It’s become a tradition. Stephen Green and Built Oregon share images and stories of Black founders, daily, throughout the month of February in celebration of Black History Month. And then I come along and try to capture all of that content in one place so that you have it in an easy to access format — all year long. They’ve done their part. Now, it’s all on me. That’s how the tradition goes.
So let’s get to it. Starting with Stephen…
Day 1 of #BHM brings us to former college football player @DJ_SNEAKERHEAD who's turned his grind on the field into a grind in business talking sneakers, real estate & wealth building. Catch him at sneaker events & on @instagram putting folks up on game. #SupportBlackBusiness pic.twitter.com/Rve6owzT1D
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 1, 2023
Day 2 of #BHM brings us to DEI consulting firm "Construct The Present." The founder Alexis Braly-James leads a team educating organizations to make lasting changes to the root causes of inequity. #BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackusiness #Oregonhttps://t.co/k0dHkRbnMX pic.twitter.com/eFyYCD3JJW
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 2, 2023
Day 3 of #BHM brings us to former pro footballer & Emmy award winner @HeartandHustle_ founder of Heart & Hustle Productions. Come see where his vision is taking the company next at PitchBlack next week. #SupportBlackBusiness #Portland pic.twitter.com/xO90DbNyZ8
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 3, 2023
It's the weekend so I am going to help you out. Day 4 of #BHM is your favorite breakfast spot that you may not have been to yet. "Grits N Gravy" is an amazing spot in downtown Portland. You are welcome;)#SupportBlackBusiness #Portlandhttps://t.co/6rBoUNUvKK pic.twitter.com/w2xPzG1Y5w
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 4, 2023
Day 4 of #BHM is about community. Spend two minutes dipping your toe into it here in #PDX and you find Laquida Landford's name everywhere. While most in the city run away from Old Town she wrapped her arms around the area creating her org Afro Village PDXhttps://t.co/Hn6J3j8sYK pic.twitter.com/jDLmCPCaj6
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 5, 2023
Day 6 of #BHM brings to Melinda Sandifer her catering biz @mizzipisistah. She's been my go to for events big & small for over 15 years. She does healthy & she can throw down on some stuff that will have you in the gym the next day;) #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/VWjNuLGJ3H
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 6, 2023
Day 7 of #BHM brings to the OG winner of @pitchblackpdx in #PDX. Tyrone Poole is the founder of @OneAppOregon. Since being on stage he has raised millions of dollars, helped thousands of families and did a @TEDx talk. #BlackHistoryMonthhttps://t.co/oIHXuJYrre pic.twitter.com/3dolSMoO07
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 7, 2023
Day 8 of #BHM is to celebrate #PitchBlack winner @DamolaOmotosho founder @CardCraftUs. He celebrated winning last night by becoming one of the hottest campaigns on @Kickstarter today. My man stay winning;) #BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackBusiness @Everettehttps://t.co/mxcBq2ltGr
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 9, 2023
Day 8 of #BHM is for JP's Custom Framing. For over 25 years Jerome and his sister Sadie have been serving folks in Portland. #BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/8f9OKVIWkQ
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 9 of #BHM for barber to the stars @dopeinfluencer. When not gallivanting around the world making sure Hollywood stars look good, you can find him running his shop in NE #PDX.#BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/3mratduHdB
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 10 of #BHM is for Sam Johnson, founder of @StrengthFarmPDX. Sam and his team believe "strength is for everyone." Sam leverages technology to help his clients train anytime, anywhere. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/MhjE9c3hNN pic.twitter.com/8aDUdWUcMU
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 11 of #BHM is all about your skin. @victoria_veevee founder Justin Bryant started whipping up is first batch of butters to help his daughters who struggled with eczema. #BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/yfgFHpmoLc pic.twitter.com/YHKWwoLNkq
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 12 of #BHM is for media company A Kids Company. Since their first book "A Kids Book About Racism" went on sale in October of 2019 they have launched over 100 titles to help kids and the adults in their life handle tough topics.#BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/6UudT0h3cR
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 13 of #BHM is for the amazing work @LakayanaD is doing with young men at @WordisBondPDX. Politics, policing, economic development… These young men are poised to be strong leaders in Oregon's future. #SupportBlackBusiness https://t.co/246ChL7xC1
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 14 of #BHM for @SirDustyDust photographer and founder of creative space "Briq Studio." The space brings together designers from all over the region and is one of the new creative assets in Portland's Old Town neighborhood. #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/u6LCXhDWty
