.

Month: May 2011

Portland gets to beta test another Google service first: Google Offers launches in Portland at Floyd’s

We in Portland like to think we’re pretty techie. Well apparently our friends down at Google—or over at Google if you consider The Dalles—like to think we’re pretty techie too.

I mean, they do pick us to test drive stuff like Google Hotpot. And now they’ve chosen Portland to be the first spot to try their Groupon killer, Google Offers. Read More

Meet the Startup: Catching up with David Embree of Athletepath

Some of the best startups start begin by solving a very simple problem. David Embree just wanted one place to house all of his amateur race scores. And that became the inspiration for Athletepath, a site that lets anyone track and consolidate race scores, assess the competition, and track their progress over time.

Meet the Startup took some time to sit down with David to chat about founding Athletepath. Here’s what he had to say. Read More

As hoped, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon throws another COICA block. This time, it’s a hold on the PROTECT IP bill.

Oh Congress. Yes, you know on which side your bread is buttered. But you can’t seem to figure out how that whole Internet thing works.

I mean, that must be the case. Otherwise you wouldn’t continually propose bills like COICA. But you do. And that’s why I’m glad there’s a Senator from Oregon named Ron Wyden who works to stop your silliness. Read More

This whole Facebook thing might just catch on: ShopIgniter secures $8 million in venture funding

Last year they quietly landed $3 million. Today, ShopIgniter quietly announced that they had landed another $8 million in Series B.

ShopIgniter is kind of one of those quiet startups around Portland. There isn’t a great deal of hubbub around them. Not a great deal of hype. Last year they quietly landed $3 million. Today, ShopIgniter quietly announced that they had landed another $8 million in Series B. Read More

I know what you’ll do this summer: 8 major upcoming tech and geek events in Portland

Here’s a quick look at the major tech events – OSCON, Open Source Bridge, IndieWebCamp, Word Domination Conference – happening in Portland over the coming months.

Well, we’re in the thick of it, aren’t we? That’s right. It’s conference and event season. Full on.

Yes, we’ve already made it through BarCamp Portland, NW, and OpenGovWest. But it’s really just the beginning. There’s still more to come. A bunch more. So here’s a quick look at the major tech events happening in Portland over the coming months. Read More

Meet the Startup: Chatting with Angela Jackson of the Portland Seed Fund

Meet Angela Jackson of the Portland Seed Fund in the pilot episode of Meet the Startup, a project founded by Tom Turnbull and produced by Phil Kinjerski

You may remember a while back that I got the chance to chat with Angela Jackson about the Portland Seed Fund. That was before the Fund had officially launched.

Well, now it’s up and running. And the deadline—extended until June 6—is rapidly approaching. So it seemed to be a good time to reconnect with Angela. Well, and launch another little startup project at the same time. Read More

Dreading work tomorrow? Maybe it’s time to get a new gig at one of these awesome Portland companies

It’s Sunday evening and you’re already dreading Monday. That’s just sad.

You’re intelligent. And you’ve got a ton of experience. Why are you still just wasting away at your current day job? Maybe it’s time to break out and get a new gig. Something new. Something that has you jumping out of bed in the morning. Read More

Need help understanding stock and options? Here’s a cheat sheet for entrepreneurs and startup employees

In the world of startups, “stock,” “options,” “equity,” and “liquidity event” are bandied about pretty freely. But given that—as an entrepreneur or an employee at a startup—they greatly affect your livelihood and the value you’ll derive from contributing to a startup, it would probably make sense for you to understand exactly what those terms mean, wouldn’t it?

It would. And that’s why is was nice to find this cheat sheet, An Introduction to Stock & Options for the Tech Entrepreneur or Startup Employee. Read More

Have Lunch with the City of Portland’s Broadband Planners

Hot on the heels of the third Lunch 2.0 at WebTrends, I’m pleased to announce another three-time host will be joining the likes WebTrends and AboutUs, the City of Portland.

On June 29, the Office of Cable Communications & Franchise Management will join the Portland Development Commission and CivicApps as the third City organization to host a Lunch 2.0 and invite the community to an open dialog about City matters. Read More

Weather schmeather! Rapture schmapture! BarCamp Portland and CivicApps hacking are this weekend

I’m sure you’ve already heard about the events this weekend. No, not the Rapture, silly. Well yeah, that’s true. It is supposed to be nice, weather-wise. But that’s not what I meant, either. Because you know what else is nice? Hanging out with really smart people talking about interesting things. Or hanging out with really smart people and hacking together interesting things.

So take Thursday and Friday to get your fill of the sun so that on Saturday and (hopefully) Sunday you can spend time at BarCamp Portland and the CivicApps “Mobile Apps for Education” hackathon. Read More