Portland Oregon startups, tech, news, events, jobs, and community

If you happen to around Bend next weekend (I don’t know. Maybe you live there or something.), Bend Startup Central is putting me in the hot seat for a fireside chat and a panel on the past and future of Oregon startups. I’d love to have you swing by and share your views. Or ask your questions. Or even just sit quietly and wonder what exactly you’ve actually gotten yourself into and where the nearest exit is.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Seattle, we’ve got an image problem – GeekWire

You may disagree with those headlines. You may dislike the politics behind them. But rhetoric, image and storytelling matter — especially in a moment when cities are competing fiercely for talent, investment, startups and relevance in the AI era.

Every once in a while, I like to check in on you, startup founder. Especially when you’re quiet and not asking. To make sure that you’re doing okay. Because startups are hard. And stressful. And debilitating. And it’s always nice to see that I’m not the only one who appreciates the struggle you’re going through. Like this survey came across my desk today: the Founder Mental Health Survey.

If your home is the most important physical thing you own — or hope to own — why is it so difficult to find ways to take care of it properly…? Better yet, how can you be sure you’ve accurately documented every piece and part of all of the components that make that home a functional and protective entity…? Those questions were enough to inspire a Portland startup. Meet VillaFact.

As a startup, you often need to gravitate to where the resources are. Sometimes, it’s talent. Sometimes, it’s customers. And more often than not, it’s the mentorship and guidance you need to build your company. Which is why Portland companies landing spots in incubators and accelerators outside of the region is a fairly common occurrence. This time, it’s Kreneon, which was just selected to participate in the Maritime Blue Ventures Seattle Incubator cohort for 2026.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Hating AI is good, actually

Lately I’ve felt myself rapidly radicalizing into what I can only call an anti-AI evangelist. I’ve never been quiet about my feelings on the subject—I even wrote a screed about it last month—but as more and more examples show how easily it can be used unethically, I’m not just skeptical. I’m against it.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

The third wave of American philanthropy – by Nan Ransohoff

This piece aims to directionally sketch the scale of what’s coming, the gap in operational capacity needed to absorb it, and what we can do to fill it.