If you missed the opportunity to participate in the conversation about the “Do. Do more. Do better.” movement yesterday — which expanded into a broader conversation on the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Portland — the session was recorded especially for you.
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If you’ve been anywhere near the Portland startup community, you likely know what it’s like to start something from nothing, either through your own experience or via someone you know. You understand finding inspiration and running with it — often without a plan. And you get that even starting with the most simple concept is the key — the first important step — to begin actually changing the world.
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You’ve all seen it. The stock imagery. It’s the high fiving white dudes. Or the oddly tokenized board room shot. But what if available stock photography wasn’t so cheesy? And what if it represented a broader range of the folks we work with day in and day out? That’s what Disabled and Here is hoping to accomplish. And they could use your help.
Startups have to juggle a lot. A lot. So picking their battles — or applications as it were — is an important part of deciding how they’re going to spend their time. And in my opinion, if you’re a founder who identifies as a woman, person of color, or LGBTQ, you’d be smart to spend your time applying to the Backstage Capital Accelerator. Because there isn’t a more truly and earnestly inclusive investor and accelerator, local or otherwise.
I always say that the Portland startup community is big enough to be statistically relevant, but not so large that you can’t move the needle. So the fact that our community is severely lacking in terms of diversity and inclusion presents both a problem and an opportunity for the community. Part of the solution must include ensuring that everyone has access to resources and support that give all entrepreneurs the greatest chance of success. That was the motivation behind Prosper Portland’s Inclusive Business Resource Network.
Nearly two years ago, Ryan Buchanan penned a post that accurately described the Portland business community as being “too white, too male.” But rather than simply pointing out the issue, he took his own call to arms and took action. With the announcement of the Portland Emerging Leaders Internship program.
As the Portland startup community works against the unfortunately predominant homogenous tech culture to take advantage of the opportunities availed by more diverse and inclusive teams, many companies are struggling to find ways of attracting and engaging with more diverse talent. A number of companies have sprung up to assist in this pursuit. Among them, ScoutSavvy. But if you’re looking for their help, you’ll want to search under their new name: forEach.
[Editor: This is a guest post from Jared Wiener, the software industry liaison for Prosper Portland (the organization formerly known as the Portland Development Commission (PDC)). As part of his role, he has helped manage the TechTown Portland program which includes the Diversity Pledge. Here, he provides an update on the progress with that program.]
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: It’s so much easier to build a diverse company from the ground up than it is to try to retroactively unwind a white dude company later. So the sooner startups start thinking about a diverse workforce, the better off they’ll be in the long run. And if you need help to think about that diversity? There’s a startup for that: ScoutSavvy.
It’s no secret that the Portland startup community has more than its fair share of virtual reality and augmented reality activity. But it’s only going to be a truly interesting, compelling, and vibrant with a variety of voices and experiences. That’s why it’s awesome to see folks like Kerri Lynne Thorp who are working to ensure that everyone feels welcome in this burgeoning community.
