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Month: October 2009

OEN Venture Northwest 2009: Recapping pitches from Giftango, Elemental, Prolifiq, ShopIgniter, and Second Porch

Now, Venture Northwest isn’t a tech-centric thing. It’s a startup thing. But there were some interesting tech companies that pitched. So I thought I’d recap for you. Or more appropriately, steal borrow my own recaps from the Venture Northwest guest posts I submitted to TechFlash.

Rick Turoczy on October 30, 2009

I had the opportunity to attend Venture Northwest, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network‘s annual pitch day for early stage startups. You know, kind of like a DEMO or a TechCrunch 50. No cash prizes. But a great deal of opportunity to score some cash, given that the folks at Venture Northwest have the opportunity to pitch their ideas  in front of a roomful of potential investors from throughout the angel and venture capital communities.

Now, Venture Northwest isn’t a tech-centric thing. It’s a startup thing. But there were some interesting tech companies that pitched. So I thought I’d recap for you. Or more appropriately, steal borrow my own recaps from the Venture Northwest guest posts I submitted to TechFlash. Read More

Extensis to Host First Lunch 2.0 in the New Year

Rick Turoczy on October 30, 2009

I know seems a bit premature to start thinking about 2010, but with the snowfall creeping down below 2,000 feet, buying chains and seeing sporadic holiday decorations appear around town, it might not be too early.

With that in mind, I’m pleased to announce that Extensis will be hosting the first Portland Lunch 2.o of 2010 on January 20. Go ahead and save that date now.

Read More

It’s a crazy busy Thursday evening in Portland

It seems tonight in Portland is going to be jampacked full of events to keep you busy. No matter what you’re techie desires, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that strikes your fancy.

Rick Turoczy on October 29, 2009

So, how you doing? Feeling a little bored? Maybe looking for something to do on the last Thursday of the month?

Well look no further. It seems tonight in Portland is going to be jampacked full of events to keep you busy. No matter what you’re techie desires, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that strikes your fancy.

Like what you ask? Let’s take a look. Read More

memePDX 010: OSCON’s back, Venture Northwest, Cort & Fatboy, Building a better journalist, Blogging is dead, and Whitehouse.gov on Drupal

For a special Halloween episode of memePDX, join the disembodied heads of Cami and as we cover OSCON’s back in Portland, Venture Northwest, Cort & Fatboy, Building a Better Journalist, Technorati’s state of the blogosphere, and Whitehouse.gov on Drupal.

Rick Turoczy on October 29, 2009

Happy Thursday! it’s time for another episode of memePDX, where Cami Kaos and I cover the hottest tech stories in Portland and beyond.

For a special Halloween episode of memePDX, join the disembodied heads of Cami and as we cover OSCON’s back in Portland, Venture Northwest, Cort & Fatboy, Building a Better Journalist, Technorati’s state of the blogosphere, and Whitehouse.gov on Drupal.

But that’s not all. Cami also reveals a secret project underway. Read More

Twas the night before Venture Northwest: Giftango finds $1.4 million under the tree

Northwest Innovation and Paid Content unwrapping gifts a little early by reporting that the Giftango had secured $1.4 million of a potential $2.1 million first round.

Rick Turoczy on October 29, 2009

Sometimes, you get to open gifts before the big day. Such is the case with Portland-based Giftango who—as they prepare to take the stage at Venture Northwest on Thursday—had Northwest Innovation and Paid Content unwrapping gifts a little early by reporting that the Giftango had secured $1.4 million of a potential $2.1 million first round.

That’s a respectable chunk of change for a Portland-area startup—especially one that might not be on our respective RADARs.

So what do they do? Read More

Socially mobile: Jive releases Social Business Software 4.0, iPhone app, and BlackBerry and smart phone functionality

Not only did Jive upgrade their core product to Social Business Software 4.0, they also made it more accessible by releasing apps for the iPhone and BlackBerry platforms.

Rick Turoczy on October 28, 2009

Portland-based Jive Software is currently in the midst of their first ever user group, Jive World. And as such, it seems that there is no better time to launch new products—especially when you’ve got all of your most fervent users together in one room.

So that’s just what they did. Not only did Jive upgrade their core product to Social Business Software 4.0, they also made it more accessible by releasing an app for the iPhone and functionality for BlackBerry and smart phones. Read More

Attend Venture Northwest from the comfort of your own desk

For more information, visit Venture Northwest. Or, if you’re sold and want to attend, make the choice as to whether you’re attending in person for $495 or following along by the warm glow of your laptop with Venture Northwest Live for $250.

Rick Turoczy on October 28, 2009

Venture Northwest is one of the premier opportunities for Silicon Forest startups to pitch their ideas in front of a room of would-be investors. Arguably, there’s no better regional event around here for gaining access to that type of crowd. It’s like DEMO or the TechCrunch 50 for the Pacific Northwest. For as good as the event is, however, it’s always suffered from one particular problem: you had to actually be there.

But now, thanks to the magic of streaming media and the wonderful world of the Web, anyone, anywhere can attend Venture Northwest virtually. Introducing Venture Northwest Live. Read More

Need a little more detail on that startup? Try VentureMash

What’s VentureMash? It’s like a more open version of CrunchBase that allows entrepreneurs to categorize and maintain information on their projects.

Rick Turoczy on October 27, 2009

When it comes to definitive resources to house information on startups around here, the options are fairly slim. You can track it yourself, you can read the fluff I write here, you can pay for a subscription to a research service, or you can work to embed the information you’re seeking into existing resources like AboutUs.

And that, my friends, is what we in the biz like to call “an opportunity.” Well, leave it to some enterprising entrepreneurs to take that opportunity and run with it. Introducing Portland-based VentureMash. Read More

Legion of Tech falls victim to embezzlement

Portland-based Legion of Tech—the organization formed to manage events like Ignite Portland and BarCamp Portland—has revealed that a member of the organization has misappropriated the Legion of Tech credit line for personal use.

Rick Turoczy on October 26, 2009

To be blunt, this sucks. I can’t tell you how much I didn’t want to write this. But it’s news that affects the Portland tech community, and as such, I felt an obligation to cover it. Long story short, you deserve to know.

Deep breath. Here it is:

Portland-based Legion of Tech—the organization formed to help manage events like Ignite Portland and BarCamp Portland—has revealed that a member of the organization has misappropriated the Legion of Tech credit line for personal use. Read More

Finance 101 for Portland startups or would-be startups

One of the primary culprits? The basics of finance. I mean, let’s face it, you didn’t come up with a startup idea because of your love of numbers and tax law.

Rick Turoczy on October 26, 2009

Sometimes, the biggest barrier to getting your startup off the ground isn’t the things you know—it’s the things you don’t know. Worse yet, finding a mentor or a trusted voice to help you figure things out can be more difficult than it should be.

One of the primary culprits? The basics of finance. I mean, let’s face it, you didn’t come up with a startup idea because of your love of numbers and tax law. Well, maybe you did. But you get my point.

What to do? What to do? Well, how does gaining some basic knowledge about finance for startups sound? Good? Good. You’re in luck. Read More

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