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 15 of #BHM is for human resource leader Serilda Summers-McGee. Her firm Workplace Change is a full-service Human Resources Firm. Birthed to disrupt the status quo within the workplace.#BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/VzNsQZVFHA
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 16 of #BHM takes us to the work that @SelfEnhancement has been doing with youth in Portland for the last 5 decades. You will be hard pressed to find a Black leader in the city who hasn't been positively impacted by their work.#BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/QrXEEveglQ
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2023
Day 17 of #BHM is for @TechSparqUSA. They are an experienced team reimagining e-commerce and how customers experience brands.#SupportBlackBusiness #BlackInTechhttps://t.co/gFFfJMphnc
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 18 of #BHM takes us to downtown Portland where your favorite drink is accompanied by some of the nicest people you will ever meet at @PDXSante.#BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/aLbFx9YX0Z
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 19 of #BHM takes us down to Salem where Oregon's latest James Beard Award nominee is. Jonathan Jones founder of Epilogue Kitchen is receiving the nomination for the second year in a row. #BlackFood #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/eJz36yE6BC
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 20 of #BHM brings us to the brilliant @themayoress who when not MC-ing your favorite events, is spending her time coaching founders & executives from around the world as founder of @pregamehq. #SupportBlackBusiness #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/3DSjZD8W9y pic.twitter.com/5YhSftXAT1
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 21 of #BHM brings us to your new best friend… @with_pdx allows you to send your bestie, coworker, neighbor etc. a curated box of #PDX sourced goodness. #MadeInPortland #BlackHistoryMonthhttps://t.co/r9PeoxZJe2 pic.twitter.com/53n4NJugd6
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 22 of #BHM.. What do you get when you have someone who spent almost a decade in the NFL & is a father of 8? You get @alexmolden someone who is uniquely qualified to help teams be at their best (and probably has some great stories.#BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/YiCKBF3VNP
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 23 of #BHM brings us to the rodeo. The brain child of photographer Ivan McClellan, this upcoming event matches "the culture" with one of America's most iconic (and white) past times.#BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/Fn2S2jDkXI
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 24 of #BHM brings us to Randal Wyatt who created Taking Ownership PDX to revitalize Black-owned homes and businesses. He aims to be a part of the healing necessary to undo the history of harm imposed on Portland's Black community. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/avc8ileGka
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 25 of #BHM is Willamette Technical Fabricators. This Black woman owned firm builds transportation & clean energy infrastructure, including bridges, hydropower dams, floating offshore wind & ocean energy devices.#BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/Rr2NTj1VTy
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 26 of #BHM is for the "Queen of Alberta" Roslyn Hill. Back in the late 1980s she had a crazy idea that a NE Portland street could remake itself into a thriving community. #BlackHistoryMonth #PDXhttps://t.co/lUQy46lQbO
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
Day 27 of #BHM takes us all out on the farm, the Black Futures Farm to be exact. @MalcolmHoover3 & crew hope to heal the connection between Black people and the land, by cultivating a healthy place for Black folks to gather in joy. #BlackHistoryMonthhttps://t.co/3aatOiedns
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
The last day of #BHM, day 28 takes us to Oregon's oldest existing Black owned business. Dean's Beauty Salon has been serving customers since 1956. Now in a 3rd generations hands the business remains a fixture in the community. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/KjPgroY5aY
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) March 1, 2023
And now, the Built list…
BONUS: The Portland Business Journal shared a bunch of BHM stories throughout February 2023.
For previous years’ recaps, please see:
- Black History Month 2022
- Black History Month 2021
- Black History Month 2020
- Black History Month 2019
- Black History Month 2017
- Category: Oregon, Portland, Startups
- Tag: bhm, black founders, black history month, built oregon, Portland, Startup, Startups, stephen green
Published by Rick Turoczy
More than mildly obsessed with the Portland startup community. Founder and editor at Silicon Florist. Cofounder and general manager at PIE. Follow me on Twitter: @turoczy View all posts by Rick Turoczy