Prosper Portland, the City of Portland’s economic development agency, and the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO), the state’s largest association serving tech companies, have aligned their programming to advance inclusive growth in the tech industry in Portland. As part of this alignment, Prosper Portland has sunsetted the TechTown program as a separate initiative and transitioned to a deeper investment in the tech sector in partnership with TAO.
Prosper Portland and TAO will partner to provide additional support through TAO while continuing to build DEI resources through Portland Means Progress, a citywide initiative to advance racial equity goals in partnership with the private sector. Future programming with a focus on inclusive growth in the tech industry includes:
- Tech in Color Community: a community resource group for technologists of color - racial healing with an art installation, a workshop for POC to create their own narratives, and a career development day.
- People & Culture: leaders and HR professionals focused on professional growth and organizational development - equitable hiring practices, leading with empathy, building belonging at work, ethical onboarding, and mentorship.
- Founders Investing in Founders: entrepreneurs helping other entrepreneurs grow their businesses in the tech industry – providing funding, growth strategies, and mentorship resources.
- Portland Means Progress: a citywide initiative to advance racial equity in partnership with the private sector - providing connections for businesses to hire local young professionals of color, purchasing from businesses owned by people of color and creating diverse and vibrant workforce and company cultures. The goal is to connect businesses to existing programming that supports social impact, creating a pipeline for private-sector engagement.
To learn more and engage, contact:
Prosper Portland, Portland Means Progress: Andrea Gall, galla@prosperportland.us
TAO, Founders Investing in Founders, Tech in Color Community, People & Culture: Elaine Hsieh, elaine.hsieh@techoregon.org
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