Business for a Better Portland is making its leader Stephen Green's interim position permanent.
Green is an outspoken advocate for small and local businesses as well as a former startup executive and former banker. He is an economist by training and spent six years with what is now called Prosper Portland as senior business development officer.
“Now is such a perfect time to be doing this kind of work and to be doing it in community with local business owners,” Green said. The Portland area has seen people leave but it also has seen people, like him, who are more emboldened than ever and committed to solving challenges and rebuilding.
In addition to BBPDX, of which he is a founding member, Green is an angel investor and sits on the Oregon Growth Board, and he is the founder and organizer of the annual event PitchBlack.
BBPDX started in 2017 as an organization aimed at advocacy and building community. The group attracts members who have a triple-bottom-line mentality of using business to also benefit community and the environment. Its roots are in a 2016 initiative called Portland Independent Chamber of Commerce.
“Stephen's position as a founder of BBPDX, in addition to his deep experience in the public, private and philanthropic sectors, makes him uniquely qualified for this role,” said BBPDX board chair Hope Beraka. “We know that the role that BBPDX plays is needed now more than ever as the city moves forward with equitable economic recovery and the monumental transition to a new form of government under charter reform and the adopted Advance Portland initiative.”
The group has more than 400 members who range from solo entrepreneurs to large multinational companies that have offices in Portland.
Initially, Green signed on for 90 days to help the organization find a new leader. However, he said working with the board and the group’s operations manager has been a great partnership.
“To be in a role to do a deeper dive and be curious and get information from hundreds of people versus the dozens of folks I’m (usually) in contact with, it feels like a natural step forward,” he said of his advocacy work. “It all comes back to community. It’s all rooted in community or a problem to solve (together) or a story that hasn’t been told.”
The group provides members with opportunities to connect with each other and build social capital through events. It also hosts education sessions such as the Boost your Business series to help members understand new tools or business strategies. These sessions are set up as peer learning and allow members to teach and learn from each other.
“We have played an instrumental role in expanding the ‘voice of business’ and provide a place where businesses and partner organizations can rely upon strong and consistent leadership,” Beraka said. “We are excited to continue this tradition with Stephen Green's leadership and look forward to continuing to serve our members and our community in these transformational years for our beloved city.
Green sees the group’s role as a convener to help members can come together and collaborate, celebrate their craft and grow as a community. In addition to helping members build their social capital, he is keen to connect the private sector, the public sector and philanthropy.
This fall BBPDX is planning a dinner series to bring different leaders from those sectors together.
“Now more than ever there is an opportunity for (BBPDX) to help private business owners build social capital with the public sector. And help the public sector folks understand business owner,” he said. By deepening that understanding the groups can then work together on solving communitywide challenges.
The BBPDX board has also added three new board members: Anyeley Hallová, founder of real estate developer Adre; Camille Trummer, social impact strategy consultant; and Ciara Pressler, founder of business coaching firm PreGame. That brings the board to 11 members.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, who has been active in pursuing avenues for access to capital for small businesses as well as helping push Oregon’s semiconductor industry, praised BBPDX for this leadership decision.
“Stephen Green’s well-deserved permanent new role at Business for a Better Portland perfectly fulfills that group’s mission to ensure all businesses are represented in Portland and able to advocate for the changes they want in our city,” Wyden said in an emailed statement. “My friend Stephen’s entire career and personal history have always dovetailed with that same mission, and in fact is why he helped found BBPDX in the first place. I’m thrilled he’ll permanently take the BBPDX helm. I very much look forward to continuing our work together to help all businesses — and the communities they operate in — to thrive.”
