Portland Oregon startups, tech, news, events, jobs, and community

I know Marcelo Calbucci from way way back in the world of startups. So when he told me was working on something new, I immediately wanted to help. That new thing…? It’s called Startup Day. And it’s taking place in Seattle on May 15, 2026. And if you act fast, you can grab a ticket at the lowest price available.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Portland small businesses grapple with rising costs, reputation challenges – Axios Portland

Portland has long been seen as a haven for small businesses, a city with the ingenuity and creative spirit that fosters off-beat shops, innovative restaurants and funky new brands, but standing up and sustaining those business isn’t easy these days.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Oregon Startup leaders raise alarm over undoing QSBS exemptions – Portland Business Journal

What has the startup and investor community up in arms is a provision that removes a tax exclusion for gains made on the sale of qualified small business stocks. These stocks are typically those held by founders or early investors in companies and are seen as the potential upside for the risk that entrepreneurs and investors take in starting a business.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Big Walk co-op game’s publisher is a Portland true believer – oregonlive.com

If Panic pushes up against what’s expected of a Portland tech company in 2026, it plays to type in other ways. His back to the “Capax Infiniti” mural, Sasser says he still treasures Portland’s small-market feel and never wants its tech scene to look like the Bay Area’s.

Shame on me. I haven’t been closely tracking on this. But it’s coming up more and more often in conversations with startup founders and investors. “What is…?” you ask? The fact that disentangling Oregon tax law from federal tax law carries along with it language that basically eviscerates one of the most compelling tools that startups use to compensate founders, early employees, and investors: Qualified Small Business Stock. Rest assured, Oregon changing QSBS taxation could have demonstrable and irreparable impact on the Oregon startup community as a whole.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Why Startup Ecosystems Fail at Scale: The Economic Development Playbook for Capacity Building

The problem is not that cities aren’t doing enough. The problem is that cities aren’t expanding their capacity to serve more of the entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors that a competitive economy now requires. As Brookings has pointed out in their analysis of innovation clusters, ecosystem performance is a function of network depth, institutional coordination, and resource density.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Embrace the uncertainty

Nobody knows what the future of software engineering looks like, and that’s incredibly uncomfortable. But instead of waiting for someone to hand us the answer, I think the move is to embrace the uncertainty, because these moments of deep uncertainty have historically been moments of extraordinary opportunity.

I’m sure you already have your ticket for the Silicon Forest Tech Summit. I mean, it’s rapidly becoming the “must attend” annual event around these parts. (And if you haven’t, lighten up, Francis. There’s still time to grab a seat. And tickets are a-ford-able at $24 or a pay what you want sliding scale.) Let’s take a look at all of the awesome people taking the stage on March 14, 2026.