Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
I have to admit that, after the last three years, I’m feeling pretty out of the loop on the broader technology scene here in Portland and Oregon. I’m much more closely tracking early-stage startups in software, hardware, and consumer products. Often before they’ve established much of a presence. So it’s always nice to have a reference point like the Oregon Technology Awards.
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We, as a global community, have been under a ton of pressure and stress over the past two years. Global pandemics have a way of doing that. But stress and burnout were issues in the workforce long before that. With the tech and startup communities doing more than their fair share of burning through talent. But most of that, while vaguely understood, has been largely anecdotal. Which is why I’m always happy to see efforts that attempt to quantify the effects. Like The State of Burnout in Tech report.
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Skip and his growing team at TAO provide PDX startups with mentors, investors, and resources that help our Silicon Forest thrive. While TAO brings education, excitement, and community to Oregon-based tech companies, Skip operates at a national level, sharing insights and ideas with tech leaders, incubators, associations, and government programs across the country. TAO executes on exciting new ideas and services for its members with amazing speed. This is leadership in action, starting from the very top with Skip. Thank you for everything you continue to do to make Portland a great place to build technology.
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PDXWIT, the largest professional organization in Portland, has spent nearly a decade building community within the Portland technology community. As part of assessing that role, the organization decided that it was time to evolve their mission statement.
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When folks are trying to get engaged in the Oregon tech community, one of their first questions is where to start. And now, there’s an answer. Folks who are craving a spot to find up-to-date information on companies, investors, and support organizations — not to mention jobs — now have The Silicon Forest.
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[Editor: The following is a guest post from Kate Kaye, a freelance reporter here in Portland who has been actively researching, monitoring, and reporting on facial recognition technology in Portland.]
Silicon Florist readers know a lot about Portland tech. But did you know early next month Portland City Council could pass the most restrictive ban in the country — potentially the world — on one type of technology?
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For many folks, there’s more than the pandemic of COVID-19 affecting their lives. There are the equally damaging pandemics of systemic racism. And police violence. And exclusionary tactics and unconscious bias of the so-called “meritocracy” of startups and technology companies. So with all of these contributing factors colliding, what does the immediate future look like for Blacks in tech?
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Every year I look forward to the results of the Portland Women In Tech (PDXWIT) State of the Community survey results. Not because the results are easy to hear. Or even stomach. Far from it. But they’re a clear indicator of where our community is broken. And where work can be done.
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As folks think through how to disentangle and deconstruct systemic racism in many of our institutions, it comes as little surprise that the tech industry falls under similar scrutiny. Long a falsely held “meritocracy,” our largely white industry has any number deeply troubling racist dynamics to it, from its current demographics to its culture to its technology. And it’s going to take long term work — and constant dedication to that work — to address these issues and implement necessary changes.
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In a case of interesting timing, as Portland’s history with Google Fiber heads toward its denouement, news of Alphabet’s — Google’s parent company — Sidewalk Labs is just starting to build.