Page 4
Minority & Small Business Week
October I, 2014
Startup Businesses Make Cut
‘PDX
Challenge’
focuses on
diversity,
ambition
Six startup businesses have
m ade the cut to win the second
annual “Startup PDX Challenge,”
a Portland D evelopm ent C om ­
m ission-sponsored effort to find
entrepreneurs with diverse found­
ing team s and the am bition to
scale to a national or international
m arket.
Each com pany receives a pack­
age valued at $50,000, with a
$15,000 working capital grant, a
full year o f rent-free office space
at 115 SW Ash in Portland’s Old
Tow n/Chinatow n, and free pro­
fessional advice, m em berships
and services.
In addition to the six winners,
five com panies have been named
m erit finalists and will each re­
ceive a package valued at $4,000.
The Challenge drew a field o f
134 applicants, narrowed first to
19 semi-finalists and then to the six
Patrick Quinton
winners and five merit finalists by
a selection committee which inter­
viewed the representatives o f each
semi-finalist company.
The winners represent both in­
dustry and demographic diversity.
The full group encompasses de­
velopers o f new consumer prod­
ucts, technology and services, and
includes eight startups with women
founders; five with African Am eri­
can founders; three with Asian
founders; two with Native Am eri­
can founders; and one with Latino
founders.
Patrick Quinton, PDC execu­
tive d irector, said, “W e w ere
thrilled with the response to this
year’s call for diverse founding
team s that will help us develop a
more inclusive innovation com ­
munity. W e look forward to wel­
com ing the w inning entrepre
neurs to our expanding netw ork
o f experienced, innovative com
panies com peting in the global
econom y.”
The six winners, all from the
Portland m etropolitan area, are
Yellow Scope, a creator o f rigor­
ous science kits ju st for girls;
RAFT Syrups, which brew s or­
ganic botanical and cane sugar
syrup for cocktails and hom e
soda m aking; Society N ine, a
fight gear and activew ear ap­
p a re l b ra n d fo r w o m e n ;
N o A ppF ee.com , a technology
solution to rental m arket prob­
lem s for landlords and tenants;
D esign+ Culture Lab, a research-
based urban social lab address­
ing issues o f cultural, racial and
ethnic inequality; andT ique Box,
a subscription service for spe­
cialty items from local artisans.
Portland inventor and business owner Reggie Senegal shows off
Merit finalists are Genki Su; his “SnapLaces, ” a revolutionary way for both the elderly and
VDO Interpreters; and Carehubs, young children to fasten their shoes without shoelaces.
from the Portland area; and ICOM
o f Atlanta, Ga., which was also
the winner o f the public vote.
Portland E ntrepreneur
Invents ‘SnapL aces’
Saluting Martin Luther King Jr.
Alberta Street Market
909 N.E. Alberta Street
503-282-2169
R eggie Senegal, an A frican
A m erican inventor and entrepre­
neur living in Portland is the cre­
ator o f “SnapLaces,” a product
designed to assist your daily liv­
ing and to im prove quality o f life.
SnapLaces is a revolutionary
way for both the elderly and young
children to fasten their shoes w ith­
out shoelaces. T hey provide a
sim ple w ay for all people to fasten
their shoes in order to accom plish
a healthier lifestyle.
Senegal says he plans to m ake
the N orthw est the hub for his
m anufacturing with the hopes o f
contributing to the local econom y
and jobs.
Raised by a single m other in
H o u sto n , lik e m an y , S en eg al
dream ed o f independence and suc­
cess. He was a college athlete, a
personal trainer and had a strong
creative will. SnapLaces is the
show case o f his strong w ork and
dedication.
SnapLaces launched an online
K ickstarter Crow d Funding cam ­
paign this sum m er. For m ore in­
form ation, visit snaplaces.com .
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★ Hot Food ★
Leaving Justice Department
continued
★
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Mon-Sun • 8AM- 12 PM
Fri-Sat . 8 AM - 1 PM
from page 2
But the first black attorney gen­
eral could be leaving several things
undone as he transitions out:
— Possible federal charges in
the deaths o f black men including
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.,
and Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.
— The November monitoring of
congressional and statewide elec­
tions that will take place after the
Supreme Court threw out a major
protection in the Voting Rights Act.
— And projects he personally
promoted such as the reduction of
racial profiling in federal investiga­
tions, changes in how federal pros­
e cu to rs n e g o tia te se n ten c in g ,
changes in the death penalty sys­
tem and efforts to reduce tensions
between local police departments
and minority communities.
For his part, Holder told the Con­
gressional Black Caucus during its
legislative conference on Friday that
he plans to keep on pushing voting
rights and civil rights protections
while still in office. He has agreed to
stay on until the Senate confirms his
replacement, and President Barack
Obama has yet to name that person.
"In the meantime, there remains a
great deal to be done," said Holder,
who got a standing ovation from the
crowd as he entered the room. "I
have no intention of letting up or
slowing down."