If you live in the Portland area and don’t know about Vanport, you should. Once the second largest — and most diverse — city in Oregon and the nation’s largest wartime housing development, Vanport only existed about six years, less than 100 years ago. It was destroyed by a flood and never rebuilt. Now, a little bit of tech is being used to tell the stories of that community through the voices of the people who lived there.

I know I’ve mentioned the “pervading pessimism” that’s been palpable in Portland as of late. But I don’t know that I’ve done a good job of highlighting projects and programs that are injecting some good old fashioned Portland optimism into the mix. You know, the “Portland is big enough to be statistically relevant, but small enough that one person can make a difference” sort of vibe. And a recent piece by Portland Monthly on Reimagine Portland does just that.

There’s been a growing trend around zero-proof beverages, recently. With tech like Buzzcutt helping folks find their way to nonalcoholic options. And now there’s a new location to add to the app. Thanks to Portland Syrups new mocktail bottle shop.

If you’ve talked to me recently, you know that I’m pretty bullish on the consumer products startup community here in Oregon. Blame Mitch Daugherty. So I’ve been paying more attention to what’s going on in that space, as of late. Especially when I’m wearing my Built Oregon cofounder hat. So I thought I’d share that new Built board member, Karmen Olson, is launching a consultancy to help food & beverage startups and established brands alike. Meet XOKO.

In a letter to the US Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon — one of the most Internet savvy elected officials at the Federal level — raised concerns about the ability for tech companies like Apple and Google to use push notifications from applications to capture data on users that could be used for nefarious purposes.

Speaking of podcasts… we’ve got another one launching, this week. As teased at PitchBlack 2023 (applications for PitchBlack 2024 are due in one week), Stephen Green has a new podcast called Greener Pastures NW. It will launch on Friday, December 8, 2023, at 10AM on LinkedIn with a live episode. The first guest will be Ciara Pressler.

Sometimes, you get to doing something. As a hobby. Or even as a professional pursuit. And it starts to get pretty lonely. And disconnected. So it’s nice to get together with other folks who share that passion. So that you can compare notes and stuff. And if you’re a podcaster in Portland, that opportunity is coming next week with the Portland Podcasters Meetup.