Willamette Week Finder 2020/2021

FINDER c e l e b r at i n g p o r t l a n d ’ s b i p o c - o w n e d b u s i n e s s e s

EAT | DRIN K | SHOP | DO 2020/2021

EDITORS Cervanté Pope Christen McCurdy CONSULTING EDITOR Matthew Singer COPY EDITOR Matt Buckingham

christine dong

ART DIRECTOR Joy Bogdan LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Joseph Blake COVER PHOTO Christine Dong

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Latisha Jensen Brianna Wheeler EDITORIAL INTERN Noah Wali ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Anna Zusman MANAGER OF INFORMATION Brian Panganiban CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Spencer Winans PUBLISHER Mark Zusman

WILLAMETTE WEEK 2220 NW Quimby St. Portland, OR 97210 Phone 503-243-2122 Fax 503-243-1115 Published by City of Roses Media Company Send comments to: jbogdan@wweek.com ON THE COVER Taquería los Puñales lospunales.com 3312 SE Belmont St. 503-206-7233 Third-generation taquero David Madrigal, 45, and his business partner, Brian Aster, opened the boldly original—and fearlessly queer—Taquería los Puñales on Southeast Belmont Street in June, serving exemplary guisado-style tacos, plus a few curveballs, on in-house tortillas.

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It’s been one hell of a year.

That’s probably an understatement. With the COVID-19 pandemic, justified civil unrest, protests for justice and freedom, and police brutality and fear around almost every corner or social media timeline, 2020 has been relentless.

Yet for Black, Indigenous and other persons of color, an endless onslaught of tragedy isn’t just specific to this year—it’s specific to an entire lifetime. Falling under the BIPOC catchall term doesn’t make our experiences one and the same; the fact that we have to endure any of that at all speaks on why it’s become a signifier to begin with.

The Portland many of us see now is one where these voices are seemingly amplified and pushed to the front, but it hasn’t always been that way. I’m not just referring to Portland’s (and Oregon’s) particularly racist past, but also how the city ran on microaggressions and discrimination so strongly in recent years. When I first moved to Portland seven years ago, the culture of the city was built on being progressively accepting and fluid in gender and sexuality—but not in skin color.

I witnessed so much of this firsthand, as the butt of monkey jokes at my job to being admittedly fetishized by white men to being forced into being an educator on race relations to the many who claimed, “Well, we’re just not used to being around Black people.”

I know I’m not alone in this, and that’s part of why having a BIPOC-focused Finder guide is not just important but necessary. Just because these experiences happened to an individual, they’ve been easier to perpetuate in predominantly white spaces. When that white space is all around you, the harder it is to be seen in the way you should be.

We see every person and business in this guide, but we are aware this list is in no way comprehensive, both in categories or the features. What it is, though, is a start. It’s groundwork to build on, to make those who aren’t in the know aware and those who are in the know to finally feel like everyone else is catching up. We recognize that it’s not enough, but nothing will ever be enough. Use this as a means of taking a different type of action.

So many people here talk about it—but now, it’s time to be about it. Support is more than a sign in your window.

—Cervanté Pope, Co-Editor of Finder 2020 4

ENDURING SKILLS FOR AN

EVOLVING WORLD Ericka Warren, MBA ’19, came to the Oregon Executive MBA in Portland to build on the business skills she’d developed working as a professional singer and production company executive.

Her MBA journey led her to a meaningful new career as an equity consultant, driving sustainable change to benefit historically marginalized communities.

EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity

CONTENTS

FINDER

c e l e b r at i n g p o r t l a n d ’ s b i p o c - o w n e d b u s i n e s s e s

FEATURES 8 ONLY NATURAL

We talked to Mercy M’fon Shammah about helping LGBTQ and BIPOC Oregonians get to know the outdoors.

CREATIVES TO KEEP 11 AN EYE ON Portland is rife with brilliant BIPOC makers and thinkers.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of creatives to watch.

16 EVERGREEN

Asian-owned businesses suffered in the early weeks of the pandemic.

Here’s how the Jade District is bouncing back.

19 MOVERS & SHAKERS

We talked to three supporters of Portland’s BIPOC business community about how business owners pivoted and thrived in 2020.

26 ANOTHER PLACE TO GO Seeking Space offers yoga classes to those often left out out of the equation.

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28 38 46 52 56 60 63 66

FOOD & DRINK FOOD PRODUCTS, MARKETS & CHEFS

CLOTHING FITNESS, HEALTH & WELLNESS

RETAIL SALONS, BARBERSHOPS & BEAUTY SUPPLY

CANNABIS COLLECTIVES & CREATIVE AGENCIES 7

VALENTINA LONDON

Only Natural MERCY M’FON SHAMMAH WANTS LGBTQ AND BIPOC OREGONIANS TO GET OUTDOORS. Mercy M’fon Shammah didn’t grow up hiking.

“I think the most we did was we did a lot of long walks as a family in the evening,” Shammah said.

Shammah grew up in Tulsa, Okla., and El Paso, Texas; her parents are Nigerian. And while her family took few vacations, they did occasionally rent cabins near lakes or rivers, go canoeing, and spend time by the water.

But when Shammah moved to Portland 10 years ago, all it took was the train ride to transform her relationship with the outdoors from casual to serious.

