Greater Portland Inc

04/24/2026

Welcome to Downtown Portland, Mad Fish! The marketing agency acquired branding agency Grady Britton last year and is merging the two offices into a new space in the heart of downtown.

“Setting the stage for our future growth in the heart of downtown Portland just makes sense,” Mad Fish Digital CEO Ben Herman said in a news release. “The West End is a vibrant hub of creativity and culture, and we’re excited to be part of that energy.”

Two recently merged firms are heading downtown.

04/22/2026

A bold new idea from TEDxPortland co-founder David Rae aims to turn our regional footwear legacy into a global destination: a sneaker museum and immersive experience that celebrates the region’s outsized influence on the footwear industry.

With ambitions to blend storytelling, education, and tourism—and potentially open by 2030—this concept taps into something bigger: how Portland continues to translate its industry roots into cultural momentum.

David Rae publicly announced the Portland Sneaker Experience on Saturday, targeting a March 2030 opening to coincide with the women’s Final Four at Moda Center.

04/10/2026

Portland’s culinary scene continues to prove it’s not just delicious—it’s visionary.

Congratulations to Oregon standouts like Hayward and Güero for being recognized through the IRC x Chase Innovators program—earning national attention (and $25K grants) for their leadership in sustainability, community impact, and bold new business models.

From zero-waste kitchens to community-centered spaces, these restaurants aren’t just feeding people—they’re reshaping what the future of food can look like.

This is exactly what we mean when we say Portland: The Land of More.
More creativity. More purpose. More innovation per plate.

Proud to see our region leading the way—one dish, one idea, one impact at a time. 🍽️✨

Read the article on Portland Business Journal
https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2026/04/07/hayward-guero-chase-innovators-grant.html

Last year, Hayward spent $220,000 on products from Oregon farms, said chef-owner Kari Shaughnessy.

04/09/2026

From a five-block bakery campus in Northeast Portland to producing up to one million buns a day, Franz Bakery is a food and beverage industry institution.

For more than a century, companies like Franz have scaled innovation, craftsmanship, and distribution right here in Greater Portland—growing from family-run roots into multi-state operations while keeping their heart in this region.

This is what makes our food ecosystem so dynamic: A place where legacy brands and next-generation food entrepreneurs share the same table—and keep raising the bar together.

It’s not just about what’s on the plate. It’s about the infrastructure, talent, and culture that make growth possible.

Portland: The Land of More
More heritage. More innovation. More opportunity to scale.

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2026/04/franz-bakery-buns-bread-portland

Running the numbers on the Portland company, which got its start 120 years ago.

04/08/2026

Big news for Southwest Washington’s life sciences ecosystem 👏

Congratulations to CytoDyn on closing a $17.5 million financing to advance its clinical pipeline and continue development of leronlimab—a promising immunotherapy with potential applications across oncology and other diseases.

This new funding will play a critical role in moving innovation forward—supporting ongoing and planned clinical trials, regulatory engagement, and data analysis, while also strengthening manufacturing readiness, compliance infrastructure, and overall operations.

As a Vancouver-based biotechnology company, CytoDyn represents the kind of forward-thinking, research-driven innovation that defines our region. The company is working at the intersection of science, technology, and patient impact.

This milestone is more than a funding announcement—it’s a signal of continued momentum for Greater Portland’s life sciences sector and the groundbreaking work happening right here.

https://www.cytodyn.com/newsroom/press-releases/detail/656/cytodyn-closes-17-5-million-financing-to-fund-continued

CytoDyn is a publicly traded clinical stage biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for multiple therapeutic indications based on leronlimab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor. Leronlimab is…

04/07/2026

Last week, we gathered in person for our March EDP Meeting at CENTRL Office Eastside, marking a return to quarterly in-person convenings designed to deepen connection across our partner network.

From meaningful discussions to new introductions, the energy in the room was a reminder of what makes this region work: connection and collaboration.

We capped off the afternoon with a group walk to the Oregon Convention Center for a guided tour of the International Mass Timber Conference expo floor—getting an up-close look at one of the region’s most exciting and rapidly growing industries.

Opportunities like this don’t just keep us connected—they keep us building forward.

04/02/2026

Congratulations to Eclypsium, a Portland-based cybersecurity firm, announced $25 million in fresh venture capital investment Thursday. The company has now reported $110 million in backing since its founding nine years ago.

The company has now raised $110 million altogether.

04/01/2026

Congratulations fJscaler! The 4-year-old Beaverton tech hardware company recently raised $7.5 million.

The company specializes in mixed-signal integrated circuits used in optical communications — semiconductors that connect the digital and analog sides in networks.

These chips aren't new, but demand is exploding with AI, where they're used to help send data at lightning speed between servers and also beyond the data center.

Read more in the Portland Business Journal

"The Beaverton location is the central brain and the headquarters of the company," an fJscaler leader says.

03/31/2026

Oregon is leaning into a Food Forward future, and the opportunity is bigger than ever: to define ourselves as a world-renowned food destination.

From award-winning restaurants to craft beverage makers and farm-driven experiences, Oregon’s food ecosystem is already a powerful driver of tourism and economic growth. The next step is aligning around that strength, elevating the full story of what makes this region exceptional, and investing in the people and places behind it.

Positioning Oregon on the global culinary map isn’t just about great meals. It’s about building an economy rooted in creativity, place, and experience.

“I believe, and it has been my career and validated by 20 years of doing this, that we live in one of the greatest food regions in the world. We do, but we don’t act like we do. We don’t talk about it,” said food industry consultant and writer Mike Thelin.

03/25/2026

When does Portland show up at its best?

In the latest installment of GPI’s Stories of Resilience and Renewal series, Jim Mark, CEO of Melvin Mark, shares a recent moment that reflects Portland’s strengths and why it matters for the region’s future.

Through conversations with regional leaders, this series highlights the collaboration, resilience, and shared commitment shaping Greater Portland’s next chapter.

▶ Watch the conversation and see what makes this region unique.