Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Hating AI is good, actually
Lately I’ve felt myself rapidly radicalizing into what I can only call an anti-AI evangelist. I’ve never been quiet about my feelings on the subject—I even wrote a screed about it last month—but as more and more examples show how easily it can be used unethically, I’m not just skeptical. I’m against it.
The past and future of Oregon Startups… Fireside chat with Rick Turoczy, Fri, May 29, 2026, 5:00 PM | Meetup
This event is for anyone who is interested in technology, the startup ecosystem, and how to push Bend and Oregon overall forward with innovation, this is a great opportunity to meet the people driving this innovation, and rub shoulders with the community and founders making this future a reality.
Yes, In My Backyard: Lessons in Effective Place-Based Giving | Bridgespan
In 2020, as communities across the country grappled with a racial reckoning, Albina community leaders approached the Knights with a comprehensive and distinctive vision for a transformative investment in the community’s long-term vitality. That cohesive plan eventually became the 1803 Fund. The plan called for the creation of infrastructure—a full suite of financial tools and assets—that would enable investment in and for Black Portland to advance generational wealth and well-being. The fund would include investments ranging from housing to arts and culture, all to resource the self-determination already present in the community.
The Billion-Dollar Solo Founder Myth | by Eddie Larsen | Apr, 2026 | Medium
The problem is not that this story exists. The problem is what happens when this type of story becomes the reference point for what building a product is supposed to look like.
Portland AI Engineers 2026 June Meetup
Save the date, Ping Sam if you would like to present
Prophetic Webinar Registration – Zoom
In this session, Prophetic Founder and CEO Oliver Alexander and Chief Product Officer Justin Baxley take you inside the platform to show what that looks like in practice. Oliver and Justin will demo the platform live on real markets, showing how a single parcel goes from discovery to zoning clarity to feasibility to pipeline in minutes. No slides. No scripted walkthrough. Just the workflow that enterprise builders are using right now to evaluate more land, faster, with fewer people.
Where Funded Founders Went To School: 2026 Edition
To illustrate, we ranked the top 37 schools for funded founders below. The ranking tracks the number of founders affiliated with each school whose startups raised seed through growth-stage funding this past year.
Coding is solved? Software is not. – Arcplane journal
When humans wrote most of the code, we tolerated a lot of workflow friction because implementation itself took time. Now the code arrives sooner, so the surrounding workflow gets exposed, and in some places the problems get worse.
EmpowerPitch | CEDO
EmpowerPitch is for female founders across Oregon who want to strengthen their pitch, understand fundraising, and prepare to pursue angel or early-stage investment.
“Partners with Portland Semiconductor Network”… Gyeonggi Innovation Center Expands Cooperation with U.S. Silicon Forest – 벤처스퀘어
Through this agreement, both organizations plan to jointly establish a cooperation framework to help domestic semiconductor startups settle into the U.S. market and commercialize their businesses locally.
Best of Portland 2026 – Willamette Week
Nominations for Best of Portland 2026 are over, and it’s time to vote on who is truly the Best of Portland. If your business made it onto the voting ballot, congratulations! Voting closes on June 17 at 12:00 pm, so be sure to tell everyone you know to vote for you before then. Whoever ends the campaign with the most votes will be crowned the Best of Portland and enjoy the notoriety and fame that comes with winning.
Build Something That Matters Hackathon, Fri, May 29, 2026, 2:00 PM | Meetup
Build Something That Matters Hackathon is a hands-on community sprint where small teams work with local nonprofits to understand a real problem, build a practical solution, and present what they created by the end of the event.
America’s AI boom just hit a wall called local politics – Startup Fortune
The same fight is playing out in Oregon. Hillsboro, already one of the most important data center hubs in the Pacific Northwest, said it does not expect additional data center applications to move through before Oregon’s June 6 moratorium date. The city has been under pressure after a rush of proposals arrived before the pause takes effect. Developers saw a closing window. Residents saw a system moving faster than public consent.
