Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
As the Portland startup community continues to work toward being more inclusive, a recent report from the Kapor Center couldn’t be more well-timed. The “Tech Leavers Study” captures evidence on why people “voluntarily” left jobs in the tech industry. The findings aren’t surprising. But the quantification of the detrimental impact of toxic startup cultures is. To the tune of $16 billion a year.
The timing is impeccable. Following one of the most poignant, moving, and momentous protests in US history, it seems perfect that a group of women from the Portland startup and investment communities is launching a new organization designed to help women founders in Oregon build amazing companies—and find the funding they need. Meet the XXcelerate Fund. Read More
Describing the Portland tech scene to anyone who hasn’t experienced it in person is difficult. We’ve got some of the same sorts of startups you might see in San Francisco, but we also have tech companies that follow their own path. Portland also has nonprofits, a strong open source community, and a meetup scene that larger cities struggle to match. (Seriously, count the number of meetups in town just related to the Python programming language.) As a result, we’re starting to see hints of diversity: entrepreneurs from marginalized backgrounds, products built for wider user bases, and conference with diverse lineups. Read More
Saying diversity and inclusion is a problem in the tech world is a staggering understatement. And when you live in the most infamously white city in the United States with an incredibly small tech and startup community, that issue is only exacerbated. Exponentially. That’s why I’m always happy to see how other folks are working to change that. Read More
Portland’s never-ending dance with Google around Google Fiber continues with no end—positive or negative—in sight. But that’s not stopping Google from applying needed resources to the Portland community. Like their Google Fiber Digital Inclusion Fellowship. Read More