About
Silicon Florist was started by Rick Turoczy as a side project (is there any other kind?) to help provide a repository for interesting technology startup news—particularly Web-based, mobile-based, and open source technology—from Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding area, affectionately known as the “Silicon Forest.”
You see, there’s a bunch of great stuff happening in Portland. A ton of great ideas. Some really exciting development. Some really cool projects.
And it may not be the type of stuff that gets coverage in TechCrunch or Mashable or ReadWriteWeb or eHub.
But, that doesn’t make it any less important.
So it seemed like there needed to be a repository. It seemed like the great folks in Portland needed somewhere to keep up. To see things grow.
Kind of a Willamette Week for the Portland tech scene. Okay, more like the Sellwood Bee or Multnomah Village Post.
Monitoring the Rose City and the Silicon Forest, I’ll be trying to help 1,000 flowers bloom, as the Silicon Florist.
Got a tip, an announcement, or a story? The best way to catch Rick is to ping @turoczy on Twitter. Or you can always send your tip to siliconflorist@gmail.com, submit it through the Silicon Florist tip form, or call 503 616 3767.
Kind words
It’s been extremely gratifying to receive a number of nice comments about the blog. I thought it would be wise to return the favor with a little link love.
“Since starting his blog in 2007, Rick’s quickly become the go-to source for stories on Portland’s Web 2.0 community. He’s equal parts cheerleader, reporter, and facilitator, filling a role that the traditional media hasn’t (or possibly can’t) do.”
“Now, thanks to Twitter and Silicon Florist, Turoczy is one of the most visible names in Portland technology.”
“Portland has a great creative/tech scene. If you’re not following it, check out http://www.siliconflorist.com which is like the TechCrunch of the Portland area…”
— Aaron Hockley of Another Blogger
“… [The] Silicon Florist Blog is both the chief chronicler and head cheerleader for Portland’s new startup scene.”
“… a must-read for anyone who wants to tap into what’s really happening in the PDX tech scene.”
“After one short month, I can’t imagine not having Silicon Florist in my rss feeds. If you’re in Portland or interested in Portland’s technology scene, you should check it out.”
“The best new blog around, if you live in the Portland area and are interested in web/tech, this is a must read…. [H]aving a locally focused blog makes me feel so much more connected again.”
About Rick Turoczy
Rick Turoczy has been working in high-tech marketing communications jobs in the Portland area for the past 14 years—and talking about himself in third person since long before that.
Out of pure dumb luck, he happened to sit up in bed at 2 AM one night with the inspiration to start Silicon Florist. Since then, he’s chatted with The Oregonian, appeared on local television and radio, made a brief appearance on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, written for leading tech blog ReadWriteWeb, garnered multiple bylines in The New York Times, wound up speaking at a number of conferences, and been selected as a runner up for the Portland Business Journal’s “40 under 40.”
Interested in what Rick does when he’s not working on one of his innumerable side projects? Well, that would be Return. If you’d like to see more about his past experience, visit Rick Turoczy’s profile on LinkedIn.
Looking for something a little more interactive? Feel free to follow Rick Turoczy on Twitter or Friendfeed, keep track of the events he finds interesting on Upcoming, or see life through his lens on Flickr.
(“Silicon Florist escalator blogging” image courtesy Igal Koshevoy and “Rick Turoczy” image courtesy Brian Solis. Used under Creative Commons.)
