---
title: 'Hello, Portland startup community! I’m Stephen Green'
date: '2017-11-07T14:00:33-08:00'
type: post
word_count: 489
char_count: 3114
tokens: 636
categories:
  - Oregon
  - People
  - Portland
tags:
  - pitchblack
  - pof
  - Portland
  - 'portland on fire'
  - Startup
  - 'stephen green'
---

# Hello, Portland startup community! I’m Stephen Green

![IMG_1423-2 - stephen green](https://i0.wp.com/siliconflorist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_1423-2-stephen-green.jpg?resize=925%2C617&ssl=1)

### Bio

A recovering banker and venture capitalist. He was born to live in Portland, as he came into this world an hour after the Portland Trailblazers won their first and only NBA championship. He has worked tirelessly to support, connect and grow under-represented founders on the west coast for almost two decades.

Stephen spends his time helping area startups with access to capital. He serves on a number of boards including the Oregon Growth Board, Black Investment Corporation for Economic Progress (BICEP), Built Oregon, Oregon Public House (cause using a brewery for good is so Portland) and the Governor’s Small Business Advisory Cabinet.

Spreadsheets are his super power and sneakers are his kryptonite.

### What are you up to?

I love using my talent for numbers and strong relationships in the startup community to unearth the stories of the founders who are debunking “Portlandia” stereotypes. Current efforts include [“The50” program](https://www.builtoregon.org/the-50-program) which assists local Black, Latino and Native-American makers get onto the shelves of retailers like Made Here PDX. I am also the founder of [PitchBlack](https://www.pitchblackpdx.com/), an effort to connect black founders with mainstream entrepreneurial regional ecosystems all over the country.

The best place to catch me is at [Deadstock Coffee](http://www.deadstockcoffee.com/ "Deadstock Coffee") where me and the “Swoopes Crew” hatch most of our crazy ideas.

### Why Portland?

I am one of the few mythical Portland natives (moved here when I was 3 months old), the only other place I have laid my head is Detroit, MI. As I travel around the country as an adult, I appreciate Portland even more. We have one of the most collaborative entrepreneurial communities I have ever seen. You are literally a text, tweet, or coffee away from getting the help you need.

As a “Blatino” I know I am just a [nod](https://medium.com/matter/the-nod-a-subtle-lowering-of-the-head-to-another-black-person-in-an-overwhelmingly-white-place-e12bfa0f833f) away from connecting with the founder of a [local tech](http://www.getalma.com/) or a future conspirator in the cause. As one Portland area black founder told me “In Portland we aren’t isolated, we are unique.”

### Links

- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/PDXStephenG "Stephen Green on Twitter")
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-green-6968b119 "Stephen Green on LinkedIn")
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/braxtonp013/ "Stephen Green on Instagram")

### Interested in being featured?

*Silicon Florist introduces one person, each day of the work week, to the Portland startup community. If you’re interested in being one of those folks, [please let us know a little bit more about you](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9NLHPFk2qAF8-pHddG_4HSx5FAvgMMVQvsg0aM5untam2DQ/viewform?usp=sf_link) and you’ll be selected at random to be featured.*