7/29/2019 Startups & Entrepreneurs Uber Letter
1/2
MayorCharlieHales
CityofPortland
1221SW4thAvenue,Room340
Portland,OR97204
September18,2013
DearMayorHales,
Asyouarewellaware,Portlandisoneofthenationshotteststartuphubs.Fromsoftwareandsocialmediato
dataanalyticsanddigitalstrategy,theRoseCitysstartupsaredynamicandthrivingandaconfluenceof
factorshasmadePortlandagreatplacetogrow.Thecityscollegialandcollaborativebusinessenvironments
alongwiththepresenceandinterestofventurecapitalfirms,incubators,andacceleratorshavehelpedlocal
entrepreneursdevelopstrongfoundationsforyoungbusinesses.
Ourreputationastheidealplacetolaunchastartupisspreading,andthatsgreatnewsforacommunityof
entrepreneurslookingtomaketheirmarkstartingrighthereinPortlandanditsgreatnewsforour
economy.ThatswhyweredisheartenedhearthatacompanylikeUberislockedoutofourcitybecauseof
outdatedregulationsthatblocktheuseofanewtechnologyplatformthatisalreadyinfullswinginmorethan
40locations,includingothercompetitivestartupcitieslikeSeattleandSanFrancisco.
Weurgeyoutoupdatetheseoutdated,obstructionistrulesthatareholdingPortlandbackfromwelcoming
emergingtechnologiesthatwouldgivepeopleadditionaloptionstogetaroundtown.Notonlydowelove
usingUberinothercitiesandwanttobuildourbusinessesinaplacethatoffersourvendors,customersand
investorsthebesttransportationoptions,wealsowanttomaintainandgrowourreputationasacommunity
thatsreadyforwhatsnext.
LikeUbersfounders,weareallinnovators.Weareconstantlylookingtowardthehorizontoseethefuture
anditscleartousthatthewayweusefor-hiretransportationservicesischanging.Technologyandinnovation
isleadingtheway.Letscontinuetobeaplacethatembracesbetter,consumer-friendly,newwaysofdoing
business.
Sincerely,
NitinKhanna
CEO&Founder,MergerTech
ScottKveton
CEO&Founder,UrbanAirship
JoshFriedman
CEO,Gigapan
BillLynch
Founder,JiveSoftware
EliRubel
CEO&Founder,Glider
LukeKanies
Founder,PuppetLabs
RyanHildebrand
VP,Simple
RyanBuchanan
CEO&Founder,eROI
MatEllis
Founder,Cloudability
MitchDaugherty
Founder,MorangeDesign
TomTurnbull
VP,OpenSesame
JoshuaBlank
SVP,OpenSesame
JeffMartens
CEO,CPUSage
EliTucker
Co-Founder,Vizify
TylerMcKinley
CEO,MobileRQ
