It seems patently ridiculous that the so called “Land of Opportunity” would need a jumpstart for entrepreneurship. But that’s where we find ourselves. And once you peel back the veneer, there’s little surprise as to why. Rising cost of living, unaffordable healthcare, crushing student loan debt, lack of access to capital, lack of risk tolerance from investors… the list of negatives go on and on.
Read MoreTag: Entrepreneur
Another day, another founder survey: As an entrepreneur how do you give back to community?
In my experience, Portland founders are pretty good at giving back. Through volunteer work. Or donations. Or participating in organizations like Business for a Better Portland. But like so many things Portland, the measurement of that participation is largely anecdotal. That’s why it’s nice to see a survey working to capture more details and metrics on this behavior.
Looking for a startup conference that’s more inclusive? Case Foundation compiled a list for you
Conferences and events can be the bane of a startup’s existence — or the key to serendipity and success. But it’s always hard to tell which conferences are which. That’s why I’m really happy to see the Case Foundation’s list of inclusive entrepreneurship conferences for this year.
If you're a startup founder, Oregon wants to help. What do you need?
Being a startup founder is difficult. Really really difficult. So I’m always happy when our community takes the opportunity to help founders. And I’m even happier when they ask those founders what they need. Instead of assuming they have the answers. That’s why I’m excited to see Oregon BEST asking startups founders—all Oregon startup founders—what kind of support they need. Read More
A hero in our midst: Congrats to Shashi Jain on being recognized for helping young entrepreneurs
Sometimes, even the most startuppy of us has a day job. But when you can combine that day job with the opportunity to teach others about entrepreneurship? Then you’ve got something good going. And no one does a better job of keeping a foot in both camps than our own Shashi Jain. And now, he’s getting the recognition he so richly deserves. Read More
The rise of the Portland serial entrepreneur
Anyone who has chatted with me about “hurdles the Portland startup scene has yet to overcome” has heard me describe one of those problems as the dearth of serial founders in town. You know, the folks who founded companies or were early employees, built something, exited, and then started something else. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Well, a few recent news stories have me thinking that might be starting to happen with a little more consistency, finally. Read More
Portland's Michelle Rowley, founder of Code Scouts, named one of Entrepreneur's "7 Most Powerful Women to Watch in 2014"
While funding news and customer wins are always good to hear, it’s also nice to see some of Portland’s more philanthropic efforts getting the attention they deserve. That’s why it was great to see Entrepreneur Magazine recognizing Portland’s Michelle Rowley as one of “The 7 Most Powerful Women to Watch in 2014.” Read More
Meeting of the startup minds: OEN Entrepreneurial Summit and tradeshow weaves together a rich collection of Oregon entrepreneurs
While everyone has different things they love about Portland, a common complaint is the prevalence of silos here in town. Where insular groups tend to remain in contact with one another—but don’t do a very good job of connecting with other groups. Now, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) is doing something to fix that. Read More
REMINDER: The Lean Entrepreneur book tour stops by Portland, March 5
The whole “lean” approach to building startups continues to gain momentum. And much like the lean concept advises, the techniques for successfully using the approach are going through a constant iteration. One of the latest takes is The Lean Entrepreneur. Authors Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits will be in town this week to talk about it. Read More
How I became a better entrepreneur by failing my first meeting with a VC
I faced a big challenge on Friday. It was TresPlace’s first formal pitch with an investor. I met with Tom Sperry, Managing Director of Rogue Venture Partners. It was a humbling experience. Read More