Building a Better Portland: A Conversation With Stephen Green

Stephen Green is one of the most passionate and accomplished voices for Portland. Green has built an enviable track record of success as an entrepreneur, advisor and founder of PitchBlack, an annual pitch competition that filled The Reser in Beaverton last fall.

Last month, Green took on the role of executive director of Business for a Better Portland (BBPDX). The organization started in 2017 to up business leadership engagement and public policy discussions. A founding member of BBPDX, Green told The Oregonian/Oregonlive that a big part of his focus is to bring local, independent businesses closer to Portland’s path forward—especially minority-owned (according to the 2019 U.S. Census, there are over 6,000 Black-owned businesses in Oregon).

“It’s never been a better time for the business community to come together, and I’m excited to be part of the change that’s making a better Portland,” Green told The Oregonian/Oregonlive. “When you think about the identity of Portland, it’s not shaped by the public sector folks or even big companies. Rather, it’s shaped by the small businesses that we have here.”

A ThinkNW board member, Green joined us to talk about his new role, what people get wrong about Portland, his goals for BBPDX and more.