Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
If you’ve been anywhere near the Portland startup community, you likely know what it’s like to start something from nothing, either through your own experience or via someone you know. You understand finding inspiration and running with it — often without a plan. And you get that even starting with the most simple concept is the key — the first important step — to begin actually changing the world.
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(NOTE: You’re soaking in it.) Portland, by any count, is one of the least diverse cities in the United States. This is referenced anecdotally, often in hushed tones. But it’s the truth. From our state’s and city’s racist beginnings to our modern day existence, Portland is uncomfortably and homogeneously white.
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For all of the fanfare and hype, the Portland startup community — and tech community at large — is still full of problems and faults. A lot of them. And those are issues that we’ll never begin to correct without a stark and objective assessment of the current state of the community. And that’s why I’m so thankful for organizations like PDX Women in Tech who take the opportunity to assess our progress as a community.
[Editor: This is a guest post from Jared Wiener, the software industry liaison for Prosper Portland (the organization formerly known as the Portland Development Commission (PDC)). As part of his role, he has helped manage the TechTown Portland program which includes the Diversity Pledge. Here, he provides an update on the progress with that program.]
It’s no secret that the Portland startup community has more than its fair share of virtual reality and augmented reality activity. But it’s only going to be a truly interesting, compelling, and vibrant with a variety of voices and experiences. That’s why it’s awesome to see folks like Kerri Lynne Thorp who are working to ensure that everyone feels welcome in this burgeoning community.
As the Portland startup community continues to work toward being more inclusive, a recent report from the Kapor Center couldn’t be more well-timed. The “Tech Leavers Study” captures evidence on why people “voluntarily” left jobs in the tech industry. The findings aren’t surprising. But the quantification of the detrimental impact of toxic startup cultures is. To the tune of $16 billion a year.