[Inc.] Portland, Oregon’s Growing Startup Scene

The wheels have been set in motion for Portland, Oregon to become the next San Francisco. The city known for drum circles, vegan movements and quirky sensibilities is rapidly transforming into a tech hub. What sets Portland apart from other tech hubs is the entrepreneurs that call the city home.

Unlike San Francisco, many Portland entrepreneurs are already established leaders in their respective industry. Jon Maroney is one such entrepreneur. Maroney is the co-founder of the app FreeRange, sold in 2009, he now manages entrepreneur partnership success, helping startups think through their strategy, storytelling and goals. Angela Jackson is the co-founder and managing director of the Portland Seed Fund, an organization that invests in early-stage Pacific Northwest companies. Those companies include software firm Cloudability, apparel company Wildfang and Indo Windows. She is also the executive director of Portland State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship.