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Month: July 2020

A framework for racial equity in startup ecosystems

Rick Turoczy on July 23, 2020

As we continue to assess the potential recovery from this global pandemic, we’re also in the midst of beginning to address the systemic racism that plagues institutions, processes, and ecosystems in the startup world. To that end, Dell Gines, Senior Community Development Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and Rodney Sampson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for The Opportunity Hub, have recently published a framework that combines those two efforts entitled “Building racial equity in tech ecosystems to spur local recovery.”

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Chat with the coauthor of The Startup Community Way, the follow up to Brad Feld’s Startup Communities

Rick Turoczy on July 22, 2020

I don’t know about you, but I have a number of books that I revisit on a regular basis. And every time I do, I take away something new and different. One of those books is Startup Communities by Brad Feld, in which he describes his “Boulder Thesis” around how startup communities are built. I reread it about every six months or so. And now, there’s a new book from Brad that will likely get added to the reread list: The Startup Community Way.

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Thinking about becoming a startup founder? Might want to read this first

Rick Turoczy on July 21, 2020

I’ve heard it said that wanting to be a startup founder in this day and age is akin to wanting to be a rock star. It’s the kind thing that folks seem to perceive as exciting and fun. And so any number of folks wind up starting something only to find that it’s anything but fun. Exciting, yes. If you find anxiety exciting. But fun? No.

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REMINDER: Considering applying to a startup accelerator like PIE? This Q&A session is for you

Rick Turoczy on July 21, 2020

Working on a new startup idea? Thinking about starting something? Maybe just stuck with your current business? Whatever the case, a startup accelerator might be just what you need. But then again, it might not. If you’ve got questions about that sort of thing, consider attending this question and answer session about PIE, one of the oldest startup accelerators in Portland. Well, actually anywhere.

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Tracking pandemic induced layoffs at Portland startups

Rick Turoczy on July 20, 2020

It’s practically inevitable. During a downturn, startups are often forced to freeze hiring and reduce headcount. It happens time and time again. And it’s a grim situation for anyone who has to live through it. But from a purely objective viewpoint, having a better understanding of the actual metrics can be an important part of understanding and projecting the potential for recovery from a downturn. So I’m sharing this layoff tracker so folks can keep an eye on it.

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Where are the Black tech executive men? PDX Blacks in Technology shares some examples

Rick Turoczy on July 20, 2020

“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” It’s a phrase I regularly encounter in the conversations about diversifying the startup and tech community. Meaning? Meaning that if you’re considering a career in tech and don’t see anyone who looks like you or shares your lived experience in executive roles, it’s more difficult to believe that you can actually succeed and excel in the industry. With that in mind, one may wonder where the senior Black men tech leaders are. And PDX Blacks in Technology has an answer.

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What is Madrona Venture Group — which regularly invests in Portland startups — looking for in 2020?

Rick Turoczy on July 20, 2020

There are any number of venture capital firms outside of Oregon that regularly invest in the Portland startup community. One of those firms — which also boasts a few Portland exits — is Madrona Venture Group out of Seattle. Since they’ve already exhibited a willingness to invest in Portland, I thought it might be valuable for Portland startups to have a better understanding of Madrona’s investment themes for 2020.

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If you follow one Twitter account today, make it @WallOfMoms

Rick Turoczy on July 20, 2020

There was a time, way back when in the early days of Twitter, that I used to recommend Portland Twitter accounts for folks to follow. While that’s not something I do on a regular basis anymore, there are certain times where I feel motivated to rekindle that effort. Like today, when I realized that the Portland Wall of Moms has a Twitter account.

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In the wake of massive hack, Senator Wyden rebukes Twitter for lack of DM encryption

Rick Turoczy on July 17, 2020

If you haven’t yet heard about the Twitter hack, you probably haven’t been on Twitter. Or the Web. Or watched the news. It’s been all over the past couple of days so I didn’t really feel the need to cover it here. That said, when Senator Ron Wyden says something, it suddenly has immediate relevance for folks. And he commented today on how the lack of encryption on Twitter DMs could mean that those messages were accessed from compromised accounts.

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Is remote work here to stay?

Rick Turoczy on July 17, 2020

Regardless of your corporate culture or views, remote work became a necessity for everyone as this global pandemic descended several months. But eventually — hopefully — we’ll come out of this. And that has many folks asking whether remote work is simply a passing fad or if it’s the future of work as we know it.

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