Business

I wrote this story about three female founders of NA beverage companies for Oregon Business Magazine. When Marla and Liam Hoban were living in a small German village outside of Nuremberg, they noticed something curious at the local gasthaus.  “Nonalcoholic beer was presented just like regular beer. It was served in a nice big glass,” Marla says. “What was fascinating to us was seeing folks seamlessly switch between alcoholic and nonalcoholic. You’d be at a table of people, an

I wrote this feature about the primary care doctor shortage for the fall 2025 issue of Oregon Business Magazine. The number of primary care providers in Oregon is flatlining — especially in rural areas. But experts say the problem is curable. Two years ago Connie Cloyed was living in Corbett when she finally found a primary care physician she liked who was covered by United Healthcare. Cloyed, who is almost 70, had been on Medicare a few years at that point and had changed i

Amid false narratives of urban collapse, the homegrown nonprofit Literary Arts is investing in Portland’s renaissance, one book at a time. I wrote this article for Fast Company on Oct. 9th, 2025. The bookstore cafe at Literary Arts’ new headquarters in Portland, Oregon was a hive of activity on a recent weekday morning. A few 20-somethings gathered for coffee in a corner, while at a nearby table, New Yorker  cartoonist Tom Toro discussed his new book, And to Think we Starte

Dozens of Oregon wineries are bottling their wines in Revino’s signature glass containers, which can be used up to 50 times. I wrote this...

The Port of Portland created a showstopping destination in the Portland International Airport by embracing all things Pacific Northwest....

Patty Arvielo built her company, New American Funding, to weather uncertainty and she still finds time to pay it forward.  P atty Arvielo had her full-circle moment 15 years ago. At a sales meeting in Downey, California, she ran into the owner of a real estate business whose offices she used to clean. “I remember those offices,” muses Arvielo, who as a teen used to help her mother, a Mexican immigrant, with her cleaning business. Arvielo isn’t ashamed of her career history.

The new PDX terminal—filled with entirely local brands—has become a boon for some of Portland’s most beloved businesses. I wrote this story for Fast Company in Dec., 2024. When travelers step into the stunning wing of the Portland International Airport (PDX), which opened to the public in August, they’re greeted with a massive tree-lined hall and a  showstopping timber roof , made with wood sourced from  regeneratively-managed Northwest forests . But the terminal includes an

The founders of InnerTrek are lighting the path for psychedelic therapy in Oregon and beyond. This story appeared in Fast Co. in March,...

To overcome ingredient shortages and high food costs, some restaurateurs are rethinking their staple ingredients and strengthening their...

This article on Past Lives in Portland, Oregon appeared in Reasons to be Cheerful on July 23rd.  When Brandon Morlock was released from...

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer talks about his push for American-made bicycles and the power of bikes to make cities more livable. I...

I got to interview tennis legend Billie Jean King and her wife Ilana Kloss for Inc.'s April 2024 Female Founders issue.   Billie Jean...

Now They Run a Thriving Cannabis Brand  Inside the creative minds behind Houseplant, a weed-focused lifestyle brand aiming to class-up cannabis. I wrote this profile of Michael Mohr , Seth Rogen's accomplished business partner and friend, for Inc.'s package on Celebrity Counterparts.    In 2018, the year  Canada legalized recreational weed , the cannabis company known as Houseplant joined forces with the Ontario-based corporation Canopy Growth and went on to scoop up more th

Oregon's glass bottle recycling rates may be some of the highest in the nation, but with the state's only glass recycling plant...

An HP device that dispenses single cells is empowering precision research at Oregon State University. In a basement lab on the leafy ...

I wrote this article on the stunning new design for PDX for Reasons to be Cheerful in November.   W hen passengers pass through the...

I wrote a story about the Ritz-Carlton, Portland for Fast Company a few weeks ago. Hotel rooms at the new Ritz-Carlton will start at...

I wrote a story for Fast Co. about Rukaiyah Adams, CEO of the new 1803 Fund.  When Rukaiyah Adams took the podium at Nike World...

Behind the ‘Shark Tank’ judge’s body-inclusive empire, and why she’s paying it forward to new founders. I wrote this profile for Inc. in 2023. Emma Grede  wants you to know that she’s a college dropout . “I used to have a real hangup about not having a formal education — especially when you start hiring great people,” Grede says. “But it takes all sorts. I’ve had a different path — and that’s really worked for me.” It sure has. Today, Grede, 40, guides two powerhouse fashion

Companies from Frito-Lay to Kettle Chips are experimenting with corn starch, calcium carbonate and other materials that eschew plastic...