It’s always nice to see other organizations recognizing the depth of talent we have in our midst here in the Portland startup community. And being part of that community, it’s highly likely that you’ve had the opportunity to encounter Paige Hendrix Buckner. She was a serial Portland startup founder, cofounder of XXcelerate Fund, instrumental with the development of the TiE youth entrepreneur program TYE, cohosted TechfestNW, and — as if that weren’t enough — has been a tireless mentor to any number of founders in town. So seeing the news today that Paige has been named the COO of global startup accelerator program Founder Gym? It just made sense.
In high school, Paige was an All-American in speech and debate. In college, she was a Fellow at the United Negro College Fund’s Institute for International Public Policy and a Clinton Foundation Scholarship Recipient. After teaching as a Teach for America Corps Member in 2008 (which is where Paige and I met) and earning her Masters Degree in Education, Paige entered the world of entrepreneurship. She launched two businesses (selling one), co-founded an accelerator, and became a powerhouse leader in the startup ecosystem of her hometown of Portland, OR.
What are her plans in this new role?
In 2021, I want to focus on two efforts: community and storytelling. By continuing to offer trainings — through our free Master Classes, as well as our membership programming — we can educate entrepreneurs at all stages with the information they need to make their dreams a reality. Because we have such an exceptional community, we have so many stories to tell about their wins and key insights from their journey to date. Next year, I’m excited to share that we’re leaning into our superpowers of storytelling to launch a podcast that will shine a light on our FG Community and help listeners on their journey.
For more of her thoughts or perspectives on her impact, read the Founder Gym announcement. For more on the accelerator program, visit Founder Gym.
[Full disclosure: PIE partners with Founder Gym to support Portland startups. I am the cofounder and general manager of PIE.]
