Portland’s Entreprenuerial Fraternity

Good Old Boy Network Alive & Well In Portlandia

So it was revealed recently in the press that Nitin Khanna, a prominent angel investor in Portland has been accused of rape. A rape that allegedly occurred on his wedding night no less. It is not clear if it is rape at this point as the DA is not going to prosecute the case and there are some things that don’t quite add up with the victim’s story. However, it is pretty clear that two things are true and not disputed:

1. There was sexual contact with the victim…the night before Nitin’s wedding and from reading the report it involved rather lewd sexual acts.
2. The alleged victim was intoxicated.

In my mind that is rape. If you don’t consider that rape, the fact the man had sex with his fiance’s friend the night before his wedding should at least show an indication of his level of respect for women in his life. When my husband had a bachelor party I didn’t worry about it involving anal sex with one of my friends. I feel for Nitin’s new wife.

I have been to Nitin’s parties. I know his friends. As a female entrepreneur have never felt comfortable around them. There is a fraternity of sorts, a common group of men that party and vacation together. They go to burning man together every year. This is innocent enough, but there is also an exclusivity to the group, people outside are treated less than them. Women to them are conquests, or trophies, not equals in business or socially but status symbols.

The fraternity includes founders of many top startups here in Portland, I am not going to name names, but those in the Portland startup community know who they are. The problem is that this group acts like they represent the Portland startup community, as if they were somehow our defacto leaders. Some use their friendship with Nitin as leverage socially and in business. It is as if Portland’s startup culture revolves around them.

I attend a lot of startup events and love the sense of community, I never feel my gender plays a role as an entrepreneur in the tech community, until this group shows up. The arrogance and macheezmo and lack of respect for not just women, but everyone else not part of their exclusive club makes me sick. This is not the Portland startup scene, I love the sense of community and belonging Portland provides in general, we don’t have room for exclusivity and good old boy clubs.

The Portland startup community deserves better than this. Sure we need investors, but not at this price. What I am amazed by is not just what Nitin has done, but the silence around it. There is no outrage on Twitter, Facebook, people are quiet about the accusations and what it means. This will be sweeped under the rug. I am guilty of silense too. I am afraid to speak out under my own name in fear it will affect my job. I work for a company whose founder is one of Nitin’s best friends. I will be looking for a new job as I don’t think I can be in the same room with this man again without feeling disgust.