--- title: 'Silicon Florist links arrangement for January 21, 2026' date: '2026-01-21T10:22:54-08:00' type: post word_count: 621 char_count: 6611 tokens: 808 categories: - Portland --- # Silicon Florist links arrangement for January 21, 2026 Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today: [Why every exec should be vibecoding – by Elena Verna](https://www.elenaverna.com/p/why-every-exec-should-be-vibecoding?utm_source=tldrfounders) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The future looks more like this: senior leaders and execs who stay part-time ICs. People who still build, ship, review, and create, not just talk about it. [Builders Meet Advisors Happy Hour, Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 6:00 PM | Meetup](https://www.meetup.com/what-the-tech-bend/events/312967111/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=braze_canvas&utm_campaign=mmrk_alleng_event_announcement_prod_unfiltered_v7_en&utm_term=promo&utm_content=lp_meetup&dispatch_id=696fdd47c53decbce04beb9e00a882b5) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re bringing together builders—founders, founding team members, and functional team leaders (think Directors and above)—with experienced professionals for a curated gathering where builders meet advisors in a casual setting, share real challenges, and discover what’s possible when top notch talent decides to invest in your success. [Duncan Wyse hands OBC leadership to John Tapogna – Portland Business Journal](https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2026/01/20/john-tapogna-oregon-business-council.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=ae&utm_content=PO&j=43642546&senddate=2026-01-20&utm_term=ep4&empos=p4) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Tapogna will take over leadership of the Oregon Business Council from longtime President Duncan Wyse on March 1. Wyse will transition to a new role within the organization. [Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek names data center advisory committee – Portland Business Journal](https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2026/01/20/kotek-data-center-committee-bloom-energy-report.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=ae&utm_content=PO&j=43642546&senddate=2026-01-20&utm_term=ep1&empos=p1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A new report from Bloom Energy, however, sees Oregon as one of a handful of “legacy and secondary markets” losing out on new development in the next few years as the market shifts toward bigger data centers tied to artificial intelligence. [Innovators Everywhere. Figuring out how to leverage… | by Joe Maruschak | Jan, 2026 | Medium](https://joemaruschak.medium.com/innovators-everywhere-8dc96e9459f1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The talent is in every town in every state — it is, in many ways, underutilized. To truly thrive as a nation, we need to figure out how to leverage the unique talents of all of these individuals. [Everyone deserves a better computer | Ahead Computing](https://www.aheadcomputing.com/blog/everyone-deserves-a-better-computer) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AheadComputing, Inc. is a semiconductor start-up built on the belief that everyone deserves a better computer. We are designing a unique architecture with the ultimate goal of delivering the best per-core performance available. [AheadComputing lands $30M to build RISC-V processors for AI data centers – SiliconANGLE](https://siliconangle.com/2026/01/21/aheadcomputing-lands-30m-build-risc-v-cpus-ai-datacenters/) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since the company’s founding in 2024, AheadComputing has moved quickly through product development and technical collaboration across the semiconductor ecosystem, working with hyperscalers to pair RISC-V extensibility with a breakthrough microarchitecture that delivers top-tier performance for modern AI and datacenter workloads. [Elevate Capital Funds $1.6M Investment in Oregon Startups](https://elevate.vc/elevate-capital-startup-funding-update/) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over the past year, that work has continued with $1.6 million invested across five Oregon-based startups, representing a diverse mix of technologies, industries, and growth opportunities. [Oregon governor forms new committee to advise on massive data center growth • Oregon Capital Chronicle](https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/01/20/oregon-governor-forms-new-committee-to-advise-on-massive-data-center-growth/?emci=02a3e124-55f6-f011-8d4c-0022482d279b&emdi=683d60e9-d9f6-f011-8d4c-0022482d279b&ceid=435409) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The seven members of Gov. Tina Kotek’s new Data Center Advisory Committee will recommend regulations meant to protect energy and water amid rapid data center growth [10 Nonobvious Things About Silicon Valley Fundraising — Chris Neumann](https://chrisneumann.com/archives/10-nonobvious-things-about-silicon-valley-fundraising) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are 10 nonobvious things about fundraising in Silicon Valley according to our week two speakers. More Oregon startup news ------------------------