Portland Oregon Startup and Tech News
Part of the challenge of running a startup is making sure that people — potential customer, mentors, employees — now about it. And there’s no better way to put your company on the map than to win an award. Even if you nominate yourself. So why not take a few minutes to throw your hat in the ring for the Portland Business Journal Small Business Innovation Awards 2017?
In the world of startups, it’s common for founders to seek out the path that promises the most opportunity with the least resistance — even if that means leaving their hometown to find help. Startup accelerators are often one of these helpful resources. And no outside accelerator program has helped Portland startups more than Techstars. And that’s why it’s always nice when Techstars Seattle is in town looking for more folks to help.
You’ve no doubt heard that Portland is a city of makers. Even if they’re not doing it professionally, it seems that we have a ton of folks who are mucking around with making things. Be it the latest technology — like 3D printing — or more traditional forms of making, we’ve got it in droves. And there’s no better gathering to showcase that than PDX Maker Week.
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.
