*spoiler alert--there is a small CubeSpace update at the end of this post*

David and I have been somewhat incommunicado for the past month while we recovered from the emotional impact of closing CubeSpace.  Getting out of Portland for a while was key in our recovery process.  David and I owe a very heartfelt thanks to Stephanie Wagner [4] and her husband Andy for loaning us their house in Bend. We also owe tremendous thanks to our longtime friends Lynn [5] and Rosy for loaning us their condo on the coast.  Lastly, I owe many thanks to Jamie and Brian who invited me to join David (who was officiating) for their wedding on Mt. Rainier this past weekend. It was a perfect end to our much needed break.

Right now David and I are trying to home in on our next move.  This is harder than one might think because trying to align skills, interests, opportunities and needs is a delicate balancing act.  For me, there is the gap between what I love to do and what I can get paid to do. I am completely clear on what I would do if I were to suddenly become independently wealthy and could do whatever I wanted with my time. I would continue working to shape public policy on economic development and microbusinesses in Portland. I would also continue working to raise the visibility of Portland's open source, mobile & technology community's contribution to the local economy. 

Then there is the question of whether I remain a solo consultant (maximum flexibility, but no health insurance), join a consulting firm (less flexibility, but possible access to health insurance) or try to work from within local government (the least flexibility, but with access to health insurance). I find myself vacillating between these options several times daily.

David faces his own set of challenges, particularly around language.  David can very clearly articulate what he wants to do.  He wants to work with corporations who are wanting to create an internal values-based culture, from idea to implementation. Unfortunately for him, there exists no commonly understood job title nor professional category that conveys what he does.  He also wants to continue doing the individual leadership development and mentorship that he enjoys so much.

Many people have asked us to send them our resumes so they could help in our job searches. We are very appreciate of their offers and I have attached our resumes to this post.

Gratefully, our staff have landed on their feet.  Beth just got a job working for Reductive Labs [6], a company that develops open source sysadmin software.  They just moved their company here from Tennesee.  Emily is pleased to have more time to work on her Family Trunk Project [7], and will have her first trunk show at Windsor Button [8], in Boston, on August 29th. Robin has been keeping herself busy doing WordPress work (including a redesign of the CubeSpace site).  She is facing the perennial challenge of all freelancers in being too busy to market herself, but needing to get more work into the pipeline. She will happily accept new clients and you can reach her at robincatesby [at] gmail [dot] com.

At long last, the promised CubeSpace update:

We have not given up trying to resuscitate CubeSpace (at the moment it seems that we are only "mostly dead," so there is hope yet).  We have looked at a couple of spaces, but they have not worked out for a variety of reasons.  This morning I was given a lead on a potentially promising space.  We are not counting any chickens right now, but we are keeping a close eye on the eggs.

I promised our members that I would post a link [9] to the loving CubeSpace tribute video that Igal Koshevoy [10] and Reid Beels [11]made for our sponsor slot for Ignite Portland 6 [12].  Reid also made the CubeSpace sponsor video [13] for Ignite Portland 5. He did so despite us collectively ignoring his instructions and doing our best to stay off topic.

Friends,

It is with deep sadness that Eva and I announce that CubeSpace will be closing its doors on Friday, June 12, 2009. During the past two weeks of negotiations, we have very much appreciated the support from all of you. Yet when it came down to it, we realized that even though business has been up and the outpouring of support from the community has been so great, we do not have the resources to  keep CubeSpace open. 

For roughly three years, Eva and I have poured ourselves into CubeSpace. We have poured in all of our financial resources, and have never taken any salary. We have poured the vast majority of our energy into CubeSpace. We have poured most of our attention into CubeSpace. Now, we have no more to put in. We are tired and broke, and it is now time for us to move on.

We do not consider CubeSpace a failure. Rather, we succeeded in fostering a meaningful community that supports each other in hard times and celebrates together in good times. We feel privileged to have been a part of this community, and look forward to participating in other ways in the years to come.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help. Eva and I have been unable to answer, until now. What we need now are jobs. We have mountains of debt, no assets, and are facing the possibility of personal bankruptcy.

Another piece of help is not for us, but for the community. We know that the closing of CubeSpace will have a negative impact on the community. CubeSpace has served as a central meeting place. It has served as a clubhouse. It has been a default place to hold community events. We now need others in the community to step up and offer up meeting places. Eva and I will continue to contribute our time and energy to community events, but we will no longer be able to contribute the space. It may take some creative thinking, but I believe that as a community we will survive and continue to join together at events if other members of the corporate community will step up to offer space to host the many events CubeSpace has been hosting.

Finally, please be aware that Eva and I need your emotional support as we go through this tough period. As I said in the beginning, we are very tired, emotionally drained and sad. Please do not tell us what we might have done better. Trust us, we know far too well all the mistakes we’ve made. Now is not when we want to rehash them. We welcome your support, your friendship and your caring. We would love suggestions for our future. But right now, we aren’t in a good position to be second-guessing past decisions.

Thank you all so much for being a part of our lives these past years,
David and Eva

Who is CubeSpace for?
CubeSpace is for anyone who needs a place to work, a place to meet or both! People who use our space include programmers, writers of all stripes, people who work for nonprofits, investors, small business owners -- and more. We are a monthly meeting spot for many of Portland's local user groups and networking groups. We are a great place to host workshops, classes or client meetings. If you are starting a business, we can accommodate your up-and-coming venture with affordable, flexible office space. For those who prefer the freedom of working from home but miss the company that comes from working in an office, we provide an option that gives you the best of both worlds. The space can be used for long-term rental, or for short term rental -- as short as an hour! -- which makes it perfect for both the business traveler and the telecommuting local.

How does it work?
Using our office space is easy: just drop on by and get started. We have a large number of cubes, both with and without phones, and a smaller number of furnished private offices available. You can rent workspace by the hour, by the day or on a month-to-month basis. For those interested in renting office space monthly, we provide a number of different membership options [16], starting at $100/month. Monthly members receive discounts on everything from printing to meeting space rental. To get started, just come on by!

If you're looking for a space to meet, check out the variety of spaces [17] we offer. Then give us a call at 503-206-3500 or e-mail us at info@cubespacepdx.com to check for availability. Let us know how many people you're having, what day and time your event or meeting is taking place, and how you would like the room set up. If the space you want is available when you want it, you can reserve it with a deposit for half the projected total (which is refundable if you cancel 48 hours in advance).

History
CubeSpace is the brainchild of Eva Schweber [18], a nonprofit consultant, and David Kominsky [19], a rabbi who works with organizations, families and individuals in the Portland area. Originally inspired by a New York City writers-only workspace, and informed by a spate of locally-conducted market research, CubeSpace aims to foster a sense of community among Portland’s independent businesspeople, while simultaneously helping them to improve their productivity.

Values
CubeSpace values environmental and interpersonal sustainability. We are a Portland BlueWorks business and a member of the Sustainable Business Network of Portland. We express our core values by using environmentally friendly vendors and practices whenever possible, from the recycled-fiber carpeting throughout the facility, to the reusable mugs and utensils in the break room, to the green cleaning products made by our local janitorial service. Being a green business [20] means a lot to us, and we’d love for you to read our full statement about it.

Of course, environmental sustainability is only the beginning. Here at CubeSpace, we believe strongly that ensuring the ongoing well-being of our employees, [21] maintaining good relationships with our clients, and selecting partners [22] who help make the world a better place, are all part of being a positive force in the community. Check out our full values statement [23], or get a sense of the variety of members [24] who help create the CubeSpace community.