Last week, I shared a post written by a Portland founder, recounting his experience while working to raise early stage capital, here in Portland. The post immediately sparked a conversation among Portland founders. And soon, Portland investors joined the conversation, as well.
In the spirit of sharing both sides of the story, I’m posting responses published by Eric Rosenfeld of the Oregon Angel Fund and Nitin Rai of Elevate Capital.
Randy, thanks for sharing your story and I’m sorry you felt Portland investors were not respectful. That’s embarrassing and disappointing for those of us who have dedicated our careers and livelihood to supporting hard working local entrepreneurs like you. I’m truly sorry and deeply saddened by your experience and I take your comments to heart. I hope we can all learn and improve from your experience.
Recently there have been several social media posts by certain entrepreneurs who have failed to raise capital in Portland. A number of comments were made about the Portland investment community including the lack of funding for some “well deserved” entrepreneurs which caused “failure” of their startups. Others have derided attacks on entrepreneur groups that offer programming and support that includes pitch events for entrepreneurs. After some reflection, I am compelled to respond.
For more, read the original post and comments, Eric’s comment in full, and Nitin’s response to the this and other similar conversations.
