More on the whole “talking more than doing” and “not even including startups” front, did you hear that there’s a new roundtable to talk about more things and stuff…? More talking. More discussing. More roundtabling. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has launched a thing called the Central City Roundtable. It’s a group of civic leaders tasked with carrying forward the “All in on Portland’s Central City” vision — you know, the one that came out of the Governor’s Central City Task Force in 2025, naturally.
And look. The intentions are good. The will and effort appear to be there. The people involved are serious people. That’s all true. And I’m not here to be cynical about yet another downtown recovery effort. Portland needs all the help it can get.
But…
I do want to point something out. And it might be a little harsh. But maybe — just maybe — I’m in my “no fucks left to give” era. Or “bias for action” era. So whatever. Let’s get into the issue.
The Central City Roundtable is a group of civic leaders working to support the recovery and long-term health of Portland’s Central City. The Roundtable — roundtable? Roundtable? RoundTable? — brings together leaders from business, real estate, arts and culture, education, philanthropy, and community institutions to stay aligned on what matters most and where collective action can make a difference.
Real estate. Healthcare. Education. Finance. Restaurants. Sports. Philanthropy. Architecture.
You know what’s missing?
Entrepreneurs. Startups. The companies that are actually creating new jobs — and demonstrating the potential to fill those spaces. The community that’s been building in Portland for decades while everyone else was focused on keeping the big logos — like the mayor’s ever present Starbucks cups — downtown. The folks who refurbished food cart pods and kept the lights on while other folks were tearing down food cart pods in favor of luxury skyrises.
I’m not saying that any of us have time to be at the table. Because clearly you don’t. You have bigger fish or okra to fry. All I’m saying is that they need someone from the entrepreneurial — or even tech — community at the table. Because if you’re trying to figure out how to make Portland’s central city vibrant again — and you’re not talking to the people who are actually building new things here — you’re having a bit of a one-sided conversation.
I mean… Josh Carter is tight with both Jeff Swickard (on the panel) and the mayor of Portland. He’s moved UpStart Collective into the heart of downtown. David Barrett of Expensify who has not only planted his company downtown but also paid to rejuvenate the longtime food cart pod on SW 5th as the Midtown Beer Garden. Faris Mubarak who has kept NedSpace downtown. Maybe someone who is looking to represent what a better Portland might look like…? Heck, even pull in — I don’t know — someone from Prosper fucking Portland who has a point of view on small business…
I mean, I’m just spitballing here. But it’s not rocket surgery, my dudes. There are any number of folks I could highlight as potential participants in this discussion. Folks with startup experience. And an understanding of why and how to be downtown.
Argh. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking whiny lately. I just know that we’re better than this. Portland is better than this. And our leadership should be better than this. We just need to figure out more ways to get the right people in the room. And at the table. Whether it is fucking round or not. And we need to start doing things. Rather than talking about them. Which, honestly, is all I’m doing here. So I’ll just shut the fuck up.
For more information, visit the Portland Central City Roundtable.
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