Or at least, seriously enamored: “I just immediately fell in love with the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve been trying to get in it ever since.”

At first, Shammah sought out Meetup groups for new hikers, but in 2018 she founded Wild Diversity, a nonprofit that helps facilitate outdoor adventures for members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities.

Staff lead groups on hikes, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking and camping trips, and offer education about the outdoors.

“I find the outdoors just a restorative place for me,” Shammah says.

Part of the appeal is that getting into nature offers a break in the daily routine of waking up, getting coffee and going to work: “I’m in a place right now where checking email is just habit for me even when I’m not at work.”

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FEATURE | WILD DIVERSITY

It’s a rut many Portlanders find themselves in as COVID-19 has kept white-collar workers at home, making work-life balance more difficult to achieve.

And while COVID-19 and wildfires forced the closure of a number of state and national parks in the spring and summer, state parks are now open for some outdoor activities.

While outdoor activities are among the few options for recreation outside the home in the COVID era, the associated subcultures haven’t always been seen as welcoming spaces.

But Shammah is looking to change that.

She’s not alone: Chad Brown’s Soul River organizes fly-fishing trips for veterans and inner-city youth, and Friends on Bikes, co-founded by Gritchelle Fallesgon and Molly Sugar, also explicitly aims to make outdoor activities more accessible to people of color.

“We’re here to create a sense of belonging in the outdoors. We do that by recognizing where they’re at,” Shammah says.

The same way different people have different “love languages” in relationships, they have different love languages in their relationship with nature.

So Wild Diversity leads wheelchair-accessible hikes, beginner hikes, kayaking and canoeing trips and camping and cabin trips. The organization also runs a gear library that includes backpacks and sleeping bags as well as lightweight cooking gear.

Every organization has had to adjust to the realities of this year, and that includes Wild Diversity.

The group has remained active throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but has offered car camping trips rather than backpacking trips — “It’s much easier to hold your space in that way” — and has focused on outdoor education.

That includes virtual ecology classes as well as collaboration with Girls Build, a Portland-based nonprofit. The two organizations collaborated on the Wild X Project, a full-time, free educational program offering students of color hands-on outdoor learning opportunities.

“Four years ago, it was just so clear to me that the community that I’m part of is the community that I want to focus on,” Shimmah says. “I just focus on my BIPOC and queer and trans community to just focus on nature as a healing and relaxing state.” wilddiversity.com

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TAZHA WILLIAMS

10 CREATIVES TO KEEP AN EYE ON PLUS A BUNCH MORE

IN A TOWN RIFE WITH ART AND CREATIVITY, HERE ARE A FEW WHO STAND OUT. For the longest time, artistic and creative expression has been seen as more of a white person’s game.

Dichotomous depictions of artists, be they the brooding and tragically starving type or the hyper-intellectual, successful East Coast gallery dweller, are often all washed with a lack of melanin or marginalization to back what they produce. Thankfully, that’s changed, with more artists of all colors getting the attention they’ve always warranted. Portland has its own several handfuls of creatives—from artists to photographers to musicians and dancers—who have all found a way of channeling adversity positively. This is by no means a complete list, but merely a snapshot of Black, Indigenous and other POC creativity.

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FEATURE | CREATORS

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ANISA ASAKAWA

1. JALYNNE GEDDES nehiyanahk.com

Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation bead maker Jalynne Geddes infuses each piece she creates with the spirit of her culture for her Nehiyanahk brand. As a Nehiyaw (Cree) maker, her accessory pieces are alive and vibrant. You’ll want to move quickly to snag one, though—they sell out fast.

2. CHRISTINE MILLER christinelaurinmiller.com

Originally from New York, Christine Miller has found a home here in Portland fostering a place for Black artists and storytellers like herself to show their work.

It started last year with Brown Sugar: Where You At?, an art show she curated that featured work by Black Portlanders as well as her. She focuses on bringing what has been forced into the dark back into the light—often incorporating found relics from the Jim Crow era to help create a new type of beauty.

3. ANISA ASAKAWA anisaasakawa.com

Inspired by her home of Hawaii, Anisa Asakawa’s paintings are vibrant, bold and colorfully affecting. She explores the concept of dualism heavily within her nature-channeled pieces, while also having worked as a designer for Whole Foods and Anthropologie. She’s a proud mom and family woman first, but her paintings are proof she’s got a lot inside her to release.

4. LINNEAS GODBEY-BOLAND @linneasbg

While anyone with a smartphone can call themselves a photographer, Linneas Godbey-Boland actually is one. He’s pretty Portland famous—his joyful laugh and rich timbre often carry in every space he’s in. Godbey-Boland does a lot of portrait work but dabbles in concert photography (when live music was still a

thing) and activism as well. He hosts Art Therapy for Black Lives Matter activists, in an attempt to show there are more sides to those who are fighting in our streets than what’s been portrayed in the media, and it’s beautiful.

5. TAZHA WILLIAMS tazhaworld.com

Tazha Williams wears many hats—she’s a poet, musician, multidisciplinary artist, equity advocate, model and designer.

No matter what avenue or medium she may be working in at any particular moment, all of it is informed by her life and experiences as an African queer.

She considers her work an “ode” to her ancestors, and based on the evident level of passion she instills in everything, that’s a statement that’s easy to agree with.

