.

Tag: black lives matter

Bringing transparency to the supply chain: Chroma Signet

Rick Turoczy on October 22, 2020

As more and more people make a conscious effort to vote with their spending by purchasing products that support the people and causes that they find important, it can become increasingly difficult to understand who is benefitting from those dollars. Because supply chains are anything but transparent. A new offering from a familiar Portland startup, Chroma Signet, is designed to change that by bringing transparency to the supply chain, simply and effectively.

Read More

What is the Black tech experience post COVID-19, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor?

Rick Turoczy on July 29, 2020

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?

Read More

REMINDER: Need something more to “Do”?

Rick Turoczy on July 23, 2020

A few weeks ago, Stephen Green launched a new grassroots movement designed to leverage the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and empower individuals to help change the trajectory of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Portland business community, startups among them. It called upon folks to “Do. Do more. Do better.” And it’s grown to several hundred folks in Portland who are committed to doing the work.

Read More

Black Founders Matter announces first investment in a Black founded Portland startup

Rick Turoczy on June 25, 2020

The dynamics of venture funds are very much akin to the dynamics of startups. It’s rarely smooth. It’s often a series of fits and starts. And fundraising. And pivoting. Until a fund really hits its stride. But I’m happy to report that Black Founders Matter is beginning to get some early traction and has announced its first investment as part of the funding for A Kids Book About.

Read More

Wondering what Portland Black Lives Matter events are taking place for Juneteenth — and every other day of the year?

Rick Turoczy on June 18, 2020

There is something about the Portland culture of collaboration that inspires collection, aggregation, and amplification. To make things easier to use. To raise the visibility of important conversations. And to use technology to make things more accessible. So it should come as little surprise to anyone that with something as undeniably important as the Black Lives Matter movement, Portland would have its own aggregated calendar of Black Lives Matter events.

Read More