PDX Startup Week 2017: Coming together for innovation and advocacy
TLDR: Join us February 6 at Innovate and Advocate: A PDX Startup Week Summit.
I can only speak from my own experience, but Portland has been a great place for me to start and build my own business. What’s more, doing business in Portland is fairly affirming on a regular basis: I’m continually amazed to see other local entrepreneurs building great products, designing great experiences for their customers, creating opportunities and giving back, both in our local community and across the globe. It’s hard not to want to do better, to be more thoughtful, more inclusive, and more giving when I see the work my peers are doing.
It’s also worth noting that this inspiration and cross-pollination isn’t just limited to the very digitally focused world where I work in design and technology. Game-changing entrepreneurs are working across seemingly every industry and sector in Portland: from the coffee roasters to the bike shops, to food and apparel, to wine and cannabis, even healthcare and banking. Of course, our local crowd of visionaries also frequently collaborates with leaders from activist and arts organizations who also creating innovative new solutions and institutions.
There’s lots to learn from Portland’s business success stories and community leaders about creating cultures of advocacy and innovation. That’s why, when Thursday Bram from Stumptown Syndicate asked Kristen Gallagher and I if we were interested in organizing an event for PDX Startup Week, we started scheming about ways to bring people into the conversation who weren’t the stereotypical Silicon Valley Startup founders we usually hear about, but instead, the diverse, brilliant, innovative folks we know in Portland.
Next Monday, February 6, we’re holding a day-long event (hosted by Vacasa, with support from the PDC) with an awesome line up of talks and discussions, all devoted to how we can come together to work stronger, smarter, and in more just and equitable ways. Our speaker lineup includes:
Sara Iannarone from First Stop Portland
Audrey Eschright from Recompiler Media
Marcelino Alvarez from Uncorked Studios
Katrina Scotto di Carlo from Supportland
Stephen Green of Townsquared
Marketer Ciara Pressler
ethnographer Beth Duckles
writer and performer Susan Elizabeth Shepard
VR researcher Jessica Outlaw
We’ll have informal time set aside for discussion and collaboration, and host a pitch contest with an awesome mentoring package as a prize.
We want you to join us in the conversation. Tickets are free but space is limited, so please register today!