6. KUNU BEARCHUM kunubearchum.com

Some may know Kunu Bearchum by his rapper name, STRYK-9, but others know him for his efforts to create STEM programs for Native American youth or his video production, filmmaking and graphic design skills. Either way, the Eugene-born, Ho-Chunk and Northern Cheyenne Nations member stays busy finding ways to promulgate storytelling traditions creatively. Plus, his debut full-length album, Through the Battle Smoke, dropped earlier this year.

7. TENDER TABLE tendertable.com

Tender Table isn’t just the efforts of one person but of whole heritages. Founded by writer Stacey Tran in 2017, the cultural storytelling and food sharing series has sought to share slices of BIPOC history one narrative at a time. Tran’s small team—social worker Vy Pham, event producer Wainani Paikai and artist Natassja Pal—helps drive this narrative

movement, and they all deserve some recognition.

8. VINCENT MAGEE @vnprt

Pulling his “aka” from the historic Vanport neighborhood and the tragic tale that comes with it, Vincent Magee, who DJs and produces under the moniker VNPRT, is bent on making sure people don’t forget. Even outside of his beats, Magee emphasizes the impact of slavery, colonialism and discrimination unabashedly, and if you didn’t know before, you’re surely going to learn today.

9. RASHAUNDA BROOKS & VAUGHN KIMMONS @bkargb & @thebrownalice

Brown Calculus and Y.G.B. Portland are huge names around town, and that’s in part due to RaShaunda Brooks and Vaughn Kimmons. They’re on this list together because they do a lot of their work together—Kimmons (who performs solo under Brown Alice) fronts Brown Calculus; Brooks manages them. Both are heavily active in Y.G.B.—Young, Gifted and Black/Brown. They paint and make collages together. Plus, they’re cousins! Quite talented ones, for sure.

10. ALEXIS THOMPSON alexismercedes.com

If you’ve seen Stories to Change the World floating around Instagram, that’s thanks to Alexis Mercedes Thompson, who also does outreach and web design for the artist collective Food Museum. STCW is a literary publishing effort to showcase young and underrepresented voices.

Thompson herself is queer and multiracial but white passing, using that privilege to elevate those not afforded lightness.

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FEATURE | CREATORS

AARON ROBINSON @aaronrobinson

photographer, podcast host and meditator

ALBERTA POON @nocturnaluniform

film director and writer AMENTA ABIOTO amentaabioto.com

BIG WORLD RECORDINGS @bigworldrecordings

production and beatmaking by Nainoa Slaughter and Bryce Howell BLACK FEAST blackfeastdinner.com

musician

a culinary event celebrating Black artists and writers through food

ANNIE SCHUTZ annieschutz.com

CEE @withlovecee

photographer

ARIC WICKLIFF goodseeddesign.com

designer

B KAYE @theonlybkaye

DJ, stylist, photographer

stylist

CHRISTINE DONG christinedong.com

photographer

COLIN LAUREL colinlaurel.com

illustrator

DANIELLE MCCOY daniellemccoy.xyz

multidisciplinary designer and artist

DEANGELO RAINES ghtoblst.com

graphic designer and event producer

DONOVAN SMITH donovanscribes.com

writer, artist, speaker and producer EMMY EAO @emmelineeao

printmaker and event producer (formerly with Tender Table) ESSENCE SATTERFIELD @floraarcana

plant installation and design GIA GOODRICH giagoodrich.com

photographer, director, educator ILTOPIA STUDIOS iltopiastudios.com

creative studio

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FEATURE | CREATORS

INTISAR ABIOTO

INTISAR ABIOTO intisarabioto.com

photographer, writer, dancer and muralist

MARIAH HARRIS momentsbymariahphotography.com

photographer

illustrator and stylist

MICHELLE GONZALEZ @monstameesh

JOSE AMADOR @champagnejams

MICHELLE LEPE

JAX KO jaxko.com

photographer

KAREEM BLAIR @kareeemblair

visual artist

KIA SATTERFIELD @equipoise.si @enjoybeingkia

bodywork

LAWSON @levelheadedpress

screenprinting

LINDA WONG lindawongmuah.com

makeup artist

LUBENS FORTERE

@bushings_not_broken DJ

stylist, art director and muralist @photobruja photographer

NICOLE ADAMS wiwinu.com

beadwork artist, communications consultant

SAM REYNOLDS @thesamisms

visual artist

SHONDA ROCHELLE shondarochelle.com

photographer

STORMY JACKSON @heartbeat_tiger

makeup artist, hairstylist and jewelry maker TENDER TABLE tendertable.com

food and storytelling series THE STREET CREATIVES streetcreatives.com

PAOLA DE LA CRUZ paoladelacruz.com

journalism and stories

PEGGY SISOUVONG @emoji.heap

animator and motion designer

QUEER PARTY PDX @queerpartypdx

blogger, graphic designer, content creator

illustrator and designer

DJ and visual artist

guide to Portland queer events SALOMÉE SOUAG @chromae.s

TITUS titusmotion.com

WAZ WU wazwu.com

YAARA VALEY @yaaravaley

photographer

designer and muralist

LUV JONEZ MUSIC @luvjonezmusic

beatmaker

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joseph blake jr.

Evergreen PORTLAND’S JADE DISTRICT PROGRAMS HELP ASIAN-OWNED BUSINESSES THRIVE. When Qing Tan and her husband, Guo Wei Li, reopened Pure Spice on New Year’s Day in 2019, it was the culmination of a 30-year dream.

