Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
Local venture capital firm Black Founders Matter is encouraging their entire industry to be more intentional about engaging BIPOC women through both investments and employment. And they’ve launched an effort called the 25 by 25 VC Diversity Pledge to formalize it.
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One of the more recent VCs to call the Portland area home, Black Founders Matter, recently had the opportunity to take Crunchbase through some of the goals and motivations for starting the fund designed to support Black-led businesses.
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“It’s simple… but it’s not easy.” That’s how Portland’s Stephen Green describes running a business. So how do you make it easier? Stephen shares some tips for running and investing in any business — with a particular focus on Black businesses — as a guest on the Let’s Talk Marketing podcast with Nathan Webster.
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TiE Oregon, one of the critical support organizations for the Oregon startup community in terms of both funding and mentorship, has announced the appointment of Lateef Jackson to its Board of Directors. Lateef is the first Black board member of any of the 22 TiE chapters throughout North America.
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If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a few titles from A Kids Book About, now would be the time to do it. Although “a few” may be an understatement. The A Kids Book About Black History Month bundle features 13 titles.
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It’s become a bit of tradition around here. Started by Stephen Green and accompanied by the Built Oregon social media presence, February is focused on helping to raise the visibility of some of the amazing Black owned businesses in Oregon — startup or otherwise. As always, I’ll compile a recap at the end of the month. But if you’d like to follow along, day by day, that would be awesome.
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While I’m extremely lucky to get the opportunity to see all kinds of amazing founders and companies here in Portland, it’s always nice when they’re recognized on a larger stage. Like today, when Marceau Michel and his venture capital fund, Black Founders Matter, were featured in The New York Times.
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Now, it’s no secret that I’m a fan of Indie.vc. The way they’re rethinking traditional venture capital is right in line with the way companies are built around here. And their focus on generating revenue and founders retaining control has an appeal as well. So just imagine how much more of a fan I became when I heard that someone from Portland and someone who used to live in Portland were selected to help invest some Indie.vc capital.
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Speaking of new venture capital funds in Portland… Granted everything is pretty grim right now. And energy is hard to come by. Let alone optimism. So when there is a glimmer of something hopeful in the Portland startup community, that seems like something to celebrate. Like Portland’s Black Founders Matter fund making its first investment. In a Black founded Portland startup. And then that news making it into TechCrunch.
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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?
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