Along the recent journey to better integrate the Pacific Northwest region (“Cascadia”), there’s been a steady drip of new partnerships, MOUs, and events announced. We’ve seen cross-border R&D collaborations between universities and commitments from accelerators to cross-promote services and networks. Through it all, Microsoft has been a critical advocate and convener in the broader conservation. Outside of the Redmond behemoth, however, corporate support for Cascadia has been thin. But WeWork put some much-needed air into the sails of the initiative with the announcement in October of their Cascadia Passport Program.
The program is WeWork’s attempt to help “build a stronger, more interconnected ecosystem from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver that will empower the Cascadia region as a whole to thrive, grow and compete globally.” They’ve essentially opened up their growing network of high-end co-working facilities to entrepreneurs, government leaders, and ecosystem builders from Portland to Vancouver.
Passport holders are eligible for:
- 24/7 access to your home WeWork location + workday access to any of WeWork’s 20+ locations across Cascadia
- A free Hot Desk membership for six months
- Conference room/private meeting space
- Access to business services
- Access to the WeWork Member Network
It’s not an insignificant offering. As a WeWork member, I’m intimately aware of the value and convenience of being in WeWork’s massive global community. It’s also not an insignificant commitment to Cascadia. In fact, it’s a resource that regional economic development leaders dream of deploying. The company currently has 20 locations in Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. That number will surely grow in 2019. Between this expansion and the new Cascadia Passport initiative, WeWork may well be positioning itself to become the physical backbone for the startup and innovation ecosystem along the I-5 corridor.
Interested in obtaining a passport? Start by completing this form.