Tan and Wei Li are both Cantonese and grew up Guangdong Province. Wei Li came to Portland in 1997 and Tan followed in 2004.

Wei Li started working in restaurants when he was 17, and last year the Lis purchased Pure Spice from Carmen and Kevin Chin. The restaurant is located in a strip mall a few blocks off 82nd Avenue, near other Asian restaurants such as Van Hanh and Mojo Crepes.

The Lis found most spaces in Portland too expensive to start a business, but a family friend who owned the spot before offered to sell them the building. Now they’ve made a name for themselves and established relationships in the diverse community.

The business is located in the Jade District, an immigrant and Asian business district within a 10-block radius roughly centered at Southeast 82nd Avenue and Division Street.

It’s one of the most diverse regions in the state and was selected by the city of Portland as part of its Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative in 2011, which focuses on helping the community thrive and averting displacement. It was later adopted as a program of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon.

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FEATURE | PURE SPICE

Many people consider the Jade District home, says Todd Struble, former Jade District manager and current community development director.

“One of the narratives we try to push back against is that it’s only an Asian community and the ‘new Chinatown,’ Struble says. “It’s not just the Chinese community nor just the Asian community out here. The community there needs support regardless of their background.”

Until early this year, the Lis say, business at Pure Spice was booming.

But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and sales dropped by 50%.

Many businesses suffered in the weeks in February and March, as the first cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in the PacificNorthwest. But as WW reported in March, Asian restaurant owners were particularly hard hit, due to a misperception that the virus could be transmitted through food—or to xenophobic fears of being near Asian people.

Tan and her husband applied for and received two loans that helped them stay afloat: a small business grant and a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program through the CARES Act intended specifically for businesses in the Jade District and Old Town/Chinatown.

While the additional funds helped them keep their business, Tan and Wei Li are still not back where they used to be. Tan continues to focus on finding new ways to increase business.

The restaurant relied on takeout for much of this year, but reopened for dine-in this fall, expanding their use of delivery apps from just Postmates to Grubhub and Uber Eats as well. (In July, out of concern that third-party delivery apps were charging excessive fees that made it difficult for already-struggling small businesses, the city passed an ordinance capping such fees at 10%.)

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joseph blake jr.

FEATURE | PURE SPICE

When WW visited Pure Spice at the end of September, it had just reopened for dine-in and only two of the restaurant’s 20 tables— spread out for social distancing in two dining rooms—were occupied.

But Tan hopes more customers will come in.

The Lis are particularly particularly proud of their hand-pulled noodle: sautéed meat or veggies wrapped in a homemade sticky rice noodle.

Portland restaurantgoers loved it, too. Tan says the restaurant is especially important to the Asian community because they serve fresh, authentic food that reminds people of home.

APANO director Duncan Hwang says he knows of only one business in the Jade District that has shut down for good because of the pandemic: Wong’s King Seafood Restaurant, which received a small business grant of $10,000—but that didn’t suffice.

Tan, however, has done everything in her power to keep their doors open.

She spends half the year running the front of the house and 18

the other half working for Portland Public Schools as a service worker, assisting Chinese immigrant families navigate life in a new country.

Her husband spends time curating the menu, which mixes different Asian cuisines, including Cantonese and Thai dishes. He wakes up early each morning to buy fresh ingredients for the day.

“This is my family’s dream,” Tan says. “My husband has unique skills. He cooks the best food. We kept looking for the opportunity, and finally we got this restaurant.

It’s busy, but it’s worth it.”

Tan says the worst part of this year has been losing business and half of their employees due to the pandemic, but the best part is that they have managed to stay open and continue her family’s dream.

“You cannot worry too much, you just do whatever you can and try your best,” Tan says. “We just want to share this good food with the community. We hope to keep it as our traditional culture. It’s important for my family and it’s our first business.” purespicerestaurant.com

alex wittwer

DREAM STREET PLAZA

Movers and Shakers BIPOC entrepreneurs don’t start on the easy setting: Lenders and venture capitalists are historically less likely to invest in companies run by people from marginalized backgrounds, and staying in business poses an additional set of challenges.

This year—between what Portland artist and entrepreneur Cole Reed describes as “COVID and a race war”—the difficulty setting went even higher.

We talked to three Portlanders who’ve been fostering community and connection among BIPOC entrepreneurs for years to find out what it was like to be a mover and shaker in a year that did nothing but move and shake.

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alex wittwer

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DREAM STREET PLAZA

alex wittwer

FEATURE | MOVERS & SHAKERS

COLE REED Few spaces in Portland communicate their values as quickly and clearly as openHAUS in Northeast Portland, with a sign reading: “This is an anti-fuckery space.”

“Racism, ableism, all the -isms aren’t allowed,” says Cole Reed, who started openHAUS—a coworking space for marginalized independent workers—in 2018.

It’s a space where businesses, nonprofits or independent workers of color—as well as women and queer people—don’t just rent a desk but “have a place to land” and support for their work.

Reed and her wife, Dayna, also run greenHAUS Gallery + Boutique in the Alberta Commons shopping center just across from openHAUS, as well as blackBOX studios—their own creative studio.

OpenHAUS isn’t just a coworking space, Reed says: “It’s a space for the others.”

