⁄From the Editor⁄ Power Players FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES, the story of Northeast Portland, in particular Northeast Alberta Street, has been a story of urban renewal and gentrification. As the area became more affluent, longtime residents of the neighborhood — a majority of whom were Black — in many cases didn’t get a piece of the wealth. In “Hometown Heroes” (p. 20), Jason Cohen tells a different story. Ndamukong Suh, who went from Northeast Portland to a storied career in the NFL, has decided to invest in the Alberta neighborhood. With the opening of Kaya, his wife Katya’s Alberta cocktail bar, the Suhs are making their commitment to Northeast Portland a family affair — and celebrating Black art and fashion on a street where few Black-owned businesses remain. For “Shattered Glass” (p. 26), Hannah Wallace sorted through a heap of information to find out just what happens to glass that’s sent out for recycling — not just beer bottles that are eligible for a deposit, but things like empty pickle jars. She found some surprising statistics — like that while Oregon has one of the highest glass-recycling rates in the country, nowhere near all of it is recycled, in part because there’s little economic incentive to do so. She also learned about an Oregon startup that has a potential solution to that problem, which it’s looking to bring online in 2024. It’s a powerful idea — one that could have as significant an effect as the Bottle Bill itself, if not larger. Every January we publish the Power Book—a collection of lists of the state’s power players in a variety of fields, from professional services and finance to higher education (p. 39). Collecting data and putting the lists together is always a lot of work—but it’s always interesting to touch base with survey respondents and see how different sectors are shifting across the state. For this issue, we also decided to reach out to power players across the state — including elected officials, business leaders and leaders in organized labor — to ask how they felt about 2023 as it came to a close, and what their hopes and fears are for 2024. We ran a selection of their responses on page 32 (“Looking Forward, Looking Back”). The year 2023 was one marked by global turmoil and local political upheaval — including ongoing, devastating loss of life in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as on the streets of Portland and other cities throughout the state. But for all the losses, there were wins, too, and causes for hope. It was fascinating to see the range of things leaders are thinking about and to learn what they plan to do in 2024. Happy New Year! VOLUME 47 ⁄ NUMBER 1 OREGON BUSINESS (ISSN 02798190) is published 10 times per year, monthly except Jul/Aug and Nov/Dec issues, by MEDIAmerica Inc. at 12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 102, Portland OR 97223. Subscription inquiries should be directed to 503-445-8811. Subscription charge is $24.95 per year, $49.95 for two years in the USA. Single copies and back issues available at above address and at selected newsstands. The editor is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Copyright © 2024 by MEDIAmerica Inc. All rights reserved. All material is protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed in Oregon. Periodicals Postage Paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Oregon Business, 12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 102, Portland OR 97223 EDITORIAL EDITOR Christen McCurdy christenm@oregonbusiness.com ART DIRECTOR Joan McGuire joanm@oregonbusiness.com STAFF WRITER Sander Gusinow sanderg@oregonbusiness.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jason E. Kaplan jasonk@oregonbusiness.com COPY EDITOR Morgan Stone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Cohen, Tim Neville, Gage Skidmore, Hannah Wallace PUBLISHING PUBLISHER Courtney Kutzman courtneyk@oregonbusiness.com EVENTS MANAGER Craig Peebles craigp@oregonbusiness.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Evan Morehouse evanm@mediamerica.net ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Greta Hogenstad gretah@mediamerica.net DIGITAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Alison Kattleman alisonk@mediamerica.net PRESIDENT AND CEO Andrew A. Insinga CONTROLLER Bill Lee BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN André W. Iseli PRESIDENT Andrew A. Insinga SECRETARY William L. Mainwaring TREASURER Win McCormack 6
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