Portland Oregon Startup and Tech News
In this day and age, the concept of “keeping score” pervades practically every facet of our online lives. From video games to social media followers. But what about keeping score in the real world? Or with board games? Or with overly competitive friends who don’t seem to ever remember that you have handed them far more than their fair share of defeat on a regular basis? Well, now there’s a way to keep track. Meet Notch.
Just one last reminder to chime in on the survey about the Portland startup community if you haven’t already. It will be closing soon — and then I’ll share the results.
Every single one of you has made this community what it is and still has the potential to make our community even more awesome. That’s why your participation and feedback are incredibly important to me. And I want to make sure that your voice is in the mix. So please take a moment to respond.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said a million times: PitchBlack is the best pitch event in Portland. So many amazing founders. And so many amazing pitches. This year was the most competitive of all, With 12 folks standing up and pitching their hearts out. But when the crowd’s votes were counted, one effort stood out as the clear winner: The Fab Lab with Crazy Aunt Lindsey.
According to The Oregonian, a public memorial service will be held for Sam Blackman at the Portland Art Museum on Sunday, September 10, 2017. The service begins at 10AM.
Sam’s family has asked that those wishing to make donations in remembrance direct those donations to the following organizations:
Our community is still reeling from the news of the death of Sam Blackman. But that pales in comparison to what his family is going through. In an effort to help — and to capture Sam’s legacy in the Oregon tech community — the Technology Association of Oregon is working to gather memories and photos.
Sam Blackman was going to be the mayor of Portland. He might have even been governor of Oregon. And potentially a senator. But I was always convinced that he was going to be the mayor. He never told me that he wanted to be. I just knew that someday, he would be.
I don’t really know what to say. And I hate that I may be the first one to share this news with you but I felt like you should know. Sam Blackman, cofounder and CEO of Elemental, has passed away. He was 41.
As the Portland startup community works against the unfortunately predominant homogenous tech culture to take advantage of the opportunities availed by more diverse and inclusive teams, many companies are struggling to find ways of attracting and engaging with more diverse talent. A number of companies have sprung up to assist in this pursuit. Among them, ScoutSavvy. But if you’re looking for their help, you’ll want to search under their new name: forEach.
After 10 years, I’m doubling down on my efforts to help make the Portland startup community even better and more awesome than it already is. But let’s be honest. I’m not really the most creative person. So rather than me try to guess what all of the problems or opportunities with our community are, I thought it would be wise to get your input and insights. And so did Built Oregon and PIE.
It’s a challenge to come up with any good news about the rental market, these days. But leave it to Portland startup Cozy to provide a bright spot. Now, in addition to its other services that ease the stress of being a landlord or a renter, Cozy can help you secure renter’s insurance—or verify it, if you’re a landlord.
