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

As long as I’ve been doing Silicon Florist-y type stuff — so 17 years or so — Dylan Boyd has consistently been one of the most helpful and willing connector of dots. And while my purview has been very inwardly Portland focused, Dylan’s efforts were bringing connections from everywhere else in the world to benefit the Portland community. But after a decade at R/GA Ventures, Dylan is ready for something new.

There’s definitive momentum in cleantech around these parts. And The Wings Conference was a great example of what happens when that community collaborates to raise visibility. Climate Curious is keeping that community momentum going with regular gatherings. But does the region have a clear and coherent identity in cleantech? That’s the question that this Prosper Portland survey is hoping to answer.

A championship belt wasn’t the only thing being given away last night at Demolicious, last night. UpStart Collective, the home and primary sponsor of Demolicious, also shared some news about their planned expansion in 2025. And it’s got a bit of collegiate bent.

The Portland startup community — as well as folks from Bend and a few other spots — packed into the McMenamins Mission Theater last night to watch eight companies take the stage. Each of those companies had one thing in common: a win at one of the monthly Demolicious events. But when the dust cleared and the crowd votes were tallied, one company was named the Champion of those champions for 2024: Airbuild.

As a startup founder, it’s rare to get the opportunity to pause. But the end of the year often presents an opportunity to do so. But what should you reflect upon exactly…? I found these 25 questions from First Round to be a pretty compelling starting point.

I’ve been telling people all about this one, but I wanted to remind you one more time… Our friends at AI Portland and Rose City Techies have combined forces with the Technology Association of Oregon to host a holiday get together for the entire Portland tech community. And you’re invited.

When it comes to vacation rental management, the name Vacasa should be familiar to folks. What may come as a surprise is that Eric Breon, the founder of Vacasa — along with cofounders with a depth of Vacasa experience — are taking another run at revamping the industry with a new startup called Fairly.