Many companies outside of the Pacific Northwest are understandably concerned about the state of the city I call home and their remote employees here, so I snuck out, disguised as just another bicyclist, to expose the cover-up. On Tuesday, October 6th, I rode to the highest vantage point in order to capture the best view of the "city burning to the ground". Descending through the neighborhoods I encountered gangs of squirrels enriching their caches for the winter. I was assaulted by random acts of artwork. Minutes from downtown, in the dense forest of a city park, I couldn't hear a single motorized vehicle.

Portland is quirky; Portland can be messy. But that's what happens when people choose to work together to support diverse cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints. Whether you're a big company such as Nike, a neighborhood bar dedicated to women's sports like The Sports Bra, or a family-owned food cart delivering authentic Thai cuisine, there's opportunity here. Rebuilding takes time, it takes commitment, but most importantly it takes those with serious vision to reap the benefits of being Open for Business in Portland.