Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
If you haven’t talked to voice activated artificial intelligence by now, I’d be kinda surprised. You’ve got Siri, Alexa, Cortana… they’re all over the place. And always listening. But let’s be honest… they don’t always do what you want them to do. So if you’ve got an idea on how they could be better but you feel like you could use some guidance, you might be interested in Alexa Dev Day in Portland.
You’ve noticed it. It’s difficult not to. As Portland has grown in popularity and population, congestion, traffic, and even crowded public transit are becoming more the norm than the exception in the City of Roses. It impacts everyone. And rising housing costs only exacerbate the problem, as the distance between work and home continues to expand. If you run a business, you’re seeing the impact from a variety of angles, from consumers to employees—especially when one of the primary hiring promises has been Portland’s “livability.”
As much as I love Portland, I have to admit that, generally, we do a fairly poor job of tracking metrics or outcomes. I mean, we talk. A lot. And we have tons of anecdotal evidence. Or the feeling that stuff is happening. But metrics? Not so much. That’s why it’s really nice to see Cozy providing some insights into what they accomplished in 2017.
I’ve spent more than my fair share of time around nonprofits. Established nonprofits. Startup nonprofits. You name it. Both as an employee and as a volunteer. And time and time again, one of the most consistent challenges for any nonprofit—and one that often ended up on my plate—is effectively promoting what they’re working to accomplish. And leveraging technology to make that promotion as effective as possible. Now, nonprofits have a new tool to help them, thanks to ThinkShout. Meet Bene.
Whenever folks ask me for ways to test drive an idea or find cofounders, one of the programs that is always at the top of my list is Techstars Startup Weekend. Why? Because it’s a 54-hour sprint that gives you a ton of insights into what it takes to test an idea, recruit a team, and build a product—even if you’ve done it before. Your next opportunity to get that experience is Techstars Startup Weekend Eugene.
As the end of 2017 approaches, it’s only natural to be thinking about the new year. And new opportunities. For some folks, that may be considering a new role, a new job, or a new town. For others, it may be seeking some new employees. Or a cofounder. Whatever the case, so long as it’s in Portland or nearby, the Silicon Florist job board has got something for you.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the opportunity to submit a “Hello, Portland startup community” profile, a community driven effort to introduce one person per day to everyone in Portland. It’s great to see so many members of the community take the time to share their stories with the rest of us. And hopefully, it’s helping folks get connected a little more easily.
You know I love startups. And you know I love startups that help startups. But what you may not know is that I’m a huge fan of folks who are doing that work in a variety of industries—not just tech. That’s why I wanted to be sure that all of you outdoor gear types knew that the application for the Bend Outdoor Worx accelerator is due on December 29, 2017.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the TiE Oregon Pitch Oregon 2017 event, this year. But luckily for you, Malia Spencer, who covers startups for the Portland Business Journal, was there to hear the 10 companies pitch the panel of judges and audience—and to reveal the winners.
