Every so often — usually around this time of year — I try to think through all of the Portland startup resources that are designed to get folks engaged with the startup community. More often than not, this list comes as a revelation to folks — or at least an item or two do. Even for folks who are actively part of the startup community.
So whether you’re brand new to Portland, you’re suddenly eager to get involved in the Portland startup community, or you’ve been in the Portland startup community forever, here’s a quick primer on engaging with Portland startups, founders, and other folks in 2025.
(It’s also important to note — the caveat — this is purely my (likely dated) perspective on things. (If you have a different perspective or other resources that you’d rank more highly, please share them with me.) There’s a ton of stuff out there — and likely just as many opinions on what’s actually valuable. But hopefully, this gets you going in the right direction. And leads you to find the resources that resonate most with you.)
Primary resources
- Portland Startups Slack – Boasting more than 7100 users — many of whom are admittedly lurking or inactive — the Portland Startups Slack still has a special place in the community as a spot to find and connect with folks. With a number of channels designed to focus conversations on the topics that most interest you, the PDX Startups Slack can be your most straightforward path to getting connected in the community. Best of all, it’s totally free and open to whomever is interested in the Portland startup community.
- Portland Startups Switchboard – While its use has trailed off a bit, there’s still a consistent stream of folks who take advantage of the Portland Startups Switchboard, a sort of bulletin board of asks and offers within the community. Need something from the community? Ask. Have something for the community? Offer. It’s as simple as that.
- Calagator – Again, a service that has dealt with a decade or more of fits and starts, but it gets the job done. Calagator is the aggregated tech calendar for the Portland tech community. No need to worry about checking Eventbrite and Luma and Meetup and whatever other event organizing platform there may be. It’s all aggregated on Calagator. From user groups to pitch competitions, this open source effort to document all of the tech events in town is a super valuable way to keep tabs on what’s happening when. Or a valuable way to promote the events you’re organizing.
Noteworthy community nodes
While there are a ton of great community gatherings — new and old — that have been taking place over the years, these are some critical points of interest and ways of connecting with community that don’t always get the attention that they so richly deserve — despite their significant momentum and impact:
- AI Portland – We are a gathering of enthusiasts, professionals, and the AI-curious from all walks of life, committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome to explore, learn, and innovate. Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of AI or you’re a seasoned professional looking to push the boundaries of what’s possible, AI Portland offers a space to collaborate, share knowledge, and drive positive change.
- Asian American Town – Through intentional collaborations, we explore the space-related needs of our Asian American community. Each one focuses on a specific interest, industry, community, culture/ethnic background, or localization. This allows us to think broadly and deeply as we make a case for acquiring physical spaces in the future. Our goal is to create opportunities for a more connected community, introductory points, and upward mobility. As well as, focal points for joint community investment.
- Latino Founders: Pitch Latino – Giving Latino startup entrepreneurs a platform to connect with the region’s growing startup ecosystem, while creating a community supporting Latino founders. This event is organized by Latino Founders a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the growth and success of underserved businesses. Our mission is to provide support, resources, and opportunities to empower underrepresented entrepreneurs and contribute to the overall economic development of our region.
- Rose City Techies – We’re an inclusive community of techies dedicated to building, creating, and exploring the future of technology together. This is a place for those who want to find inspiration and forge meaningful connections, all focused on the central theme of our work. Rose City Techies is founded on non-traditional and creative perspectives, offering a fresh approach to the tech and startup scene.
- Vanport Studio: Pitch Black – What if the “Whitest City in America” led the way in bridging the support and amplification of Black owned businesses? What if the capital talks shift from simply being about money and moved toward the importance of social capital as well? What started in Portland has expanded to include events in Seattle, Austin, and Philadelphia. To date, 120 founders have pitched their ideas, more than 1800 people have attended the combined events, and more than $280,000 has gone directly to the winning companies.
Monthly-ish gatherings
- #social_beer
- Bootstrap Startup
- Da Gathering
- Demolicious
- First Fridays at Upstart Collective
- founder.coffee
- Hardware Happy Hour Portland
- OEN PubTalks
- Startup Conversations in the Couve
- TiE PitchClub
Deep dive
This is just supposed to be a quick primer, rather than a deep dive. But if it’s a deep dive you’re after, I can gladly accommodate that. The Portland startup community Github repository is designed to provide a more exhaustive list of available resources like coworking spaces, events, organizations, investors, and more. Know of something that should be on the list? Feel free to submit a pull request, bug report, or comment to get it added.
Keeping you up to date on all of the things
- Portland Business Journal – The best journalistic resource for keep track of what’s happening in the Portland startup community is the Portland Business Journal. Specifically the work of Pete Danko, Demi Lawrence, and Malia Spencer.
- Silicon Florist – For more than 17 years, I’ve had this random hobby of covering what’s happening in the Portland startup community. The effort to highlight all of the amazing things happening in the community has grown over the years to provide a weekly newsletter, podcast, and YouTube channel. If you’re into that sort of thing.
The hack
One of the most confusing things to folks who are new to the community is a decided lack of networking infrastructure here in the Portland startup world. I mean, apart from the sizable shindig, here and there. It seems like a negative, but it’s actually an indicator of what makes Portland great: most everyone is super accessible.
So we’ve basically shortcut that whole networking thing. You don’t have to show up to an event, track down that one person you actually want to meet, hand them a business card, and then play calendar bingo until you can find a time to meet. You get to skip right to meeting up — and getting down to brass tacks (or whatever the kids are saying, these days).
What if there is someone in town you’d like to meet…? Just email them. Or ping them on Twitter. Or hit them up on Slack. Or whatever. Reach out. Most every startup person in town carves out time on their calendar for these sorts of happenstance and serendipitous meetings. So just ask.
Finding me
Speaking of reaching out, please feel free to reach out to me. Whether it’s getting your bearings in the Portland startup community, highlighting the startup you’re building, amplifying your event, or any number of other things you might need, I’m happy to point you in the right direction, share your news, or connect some dots for you, and/or provide some direct mentorship and advice.
Here are a few ways to connect with me:
- Bluesky (random social blather with a mix of startuppy stuff)
- Instagram (admittedly iffy on the DMs)
- LinkedIn (probably the easiest way to business with me)
- Meetup (events I’m organizing)
- … or I’m on the Portland Startups Slack pretty much all day, every day.
Glad to have you as part of the community! See you soon.