Especially because Whiffies’ strong Twitter presence. So it was great to see Whiffies, Food Carts Portland’s Dieselboi, and Strange Love Live getting love from MSNBC.
We’re a fairly tight-knit community here in the Portland startup scene. Even if those startups have nothing to do with tech.
One of the best examples? The Portland food cart scene. We know it’s awesome. And it’s also a primary source of sustenance that fuels any number of late night hacking session—or even daytime hacking session depending on the cart.
[HTML2]Now, you may not realize this, but during my day job I’m constantly sifting through media reports. Gargantuan PDFs or documents that contain a series of clipped links and snippets about specific clients or subjects. The reports are unwieldy at best. And I can only imagine what kind of workload this effort creates for the agencies that compile them for me—and any number of other clients—on a daily basis.
Long story short, the whole “tracking media coverage” thing—whether for PR firms or otherwise—could use some help. And don’t even get me started on the whole social media angle.
GadgetTrak is a great example. With software that helps people recover lost or stolen laptops or phones, it’s a technology that anyone can understand. And that translates into coverage by more traditional outlets, like TV.
One of the reasons I started Silicon Florist was the hope that I could recognize some local startup efforts that aren’t getting the attention they deserve. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore the ventures that are getting attention from traditional media.
GadgetTrak is a great example. With software that helps people recover lost or stolen laptops or phones, it’s a technology that anyone can understand. And that can translate into coverage by more traditional outlets, like TV. Read More
We seem to be a complete enigma to the media. No one can quite to put their finger on why young creatives continue to flock to Portland even though the Oregon unemployment rate continues to soar.
Still, journalist are exercising a fair amount of schadenfreude while covering the inexorable influx—by focusing on the downside of our current environment. Like the unemployment. And the hiccups and black eyes of Portland startups. Read More
Well, this week, OMC announced something that may just make me stop wearing black over OMI’s demise. You see, Oregon Media Central is going to start covering the blogging scene, too.
[HTML2]Not so long ago, I was in a bit of a funk about the demise of Oregon Media Insiders, which had been the go-to blog for all things media-related around these parts. It was a shame to see it go.
But, while I’m still sad that OMI is no more, I have to say that Oregon Media Central has done a fine job of stepping in to fill those very big shoes. And now, there’s something that makes me like Oregon Media Central event more.
Local iPhone development agency Small Society—with whom I apparently have a bit of a fanboi obsession—made it to the big stage at the Apple Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) when Zipcar was asked to demo their upcoming iPhone app.
“Small Society is working closely with Zipcar to bring Zipcar for iPhone to market,” said Raven Zachary at Small Society. “We love our friends at Zipcar.”
And apparently, so does everyone else. Take a look at some of the highlights from today’s coverage of the WWDC mentioning Zipcar. Read More
Several vintage Portland buildings have been renovated recently, blurring the line between co-working and traditional offices. Small creative entrepreneurs have office doors, but they share common areas and, sometimes, business.
Among the folks mentioned are some of our favorite coworking spaces in town.
CubeSpace hosts evening events, including tech clubs and Beer & Blog gatherings. Schweber and Kominsky sometimes sweep through at 9:15 — quarter-past quitting time — and urge the crowd to move to a bar.
When Julie Duryea opened Souk 2 1/2 years ago, cafes were the only choice for most freelancing Portlanders. She couldn’t find many co-working spaces beyond New York and London.
Now, her Old Town operation hosts an eclectic crowd: a footwear and apparel consultant, a strategic planner, a retail designer. Plus, Souk has company in the Portland market.
They recruit tenants through online networking, word of mouth and a startup event they hosted last month. Early residents are developing iPhone applications, an online rental payment service, board games, interactive music content and more. Some have started companies; others are first-timers.
If you haven’t checked out these coworking spaces, you should. Not only are they do they provide an amazing resource to our startup community, they serve as the warm little hub around which many of us gather.
And their continued willingness to support our events—often pro bono—is without a doubt a key to the burgeoning startup community with which we find ourselves enamoured.
