A few weeks back, I mentioned that Chain React 2026 — the US React Native conference — is coming to Portland, July 29–31, 2026. Maybe you’re attending. Maybe it’s your first time in Portland. So I figured the hospitable and neighborly thing to do would be to help you make the most of it while you’re here. So if you’re one of the developers flying in for three days in the Pearl District… Hello. Welcome! Consider this your cheat sheet. Some how to get around, where to caffeinate, where to eat, where to grab a beverage, and what to see when the talks let out. Portland is yours for a few days. Hopefully this helps you actually enjoy it.

I’ve worked in, on, and around startup accelerators for nearly 20 years. And when it comes to the best in the business, Y Combinator is consistently the top program. Not only for the program itself. But for the connections to the YC community and access to Bookface and all of that jazz. So if you think you’re onto something compelling and you truly want to take it to the next level, you might want to consider applying to YC.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Unprecedented hack of tech firm by AI model raises new safety concerns – The Washington Post

OpenAI and Hugging Face, the company hacked by the AI model, did not release full technical details from the incident that would allow outsiders to fully reconstruct what happened. Hugging Face said in a company blog post that it had fixed vulnerabilities exploited in the attack but was still working to assess whether customer data was affected.

Okay okay okay. You’ve procrastinated long enough. It’s time to get to work on that Pitch Latino Portland application. Because you’re never going to get on stage if you don’t apply. And you have to apply by July 30, 2026. Hence the urgency.

Oregon Venture Fund portfolio company Wicked Saints Studio landed a noteworthy honor this week. Their game World Reborn was selected as the Apple “Game of the Day” for July 22, 2026.

Remember the good old days of apps that had a single use…? Not the modern day “cram every damn thing into a single app” sort of mentality. The very specific — often niche — apps that did one thing. And did them exceptionally well. That time…? Well, the advent of vibecoding is bringing back some of that energy. And I am here for it. Like Fan the Flame, an app specifically for our WNBA Portland Fire fans.

There is no denying the power of “Big Tech.” It permeates our modern existence. Whether we like it or not. And that gives them a ton a power. Which can be disconcerting. At best. But what if smaller startups and tech companies could band together to create a similar — potentially opposing — force…? That’s the idea behind Little Tech Association.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Founder Foundations – Info Session | Metro Region Innovation Hub

Learn more about Founder Foundations, our new 6-week primer built for first-time, idea-stage founders in the Portland Metro Area. Designed for those ready to trade professional experience for entrepreneurship, the program will give you real insight into what it actually takes to build a company.