Before COVID, the space used to host a weekly gathering for Black creators and gig workers called, appropriately enough, Black Friday.

The pandemic put those gatherings on pause. But openHAUS is still open— with stepped-up cleaning protocols and plexiglass barriers—and Reed remains dedicated to uplifting marginalized people, business owners and not.

In October, openHAUS hosted the Dream Street Market—an outdoor market with 11 vendors, all of whom were people of color, mostly Black and West Indian.

The same day Reed held a fundraiser for Exit the Maze, Reed’s new nonprofit dedicated to eliminating racism in the Pacific Northwest.

Reed grew up in Chicago and moved to Portland from Phoenix in 2015 because Arizona didn’t permit same-sex adoption, meaning Cole Reed wouldn’t have been listed as a parent on the birth certificate of their son, whom Dayna carried.

While Oregon’s more inclusive adoption laws were a draw, Reed says Portland is “a very passive-progressive city” that has “kicked her in the teeth” repeatedly. She’s received three threats of death or bodily harm and been called the n-word more times in Portland than she ever had in her life.

“I have an amazing therapist,” Reed says. “There’s no way I would have made it.”

But that’s only intensified her commitment to making Portland a better place for others in more marginalized positions.

“I use my privilege however I can to send down the elevator for everyone,” Reed says.

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FEATURE | MOVERS & SHAKERS

STEPHEN GREEN Stephen Green is one of the most persistent—and vocal— cheerleaders for entrepreneurs of color in the city.

Currently director of operations for Pensole Footwear Design Academy, Green also founded the Oregon Public House—Portland’s first nonprofit pub—and has served as vice president of the Albina Community Bank and as chairman of the board of the Black United Fund.

In 2015, Green started PitchBlack, a pitching competition to help Black entrepreneurs, or would-be entrepreneurs, get their ideas off the ground.

Getting access to capital is perhaps the most significant barrier to going into business as an entrepreneur of color.

According to data from the Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs conducted by the U.S. Census, a majority of businesses of all races are started with personal savings or family loans—which places BIPOC entrepreneurs, especially Black and Indigenous ones, at a disadvantage as they have less access to household wealth. And according to Federal Reserve data published this summer, Black business owners

were twice as likely to be turned down for business loans from banks as their white counterparts, and more than half were turned down for loans.

And that problem hasn’t gone away with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s in- tensified: In June, a national online survey of Black and Latinx small business owners conducted for Color of Change and UnidosUS found that only 12% of those who applied for federal Paycheck Protection Program funds received loans through the program, with many being shut out because the fund was designed to favor larger firms.

“No one talked about prioritizing people of color with that money,” Green says.

But the story of BIPOC business ownership in 2020 isn’t all doom and gloom.

“Black and Latino businesses, they were struggling before COVID,” Green says. “One thing I find in talking to those businesses, they were [already] overlooked and underfunded—so they’re used to overcoming adversity.”

Business owners have had to quickly shift their business

models and product lines to meet public demand—and have reached out to each other for support.

Small retailers who knew they needed to set up online stores— or restaurant owners who knew they needed to have websites for orders to go—never had time to set them up before. Suddenly, they didn’t have the time not to get online. And they had a community of fellow entrepreneurs they could look to for help getting going.

“The last six months has reaffirmed for me the secret sauce of Portland’s small business community, and that’s the community itself—founders supporting other founders,” Green says. “It’s been awesome to see folks take time out of their own extremely stressful situations to go and help someone else.”

He’s also impressed, he says, with the way the public sector has shown up to support local businesses—but it shows how much they’ve been taken for granted given how much they mean to the community.

“People don’t take selfies at Walmart or Target,” Green says.

“They take ’em at Deadstock.”

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FEATURE | MOVERS & SHAKERS

joseph blake jr.

NITA SHAH

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In 2005, Nita Shah—a serial entrepreneur who’d run a child care center, a sign business and several restaurants—helped start what was supposed to be a two-year consultancy program of the Black United Fund.

But that consultancy evolved into Microenterprise Services of Oregon, which makes small loans—the largest was $450,000, but the average loan is between $10,000 and $50,000—to entrepreneurs who, for whatever reason, might not have access to traditional forms of credit.

They include domestic violence survivors, people transitioning out of homelessness, and anyone else who has a great idea but struggles to get a bank loan longer than most.

About 80% of MESO’s clients are people of color, she says.

“I’m really passionate about entrepreneurship. I love entrepreneurship. It helped me personally to meet my family needs,” Shah says.

If you’ve heard of microloans, you probably know them as a form of international aid. Companies like Kiva offer peer-to-peer loans to entrepreneurs overseas, particularly women, in hopes of alleviating poverty.

But MESO makes small loans to Portland-area business owners—and perhaps more critically, offers technical support to teach them how to run businesses and help them afloat.

“As a small business owner myself, I had no time. I had absolutely no time to

go find resources,” Shah says.

But MESO’s staff guides entrepreneurs through the detail work: writing a business plan, setting goals, and finding vetted professionals—like accountants or marketing and branding professionals—to get them going.

MESO has a high rate of repayment but also receives funding from cities and counties to provide business support services.

Since spring of 2020, MESO’s staff has not only been working from home but has been working with entrepreneurs to quickly pivot their business models and point them toward grants rather than loans so they don’t wind up further in debt, and has introduced a loan that can be partially forgiven after 10 years of steady repayment.

