such as increased productivity and work-life separation. I’ve both worked at the offices, which are well-equipped for safe co-working, and enjoyed co-working remotely with other members through activities like remote Pomodoro Technique sessions. Collective Agency is highly responsive to members’ needs and really does create a cozy community. Many fun and safe, optional social activities, such as remote game nights and physically distanced outdoor picnics.

I've been a member at Collective since October 2014. It's been one of the most positive experiences of my time in Portland. The office has the essentials like good desks, lighting, WiFI, printers, etc. But it also has spaces for making private calls and having meetings which is a huge plus. The best surprise about working here has been getting to meet other remote workers and enjoying some social events like lunch and happy hours. It's like all the great parts of having coworkers without any of the bad stuff.

I LOVE working at Collective Agency. The concept and practice of a democratic work-space has brought together a community of folks who are looking for more than a desk to work at. They're looking for a welcoming community, where they can get serious work done, but also share a lunch break and conversation. Group activities like bike to lunch, game night / happy hour, book club, and afternoon strolls for ice cream are what I was really looking for in my co-working environment, and make me appreciate being a part of this community. But I also appreciate not feeling pressured to join group events when I have a lot of work to get done. I worked at the Division office for a year before switching to the Montavilla office closer to my house, but still visit sometimes, especially for group events. It is a great location--above Imperial Bottle Shop, Stella Taco and Bollywood Theater. There are some great local food and service discounts set up with local businesses. The office space has fast internet, plenty of monitors, a cozy couch area, great phone booths, and much more! Plus the building has showers, indoor bike parking, and a couple other seating areas if you want to mix up your work-space for an hour or two. A great location right next to the Clinton bike path, very centrally located for SE Portland. Highly recommended!!

I've been working here since April 2018, and I really like it. As someone who's worked at and tried out many coworking spaces both in Portland WeWork Custom House, etc., Collective Agency is my fave. "Cozy" is the perfect way to describe it -- the size of the space feels just right. People are friendly, and the suite is quiet, so it's easy to work. There are social events and activities about once a week, like happy hours, biking to lunches, and more. I especially like that I have access to two phone booths and a conference room for meetings at Division. Having access to both the Collective Agency Division and Downtown locations is a plus for me as well.

I've been renting a desk here since March 2016 and I love it. The membership benefits are great, the space is beautiful, the location is convenient, but most of all the community is awesome. Folks regularly have lunch together down at the food carts RIP Tid Bit, or grab some frozen yogurt downstairs. The opportunities for socialization, happy hours, or even karaoke nights, make this Collective Agency stand out from other co-working spaces.

I'm a member for almost a year. My productivity quadrupled when I started coming here. Best feature for me is 24/7 access - I often work evenings / weekends, so this helps a lot. Also nice to have: Free conference room, free locker, free tea, free printing, free everything : Best investment so far and I write it off my taxes, so it's actually very affordable.

Been working here since 2015 and absolutely love it! The members are friendly but not disruptive, Alex the owner is a great guy who is very passionate about democracy and community. The endless supply of amazing coffee is also a huge plus or me! Come check it out!

Collective Agency is the best! I have been working here for the past 3 months, and I love it. The people here form a wonderful community, and both the Division and Downtown locations are great places to work.

Very friendly, but people also let you work when you need to. Owner is very helpful and cares a lot about the group. Democratic. Two great locations.