Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
While admittedly there are any number of resources that share the stories of entrepreneurs, the voice of those stories is decidedly homogenous. So when I get the chance to share a story that’s not part of the homogeneity — or when I get the chance to use the word “homogeneity” in a post — I’m going to do it. Like the story of Sylvia Salazar, the Latina founder of TonoLatino.
In the early days of any new technology, there is always the challenge of compatibility. As various file formats, schemas, and structures spring to life, interoperability is often the last thing to consider. So it’s always nice to see this sort of thing happening sooner rather than later. Like Portland startup The Wild enabling folks to work with SketchUp files within The Wild VR environment.
The past couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to get invited to the Kauffman Foundation’s ESHIP Summit. A chance to gather and learn from folks who help entrepreneurs, participate in economic development, and generally try to make the whole world of startups more accessible to both founders and the mentors that they need.
I’m always impressed by the motivations of folks who are starting companies in Portland. Because more often than not, they’re driven by a desire to solve problems. Or to create better products. Or to contribute to the greater good. Now a new Portland startup—In-It—is seeking to give folks a platform to share what drives them and to gather more collective voices in support.
If you’ve talked to me about markets that have a lot of potential in Portland, we’ve no doubt discussed reality of some flavor or another. Virtual, Augmented, Immersive, Experiential… whatever you want to call it, folks in Portland have been exploring creating content with those technologies for years. And now, XR is inspiring a new crop of products in town that enable folks to create that content more easily.
This Spring, I was given the opportunity to take the stage for TEDxPortland. Which, I later learned, is among the top three TEDx events in the world. And it’s a good thing that I learned that later, because that definitely would have tempered my acceptance of the opportunity. But as someone who suffers from stage fright—and someone who did not yet understand the stature of the event—it seemed like one of those interesting personal challenges. A growing experience. I mean, what could go wrong?
It’s only fitting, as I sit here in a hotel lobby in Kansas City following a couple of days of talking about startup communities and startup ecosystems, that I’m listening to Marcelino Alvarez of Portland’s Uncorked Studios talk about community.
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or how awesome it is. Funding is difficult. That’s why I’m always intrigued by folks finding different ways to raise capital to bring their dreams to life. So I was super excited to see my favorite kids’ science show—The Fab Lab with Crazy Aunt Lindsey—looking to our community to help support the next season of production.
This. We need more of this. In addition to continuing to hustle and grind on your startup, you need to take time to reflect. And take stock of your accomplishments. And be proud of what you’ve managed to get done. And tell people about it. Because it’s important.
You may have caught the news that Jaguar Land Rover has recently repositioned its local startup efforts, shifting from the Jaguar Land Rover Incubator to the Jaguar Land Rover Innovation Labs. But what sort of changes does that entail? JLR gives us a glimpse with a a new video on the project.