In April, the organization offered loan deferments to clients who were struggling, and reached out to clients again in the fall to ask if they thought they could make their payments.

Some of them are worried, Shah says.

Child care centers and restaurants have told MESO’s staff they aren’t sure they’ll be able to pay their rent once moratoriums on commercial evictions expire.

But on the whole, Shah is optimistic—both about her clients and about the economy as a whole, because local structures of support are much stronger.

“The importance of small business is recognized, Shah says. “The importance of serving people of color is recognized.”

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Matt Guy

Shelley Lucas

David Columbus

Bonnie Roseman

Beth Benner

Stacy Stokes

you’ll

LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE LIVINGROOMRE.COM | 503-719-5588

joseph blake jr.

ANOTHER PLACE TO GO SEEKING SPACE YOGA TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THOSE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THE EQUATION. Yoga has become incredibly Westernized and commodified since it first arrived in the States in the 1800s. Though its original teachers were swamis and other practitioners from India versed in its Hindu traditions, it’s since become more of an aesthetic than a spiritual practice. Yet even with its increased and continual popularity in the U.S. throughout the years, and the fact that it’s rooted in nonwhiteness, there’s still quite a lack of diversity in it. Portland native Rachel Brooks never let that stop her, though.

“There are these ideas of what yoga does, what yoga looks like and who it’s for, and it’s been very Westernized, says Brooks, owner of Seeking Space Yoga studio on Southwest Barbur Boulevard. “It’s been portrayed in the way that you see on Instagram—it’s a white woman doing a handstand.”

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FEATURE | SEEKING SPACE

But yoga does and is so much more than that, and that’s what Brooks wants to make more people see. It’s not just for white people to practice, and you don’t have to be able to fold yourself into a pretzel the first time you try it. “It’s not about all that,” says Brooks. “Something that’s very dear to me is trying to help people get past that idea of what yoga should look like or be like. If you just try it, you’ll feel the benefits for yourself, but it’s just like the getting there.

That is the hardest part.”

She won’t give up, though. Brooks opened Seeking Space back in 2017 with a business partner but runs the entire thing herself now. Since the beginning, inclusion and education have been at the core of her mission, along with offering an alternative to drinking for service and sex industry workers.

“I come from the service industry, having worked in restaurants, bars, gentlemen’s clubs and sex club venues,” Brooks says. “What drew me to yoga originally was finding something to reset my nervous system and get a little bit more focused. I always had constant sensory overload and there’s really nothing else to do at 3 or 4 or 5 in the morning, depending on when you close, but drink to wind down.”

That’s why it’s also part of her mission to start a late-night yoga program, where classes would start at 4 am for service industry and sex workers. With COVID it’s likely the program will start virtually at first, but there are plans to have late-night in-person classes available once everything is open again.

Either way, Brooks wants to make it known that her space, whether online or in the studio, is a safe space for everyone, especially during times like these.

“A lot of the time, it’s a safe haven for people to come to the studio, and not being able to do that is different,” says Brooks. “But we are still connected and we will find ways to connect as much as we can.

I think that mindful movement and meditative style practices of any shape or form right now are absolutely necessary for everybody.” seekingspaceyoga.com

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Restaurants, Bars & Food Carts

THE CRICK PDX

abbeycreekvineyard.com 912 SW Morrison St. | 503-389-0619

As Bertony Faustin told one interviewer, you can get decent-tasting wine just about anywhere—including a gas station. The grapes at his North Plains vineyard produced pretty good wine, as it turns out.

But what put Abbey Creek vineyards on the map—apart from Faustin’s status as the first Black winemaker in Oregon history—was his commitment to creating unpretentious ambience and fostering smart conversation. In July, he brought the vineyard’s fuck-the-traditional vibe to downtown Portland, opening what he calls “the hiphop Cheers” across from the Galleria. The Crick PDX offers a flight of five wines for $15, and charcuterie plates from Charcuterie Me.

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rocky burnside

FOOD & DRINK

ASSEMBLY BREWING

assemblybrewingco.com 6112 SE Foster Road | 971-588-5973

joseph blake jr.

George Johnson and Adam Dixon opened the first craft brewery on Foster in March 2019, offering beers brewed to pair with the housemade Detroit-style pizza. One year later, as brewery staff prepared to celebrate Assembly’s first birthday, Johnson instead announced its temporary closure due to state orders imposed after COVID-19 hit Oregon. Since then, the brewery has ably pivoted to a to-go model: You can grab your order at a walkup window or have staff bring your pizza and beer to your car when you arrive.

BISON COFFEEHOUSE

bisoncoffeehouse.com 3941 NE Cully Blvd. | 503-288-3941

Bison Coffeehouse is the only Native-owned coffee shop in Portland.

A former barista, baker and dental technician, and member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes, Loretta Guzman sold beadwork to finance the opening of the cafe in 2014 in a 1926 building her father Gary used for storage for his custom motorcycle shop in Cully. The shop is a family affair and an intentional community space: Bison offers coffees grown and roasted by Native peoples in Central and South America and the U.S.

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RESTAURANTS, BARS & FOOD CARTS

ABERUS RESTAURANT aberus.business.site 438 NE Killingsworth St. 503-284-6434

has Ethiopian food for takeout.

