Venture capital investment in the Portland metro area surged to $172 million across 25 deals in Q1 of 2025—nearly triple the amount from the same period last year—according to PitchBook and the NVCA. But despite the strong start, recent macroeconomic uncertainty has tempered expectations for the rest of the year.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Erika Lucas, founder of StitchCrew and VEST, as she shares her perspective on the evolving investment landscape and what it means for Portland-based founders. Drawing from her extensive experience in private equity, economic development, and startup advocacy, Erika will highlight key trends shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem—and where she sees the biggest opportunities for growth and funding.

Whether you're actively fundraising or seeking to understand the investor mindset, this session is a must-attend for entrepreneurs looking to navigate the current funding landscape.

This event is part of PDX Startup Week.

Agenda: 12:00pm: General Networking 12:30pm: Presentation and Q&A 1:30pm: Lunch and Networking

About Erika: Erika Lucas is the Founder of StitchCrew, an organization dedicated to building a more equitable economy by supporting, funding, and advocating for small business owners. She is also the Founder of VEST, a peer network of women professionals and investment fund investing in women-led companies.

A recognized thought leader, Erika is a sought-after speaker and a LinkedIn Top Voice in Entrepreneurship. She currently serves on the boards of Arvest Bank, Diversion Hub, and the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, where she holds the position of Board Chair. Erika is also a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and a Fellow at the Just Economy Institute.

Before founding StitchCrew and VEST, Erika was a Partner at a private equity firm specializing in Aerospace & Defense investments. Earlier in her career, she served as Global Director at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, where she led international economic development efforts.

Presented by the Software Association of Oregon's Marketing + Sales Forum & Social Media Club PDX

You are invited to join us for an exceptional keynote presentation followed by a Q&A session with a full panel of local collaboration and social media experts.

Agenda 5:30pm Registration opens, networking 6:15pm Program begins (welcome) 6:20pm Keynote with Richard Boly 6:45pm Panel Q&A 7:30pm Program ends

KEYNOTE: Embracing Social Media at the U.S. State Department: If the Oldest Federal Agency Can, Why Can’t You? The State Department is the oldest executive agency in the United States. Cold war secrecy created a need-to-know culture that impeded unofficial information sharing. State’s diplomatic corps is selected for risk aversion and trained to obtain many clearances and authorizations before officially transmitting information internally.

Then the end of the Cold War was followed by the East Africa embassy bombings and 9/11. The paradigm shifted. The lack of information sharing and collaboration meant that puzzle pieces remain scattered and threats were unidentified. In this shift, the State Department’s office of eDiplomacy was born.

Come find out how State Department has embraced lightweight social media tools behind the firewall to move from a need-to-know culture to need-to-share one.

Meet Richard Boly, Director of eDiplomacy, US Department of State Richard Boly is a career U.S. diplomat and currently the Director of the Office of eDiplomacy, an applied technology think tank for the United States Department of State. Previously, he was a National Security Affairs Fellow the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he launched the Global Entrepreneurship Program. He recently served in U.S. Embassy, Rome, where he developed and ran a program to promote entrepreneurship in Italy. Other embassy assignments include the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Paraguay. Richard is the most junior diplomat to win the Cobb Award for commercial diplomacy.

In a prior life, Richard was the first Presidential Management Fellow with the Inter-American Foundation, was a consultant with the Inter-American Development Bank, and founded and ran a shrimp hatchery in coastal Ecuador. He is a graduate of Stanford University and the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD.

Q&A Session Panelists Deb Bryant, GOSCON Director, Oregon State University Open Source Lab Rami Kassab, CEO, Typethink Skip Newberry, Economic Development Policy Advisor, Office of Mayor, City of Portland Stuart Cohen, CEO, Collaborative Software Institute Richard Boly, Director, Office of eDiplomacy at U.S. Department of State

Sponsors: Social Media Club of Portland, tw telecom, Webtrends

This year’s Marketing Loves Sales event will focus on the pivotal role Social Media plays for marketing and sales. For the first time, the event will have tracks dedicated to the nuances of social media for each of these teams. From planned marketing programs to social selling, our speaker lineup is packed with industry experts and practitioners who will deliver fresh ideas and innovative case studies.

Join more than 300 sales and marketing and sales professionals for a day focused on upping your social media game!