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Month: July 2009

Trending up: Portland-based Webtrends acquires Seattle-based Widemile

In a time of free Web analytics software, they continue to build a successful Web analytics business. Successful enough to engage in M&A activity. You see, they just picked up Seattle-based Widemile.

Rick Turoczy on July 31, 2009

[HTML2]Portland-based Webtrends—arguably the leading company focused on helping other companies figure out what people are doing on their Web sites—is having a renaissance of sorts. They’ve refreshed their executive team, re-engaged with the Portland tech startup community, and signed some impressive partnerships. Heck, they’ve even started a little controversy. But perhaps most impressive—especially in a time of low-cost or free Web analytics software—is the fact that they continue to build a successful Web analytics business.

How successful? Well, successful enough to engage in M&A activity. You see, they just picked up Seattle-based Widemile. Read More

Portland, Oregon, is the most entrepreneurial town in the world

Rick Turoczy on July 30, 2009

It seems there’s a bit of contention and kerfuffle about a recent Entrepreneur piece on the most “startup friendly cities in the US.” Why? Because Portland—and a number of other “not seen as startup hub” towns—made it to the list while traditional metropolitan juggernauts—like Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle—were left by the wayside.

I didn’t think much of it when I mentioned the Entrepreneur article—Portland is one of the best entrepreneurial cities—the other day.

But a post by John Cook on the TechFlash blog got me doing some heavy thinking about the list—and Portland in general. Read More

Need a zillion dollars for your startup? ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum might be a good place to start

A zillion is shooting a bit high anyway, don’t you think? How about we start with something smaller then? Like about $50,000. That’s the prize money you could take home after pitching the ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum.

Rick Turoczy on July 29, 2009

Ah, what I wouldn’t do with a zillion dollars. Why I could fund any number of cool startup ideas.

What’s that? What do you mean “zillion” isn’t a real number?

Well, never mind that. A zillion is shooting a bit high anyway, don’t you think? How about we start with something smaller then? Like about $50,000.

Good. Because that’s the prize money you could take home after pitching the ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum. Read More

REMINDER: Demo night at Nedspace Old Town grand opening tonight

Rick Turoczy on July 29, 2009

[HTML2]Just a little reminder that NedSpace will be hosting the grand opening of their second location—NedSpace Old Town—at the space formerly known as Vidoop, tonight beginning at 4 PM. The event—entitled “Hellzapoppin’“—will have free beer thanks to the fine folks at Widmer. And there will be live jazz thanks to Boy and Bean. Can’t beat that on a day like today.

But that’s not all. Tonight’s event will also feature you. Yes, you. If you’re a startup with something to demo. Read More

Obama Twitter faux pas: Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley causing Threadless’ Jeffrey Kalmikoff fits

A technical glitch with an incorrect Twitter name seems to have Obama healthcare proponents from Oregon spamming Jeffrey Kalmikoff of Threadless with misdirected tweets intended for Jeff Merkley

Rick Turoczy on July 28, 2009

[HTML3]Now, it’s no secret that the Barack Obama campaign did a phenomenal job with social media. Facebook, Portland-fueled iPhone apps, Twitter, the whole shooting match. Many—myself included—were in awe of the Obama campaign’s mastery of social media—and the potential it held for the presidency.

Well, we were. Until today. When a technical glitch seems to have Obama healthcare proponents from Oregon spamming Jeffrey Kalmikoff of Threadless with misdirected tweets intended for Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.

Oopie. Read More

Entrepreneur: Portland is one of the best entrepreneurial cities

Rick Turoczy on July 28, 2009

[HTML1]From the “telling you what you already know” department, Portland is a great place for startups, it seems. No, I’m serious.

Don’t believe me? Well, how about Entrepreneur magazine? They’ve named Portland, Oregon, one of the best cities in which to be an entrepreneur, nicknaming the Portland “the cooperator.”

Read More

Digital Journalism Camp: Reporters, bloggers, podcasters gather to explore the evolution of journalism

What if we could get traditional reporters and bloggers all journalists in their own right in the same room to discuss the issue? Now, we can on August 1 with Portland’s Digital Journalism Camp.

Rick Turoczy on July 28, 2009

If you spend any time reading news online, you’ve no doubt encountered a wealth of discussion on the death of traditional print and broadcast media and how this rapidly accelerating demise is affecting the world of professional reporters. Sometimes it’s a “the time has come” discussion, sometimes it’s a “blogs are to blame” quip, sometimes it’s “Craigslist has undercut our cash cow.”

Whatever the case, all of these discussions tend to suffer a very similar problem: It’s rarely more than one faction discussing the issue. Rather, it tends to be each party yelling from his or her respective side of the fence.

What if we could get traditional reporters and bloggers—all journalists in their own right—in the same room to discuss the issue? Now, we can. On August 1, there’s Portland’s Digital Journalism Camp. Read More

Google and JanRain make every Google Apps for Domains an OpenID

The message carried some very interesting tidbits about future OpenID developments with Google. Sachs recommended using Portland-based JanRain’s RPX solution for OpenID.

Rick Turoczy on July 28, 2009

A few weeks back, Portland’s Marshall Kirkpatrick, VP of Content for ReadWriteWeb, found a missive in the OpenID group from Google’s Eric Sachs. The half-composed message appeared to have been posted to the public list by mistake, but it still carried some very interesting tidbits about future OpenID developments with Google.

The most interesting part of that post to me? Sachs recommended using Portland-based JanRain’s RPX solution for OpenID. Today, JanRain and Google revealed the rest of the story. Read More

NedSpace Hellzapoppin’: Celebrate a new Portland coworking space in Old Town, demo your startup project

To celebrate the grand opening of NedSpace Old Town coworking space the folks at NedSpace have decided to throw a little shindig, complete with startup demos and all that jazz. Introducing NedSpace Hellzapoppin’ Demo Night.

Rick Turoczy on July 27, 2009

[HTML3]If there’s one request I hear more than any other, it’s this: I wish Portland had more events where people could show off the stuff they’re building. To which I always reply, “I hear you. It’s not that people aren’t getting the chance to do that—it’s happening at user groups every week—it’s just that there is no central ‘big event’ where that occurs.”

But that may be changing, this week. You see, to celebrate the grand opening of NedSpace Old Town, the folks at NedSpace have decided to throw a little shindig, complete with startup demos and all that jazz.

Introducing NedSpace Hellzapoppin’ Demo Night. Read More

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