AFURI afuri.us 923 SE 7th Ave. 971-386-2945

is a cult-favorite Tokyo ramen shop with two Portland outposts offering takeout, delivery and patio dining options.

AKADI akadipdx.com 3601 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

503-477-7138

offers Ethiopian food for takeout.

THE BIG ELEPHANT KITCHEN the-big-elephant-kitchen.business.site 3530 SW Multnomah Blvd.

503-567-1797

offers Fijian-Indian stews and curries from its Southwest Portland cart.

CATFISH LANE 8145 SE 82nd Ave. 971-864-7818

features West African food and is open for takeout and delivery. Call or order through Caviar.

offers fried fish and soul food at the Cartlandia cart pod and is open for takeout and delivery.

AMALFI’S RESTAURANT amalfisrestaurant. com 4703 NE Fremont St. 503-284-6747

CULTURE culturepdx.com 2422 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

503-477-8365

a much-loved Italian restaurant and market in Beaumont, is open for outdoor dining at a newly opened tent space. You can also order takeout online, or get delivery through Grubhub or DoorDash.

AVOCADAMAMA avocadamama.com 5240 NE 42nd Ave.

is the second location of a Los Angeles-based cart offering several variants of plant-based macaroni and cheese for delivery or pickup—or you can get the cheese sauce and experiment at home.

BATTER ON DECK 503-875-6579

is a catering van offering corn dogs, potato tornadoes and breakfast on a stick.

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BETE-LUKAS bete-lukas.com 2504 SE 50th Ave., #D 503-477-8778

offers Mediterranean food for dine-in as well as takeout and delivery through Caviar.

DEADSTOCK COFFEE deadstockcoffee.com 408 NW Couch St. 971-220-8727

A gallery and sneaker boutique that also pours a damn fine cup of coffee. You can order beans through the website or get a growler of cold brew and a pastry to go, along with merch at Deadstock’s website.

DIRTY LETTUCE dirtylettuce.square. site 5240 NE 42nd Ave. 769-243-5325

offers vegan Cajun, Creole and Southern cuisine at a cart in Cully—think Southern-fried cauliflower bites, Southern-style greens, and

sweet potato pie. Make an order for pickup or delivery through the website.

EITHER/OR eitherorpdx.com

a coffee shop/bar hybrid with locations on Williams Avenue and in Sellwood, opened in 2018. The Sellwood location is still open with a limited menu, and the Williams location offers takeout brunch and coffee, and a small storefront with wine to go.

EL NUTRI TACO elnutritacopdx.com 2124 NE Alberta St. 503-473-8447

Tacos, burritos and tortas available for takeout (order through the website).

EPIF epifpdx.com 404 NE 28th Ave. 971-254-8680

Vegetarian South American restaurant and pisco bar.

Open for outdoor dining, takeout and delivery (order online).

FAT CUPCAKE fatcupcake.com 503-775-0731

is a sweet and savory bakery with locations in Portland (6110 SE 72nd Ave.) and Oregon City (19273 Molalla Ave.).

FISH FUSION fish-fusion.com 5800 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

503-498-1806

is a food cart selling seafood and fried fish baskets.

FUEL CAFE fuelcafepdx.com 1452 NE Alberta St. 503-335-3835

is open for takeout and delivery through Postmates, Grubhub, Uber Eats and DoorDash.

SINGLE STRAIN. FULL SPECTRUM. DELICIOUS.

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We believe in an inclusive community.

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503.546.5000 | www.pointwestcu.com Federally insured by NCUA

Sara R, Owner, Sara’s Tamales

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RESTAURANTS, BARS & FOOD CARTS

FRANK’S NOODLE HOUSE franksnoodlehousepdx.com

is a cult-favorite handpulled noodle house open for takeout.

HANA’S PDX @hanas_pdx 3625 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

971-409-7097

is a cart offering New Orleans-style snowballs and other treats year-round.

HA VL mrgan.com/havl 2738 SE 82nd Ave. 503-772-0103

offers a rotating menu of two Vietnamese soups a day, six days a week, along with banh mi and Vietnamese coffee.

HAN OAK hanoakpdx.com 511 NE 24th Ave. James Beard Award-nom-

inated chef Peter Cho’s Han Oak offers Korean fried chicken, steam bao burgers and dumplings for no-contact takeaway and low-contact patio dining.

HAT YAI hatyaipdx.com

Acclaimed Thai fried chicken and roti shop open for pickup and delivery (Caviar).

HK CAFE hkcafetogo.com 4410 SE 82nd Ave. 503-771-8866

is a dim sum hall open for pickup and delivery.

ICHIZA ichizakitchen.com 5411 NE 30th Ave. 503-702-8374

offers vegan pan-Asian cuisine for pickup—and contactless dine-in by reservation only.

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JA’DAS SOULFUL EATZ jadassoulfuleatz.com 7339 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

971-277-0045

offers po’boys, fried shrimp, catfish and sides to go.

JAMAICAN HOMESTYLE CUISINE jamaicanhomestylepdx.com 441 N Killingsworth St. 503-289-1423

offers goat curry, jerk chicken and oxtail as well as fried plantains and classic rice and peas. You can call in an order for takeout through the website or delivery through Grubhub, Caviar or Postmates.

