Team Upswept Loves Local Businesses
If you follow us on social media, then you probably already know that we love partnering with and supporting other local businesses. We feel so grateful to work in this diverse community of Portland creatives, and we hold a deeply-rooted belief that if the service or the product doesn’t already exist, we can create it! Like so many Portlanders, we place a lot of value on supporting businesses with local roots, who aren’t afraid to try something that hasn’t been done before.
Just like residential neighbors, the members of our creative neighborhood tend to face similar problems — whether it’s sourcing a sustainable material at a workable price point, or increasing studio rent — and we find that everyone feels stronger when we can face those problems together. We may not all be collaborating on every project, but keeping active in a network of other designers, artists, and entrepreneurs helps nurture those neighborly ties. And the knowledge-sharing is pretty great, too. When someone that you trust does the research to find a new printer, for example, and shares that knowledge, business gets better for everyone.
Partnering with and shopping at local business is also important to the local community, because money invested here stays here. There’s no better way to know for sure that the person who made your clothes is earning a living wage in a safe work environment than to ask her, which you can do when you shop local. It’s pretty neat.
Co-working Community Hubs
Whether you are a hobbyist or own a business, want to learn new skills or tools, or just need somewhere to get your work done, we are rich workspace resources. Here are a few of them:
The Perlene | A membership-based Social Club and Workspace for a diverse and ambitious community of women. The Perlene offers both dedicated desks and shared co-working space, not to mention a robust array of fitness classes, workshops, and social events. theperlene.com
TenPod | More than just a place to rent a desk, TenPod comprises three comfy, pretty co-working spaces around Portland for those who want to rise up from their basement offices and cross-pollinate with other good people. tenpod.org
Portland Apparel Lab | PAL is a member-based makerspace and collaborative knowledge-sharing community for sewn-goods, with an in-house design support team. portlandapparellab.com
ADX | Art Design Portland is a hub for collaboration where individuals and organizations make and learn. ADX has a makerspace, learning center, and custom fabrication shop in SE Portland. adxportland.com
Independent Publishing Resource Center | At the IPRC, individuals can access tools and resources for creating their own independently published media and artwork. iprc.org
Local Businesses We Love (Go Buy Their Stuff!)
Portland is overflowing with smart and beautiful products made locally by our hardworking neighbors. Here are some of our faves:
Books with Pictures | Radically inclusive comic book store in SE Portland that just launched a subscription service, so you can your fix no matter where you live. bookswithpictures.com
Carolyn Hart Designs | Ready-to-wear women’s clothing line, Focused on fit and design to wear from day to evening. All production is made by either designer or production houses in the PNW. carolynhartdesigns.com
Hubris Apparel | Beautiful and wearable clothing for real life in sizes XS – 3X. hubrisapparel.com
Left Turn Clothing | An alternative athletic wear company that specializes in team uniforms, merchandise, and custom designs for men, women and juniors. leftturnclothing.com
Rose Temple | Fashion made in Portland Oregon for nonconformist women. rosetemple.com
Storiarts | Clothing and accessories that celebrates the intersection of fashion and literature. storiarts.com
Union Rose | Montavilla boutique that carries only artisan and locally made products. unionrosepdx.com
Creating Better with You
As Upswept Creative expands our service offerings and grows our team, maintaining our connection to the vibrant local independent business community is a priority. We want to be here to help others grow their passions into their livelihoods here in the Pacific Northwest.
If that sounds like you, drop us a line or fill out our Pre-Consultation Questionnaire and we’ll get back to you with swiftness and enthusiasm to schedule your free consultation with our team.
