Building for Resilience
In the face of extreme challenges, 2020 was a year of growth for BBPDX.
As our members know well, growth represents more than expansion. It is the pursuit of greater understanding, deeper relationships and improvement of the world around us. Sometimes that growth comes gradually and other times in great leaps.
Despite the unprecedented financial challenges created by COVID-19, BBPDX had a strong retention rate among members, with businesses supporting the organization through a year unlike any other.
With that support, we grew new partnerships across the region and the state and developed relationships across industries, connecting businesses with resources to weather the economic downturn and opportunities to help the greater community.
We listened to and learned from Black leaders across the region about how violence and inequality are harming our communities and committed to doing more to advance racial justice.
We connected members with opportunities to learn about major policy decisions and how they can help shape those decisions in ways that upend outdated and inequitable structures to create policies and outcomes that benefit all of us.
As we look to the future, BBPDX represents a business community that is ready to do more than return to normal. Together, we’re prepared to rebuild our economy in ways that strengthen community and create shared prosperity for all.
How BBPDX Grew in 2020
We Forged New Partnerships
Read about how we teamed up this year to tackle our city’s biggest problems.
We Brought Our Community Together
Read about how we stayed connected in spite of this year’s unprecedented challenges.
We Co-Founded a Statewide Coalition of Small Businesses
Read about our coalition building and how we’ve fought to protect small business.
We Listened, Learned, and Brought Businesses Together to Do More
Read about what we learned from this year and our community partners.
We Prepared for the Future
Read about what we see on the horizon in the year ahead, and why we’re ready for it.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet so many were left on the brink of crisis due to the pandemic. While we at Prosper Portland worked to distribute relief funds that came directly to the City of Portland, BBPDX collaborated with the Oregon Native American Chamber to build a statewide coalition to lobby for additional financial support for struggling small businesses. Thanks to the leadership and advocacy of that coalition called Oregon Small Business United, over $50 million more was dedicated to keeping small businesses open and staff employed. Much of those funds came straight to Portland area businesses. Thanks, BBPDX!”
— Kimberly Branam, Executive Director
PROSPER PORTLAND
Growing Together
“2020 was a year for boldly reimagining our future, and BBPDX created a welcoming and open space for businesses to learn about community issues and how they could help. From the issues of environmental justice to police accountability, we need businesses to engage in civics and share their voice. I’m grateful that BBPDX has created a space for this important collaboration.”
— Jo Ann Hardesty
PORTLAND CITY COMMISSIONER
“BBPDX has been an invaluable help to our Portland team, as we sought to learn about the community’s most urgent needs and how we can contribute to all the wonderful ways local organizations are making a difference. We’re grateful for the connections and relationships that BBPDX introduced us to and we look forward to continuing to work together to make Portland a more equitable, prosperous city.”
— Eliza Rothstein, Sr. Customer Success Manager and DEI Lead
SURVEY MONKEY
“Thanks to the hard work of BBPDX staff and their collaboration with us, the members of Oregon Native American Chamber have received relief grants and benefitted from technical support to adapt their businesses in this crisis. The Oregon Native American Chamber began partnering with BBPDX a few years ago to elevate the needs of diverse entrepreneurs in Portland, and we appreciated their leadership earlier this year to advance access to capital legislation. When Covid hit, we were able to build on the trust and rapport we’d already developed to launch Oregon Small Business United together. We’re excited to continue that partnership into 2021 to continue advancing the needs of Oregon’s diverse small business community.”
— James Parker, Executive Director
OREGON NATIVE AMERICAN CHAMBER
“BBPDX has been a great advocate for our small business community. We’ve been fortunate to actively participate in the ‘pop-up coalition’ that BBPDX helped create called Oregon Small Business United. It’s been invigorating to work with a group of geographically and culturally diverse leaders for the last 9 months to ensure that small business voices were heard as our State leaders discussed how to support an equitable economic recovery during and post COVID-19. Working with BBPDX staff has helped me develop the confidence and skill set to advocate for my community and ensure our most vulnerable micro-entrepreneurs have a voice.”
– Aldo Medina Martinez, Mercado Programs Director
HACIENDA CDC
“Portland is lucky to have an organization like BBPDX. Not only do they speak up in support of small businesses, they also aim to look at the big picture of building a prosperous community for everyone. BBPDX knows how to get it done.”
— Bryan Steelman, Owner
¿POR QUÉ' NO? TAQUERIA
“Not only are we proud members of BBPDX, we consider our involvement to be an important part of our company’s equity journey. As a non-native Oregonian, I credit BBPDX’s educational events with widening my understanding of the racist history of Portland. Their housing policy event featuring Ernest Brown from East Bay for Everyone was a profound education for me. I’m grateful that we have a business organization like BBPDX that provides such quality programming and then gives fellow civic-minded leaders the opportunity to address the root causes of our city’s challenges through necessary policy changes and advocacy.”
— Toby Martin, CEO
EXTENSIS
“BBPDX’s support for the #PortlandPledge campaign was crucial to uplifting small businesses this holiday season. Although we only started working together this year, it was clear to me from the beginning of our partnership that BBPDX’s work is rooted in community-centered values and in ensuring that those most impacted small businesses are prioritized.”
— Sarah Shaoul, Founder
BRICKS NEED MORTAR
Your support in 2021 will make us a stronger voice for the community. Business thrives when Portland — and our entire region — thrives.
Join us.
Unable to join, but want to support our work? Donate to Friends of BBPDX!
