Earlier this week, Puppet announced that they would be serving as the workspace for more than two dozen early stage Portland startups. For some, this might seem like a surprising move. But in actuality, it’s core to the culture of the company. And has been a hallmark of its existence, ever since Reductive Labs relocated to Portland.
Many of the early stage companies around Portland at that time were introduced to early stage investors through Puppet. And it’s not the first time they’ve played home to early stage startups. Recent exit and quintessential Portland startup Cloudability owes some of its early beginnings to Puppet, which provided the first official office for the cofounders to work from.
Long story short, supporting the community is core to Puppet’s culture. And this latest support clearly demonstrates that.
At Puppet, we are deeply passionate about building and developing more entrepreneurship in Portland, Oregon, especially as it relates to entrepreneurs who are from underrepresented populations. We recognize that the only way to build a better, stronger, and more innovative world is having a more inclusive and diverse workplace with leaders of different backgrounds.
Startups in the program (which is managed by PIE) not only get access to workspace but also have the opportunity to engage with Puppet employees who have volunteered to mentor the founders.
For the public list of companies (some are still in stealth), see the Puppet Innovation Lab post. For coverage, see The Oregonian and the Portland Business Journal.
[Full disclosure: Puppet has partnered with PIE to manage this program. I am the cofounder and general manager of PIE.]
