Prosper Portland

May and June are two of Portland’s busiest months. This week, we’re highlighting just a few moments spent in community with the businesses and community partners that help make Portland great.

Slide 1: Green Cities Business Liaison Katherine Juengel (pictured, right) joined Economic Development Director Andrew Fitzpatrick (left) and Director of Equity, Policy and Communications Chabre Vickers (center) at a celebration for University of Oregon’s new Oregon Acoustic Research Laboratory (OARL) at Port of Portland’s Mass Timber and Housing Innovation Campus (MTHIC). Once completed, this state-of-the-art facility will be an integral part of MTHIC’s campus vision.

Slide 2: Executive Director Cornell Wesley met with the Columbia Corridor Association (CCA) and Swan Island Business Association and sat down with Executive Director Corky Collier (pictured, left) for a moderated discussion on investment priorities and economic opportunities for the city’s industrial corridors.

Slide 3: Director of Equity, Policy and Communications Chabre Vickers represented Prosper Portland during a Best Practices visit to Vancouver, British Columbia. While there, Director Vickers moderated the Economic Practitioners Roundtable discussion.

Slide 4: Prosper Portland’s Business Advancement Team hosted a networking event at Daimler Truck North America for advanced manufacturing and clean tech companies in the Portland area.

Slide 5: Staff from the Entrepreneurship & Community Economic Development team attended the opening of Neighborhood House’s new headquarters in SW Portland. Neighborhood House () is part of Prosper Portland’s Inclusive Business Resource Network, delivering small business support for childcare-related businesses.

PDX Staycation Local's Pass is returning this summer — and we want your business, event, or local attraction in the spotlight.

Portland Staycation is one of the city's most creatively charged campaigns, built to reconnect locals and visitors with the best of downtown. This is your chance to be featured across Staycation's marketing channels and in front of a highly engaged audience exploring the Central City.
 
Applications open Thursday, June 11. Want to learn more? Attend a Question & Answer Session on Monday, June 8. Visit PortlandStaycation.com for details.

Engaging in international trade empowers our Portland businesses to expand beyond local markets, attract new customers, and generate revenue from outside the region. Portland has welcomed an array of international visitors to the City of Roses this month:

A delegation from the Netherlands met with Mayor Wilson, International Relations Director Chido Dhliwayo & Prosper Portland’s Business Advancement Team (Slide 1, L-R: Counsel General Theo Peters, Honorary Consul Alice Wiewel, BAT Team Manager Pam Neal, Mayor Wilson)

Mayor Wilson met and exchanged gifts with United Kingdom Consul General Eleanor Kiloh & Christoper Cambises, Head of Political Affairs (Slide 2, Top).

The Business Advancement Team joined representatives from Business Oregon, Oregon Department of Agriculture at the Oregon–Inner Mongolia Trade, Culture & Tourism Promotion Conference (Slide 2, Bottom).

Another highlight was the Oregon Consular Corps' annual Celebrate Trade Gala, an inspiring event dedicated to recognizing the international traded-sector companies whose vision powers Oregon’s economic vitality. Mayor Wilson was joined at this event by his staff and staff from Prosper Portland: Executive Director Cornell Wesley, Economic Development Director Andrew Fitzpatrick, Director of Equity, Policy & Inclusion Chabre Vickers, & the Business Advancement Team (Slide 3, Top).

, & Oregon House Representative Daniel Nguyen (.danielnguyen) curated engaging events before and after the Gala, including the Oregon Trade Policy Breakfast with Governor Tina Kotek at the OSU Food Innovation Center, which was attended by delegates from Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom (Slide 3, Bottom). Their efforts were instrumental in deepening partnerships with economic development agencies from around the globe and paving the way for future collaboration.

The Business Advancement Team at Prosper Portland provides industry-specific, tailored assistance to help traded-sector businesses grow, expand, and access international markets. To how they can assist your business, visit prosperportland.us/BAT.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Here are local events and resources to help you learn and celebrate locally. If there are any that we may have missed that you want to call out, please feel free to include them in the comments below.

ALT TEXT

Slide 1: Title Slide
Alt Text: Graphic for Jewish American Heritage Month by Prosper Portland with a dark gray background, a stack of colorful, rounded overlapping shapes in green, orange, blue, and purple sits in the center. The text “Jewish American Heritage Month” in bold white letters and the words “EVENT & RESOURCES ROUNDUP” at the top of the graphic and the Prosper Portland logo at the bottom.

Slide 2: Portland Jewish Music Festival
Alt Text: Event slide for “The Portland Jewish Music Festival,” running May 6 through 17, 2026. The center features the festival’s event graphic with an illustration of a guitar and piano keys with text describing it as a dynamic celebration of Jewish music featuring world-class and local talent at the Eastside Jewish Commons, located at 2420 NE Sandy Blvd. Various partner logos, including Congregation Neveh Shalom, are displayed at the bottom of the graphic.

Slide 3: Jew Oughta Know Event
Alt Text: Event slide titled “Jew Oughta Know Part II with Jessica Rehfield,” scheduled for May 31 at 2 pm. On the left is a photo of artist Jessica Rehfield, a woman with curly hair wearing an apron and holding a paint roller. The text on the right explains she will share insights on Jewish-American innovators in popular culture. It notes admission is $5 or free for members of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The event is located at 724 NW Davis St.

Slide 4: Resources
Alt Text: A slide titled “RESOURCES” listing three organizations:
* Eastside Jewish Commons: A community hub for folks to connect (ejcpdx.org).
* Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education: Featuring exhibitions on the Jewish experience and the Holocaust (ojmche.org).
* Mittleman Jewish Community Center: A gathering place for arts, culture, and recreation (oregonjcc.org).

The Prosper Portland logo is centered at the bottom.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI). This month was first federal recognized (as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month) in 2009.

There are many opportunities to celebrate the AANHPI community in May - here are just a few local events to help you celebrate. If there are any that we may have missed that you want to call out, please feel free to include them in the comments below.