KEE’S LOADED KITCHEN @keesloadedkitchen 4709 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

503-516-2078

was named WW’s 2018 Cart of the Year for its overflowing takeaway containers of collards, ribs, wings and mac salad, and it’s still open for takeout at its MLK location, with offerings running $18 to $22 a plate.

KUNG POW kungpowpdx.com 500 NW 21st Ave. 503-208-2173

This Alphabet District Chinese restaurant may not have a bad dish on the menu and is open for takeout and delivery.

LA BONITA labonitapdx.com

The much-loved Mexican restaurant is open for delivery and takeout.

LOS GORDITOS losgorditospdx.com

Mexican food to go. Online ordering strongly encouraged.

MANDO’S portlandspecialtyburgers.com 15710 NE Glisan St. 503-738-1376

offers burgers and wings out of its cart.

MIRAKUTEI mirakutei.com 536 E Burnside St. 503-467-7501

offers sushi and ramen in lower Burnside. Limited indoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.

NACHEAUX nacheauxpdx.com 8145 SE 82nd Ave. 971-319-1134

serves Southern-inspired Mexican food, including a fried chicken quesadilla and nachos topped with red beans and dirty rice, from a bright blue cart inside the Cartlandia pod. Available for takeout and delivery.

NONG’S KHAO MAN GAI khaomangai.com 503-740-2907

offers its signature dish— Thai chicken and rice—for takeout at its Southeast location. You can also get Nong’s khao man gai sauce through the website and at New Seasons.

OREGON PUBLIC HOUSE oregonpublichouse. com 700 NE Dekum St. 503-828-0884

Oregon’s only nonprofit pub offers pub food to go every day.

PIZZAYAKI pizzayaki.net 12544 SE Division St. 503-477-8178

Pizza, teriyaki and pizza with pizzayaki sauce available for takeout.

FOOD & DRINK

joseph blake jr.

KIAUNA “KEE” NELSON

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SPONSORED CONTENT

This year, the importance of the local restaurant industry in all our lives has become even clearer. Here are six delicious food and drink spots to support.

I’m looking for tasty, unpretentious food.

I’m looking for New York-style bagels.

My Vice Food & Spirits

Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels

2035 SE César E. Chávez Blvd.

523 NE 19th Ave. | 6420 SE Foster Road 1325 SE Tacoma St.

myvicepdx.com

My Vice Food & Spirits is nestled in Southeast on César E. Chávez between Hawthorne Boulevard and Division Street, formerly the location of brunch haunt Trinket.

My Vice’s tasty, unpretentious and upscale brunch and dinner menus range from sandwiches to flavor-forward bowls and fresh pasta dishes to bright, creative salads and more.

hhboiledbagels.com

Henry Higgins has been providing Portland with traditional N.Y.-style boiled bagels every day since 2012.

Products prepared fresh each day using Shepherd’s Grain flour and Bob’s Red Mill flour and seeds. It strives to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and can’t wait to be the most delicious part of your day.

I’m looking for a place to enjoy local brews safely with friends.

I’m looking for slow-cooked rotisserie chicken.

Ecliptic Brewing

pollonorte.com

eclipticbrewing.com | 825 N Cook St. Ecliptic Brewing, founded by Oregon beer icon John Harris, just celebrated its seventh anniversary and is open for dine-in or takeout. Visit its newly remodeled restaurant or heated patio tent—socially distanced, of course—for award-winning cold beers and fresh food made from local ingredients.

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Pollo Norte 2935 NE Glisan St.

Hands down the best rotisserie chicken and margaritas in Portland! True, slow-cooked Mexican rotisserie chicken, Pollo Norte is available for dine-in or takeout. Visit its spacious patio and dining room.

SPONSORED CONTENT

I’m looking for a good beer and burger.

I’m looking for a good way to give.

Loowit Brewing

Give!Guide

loowitbrewing.com

giveguide.org

507 Columbia St., Vancouver

Loowit Brewing prides itself on brewing high-quality beer, community engagement, and promotion of environmental stewardship. Visit its pub and brewery for the full Loowit experience or find its beer at local bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and specialty beer shops.

Willamette Week’s Give!Guide is Portland’s easiest path to year-end giving. G!G showcases small, medium and large organizations whose missions fall into eight categories: Animals, Civil & Human Rights, Community, Creative Expression, Education, Environment, Health, and Human Services.

ISABELLA MEDINA

I’m looking for something sweet.

Ice Queen

icequeenyouscream.com 1223 SE Stark St.

Ice Queen is here to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings!

Enjoy delicious plant-based popsicles from their storefront—they’re also in retail stores throughout the city.

I’m looking for upscale Japanese food.

Momoyama

momoyamaportland.com 1022 NW Johnson St.

Momoyama is an upscale Japanese restaurant located in the Pearl District. Featuring a high-quality sushi bar with strong Japanese kitchen tapas, Japanese whisky, and a unitopped squid ink pasta.

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RESTAURANTS, BARS & FOOD CARTS

POBOYZ poboyz.com 432 SW 3rd Ave. 916-765-5299

is a cart offering Cajun and Creole food in downtown Portland.

PURE SPICE purespicerestaurant. com 2446 SE 87th Ave., Suite 101 503-772-1808

offers the best-loved dim sum in Portland and is open for dine-in and delivery.

REO’S RIBS reosribsbbq.com 4211 NE Sandy Blvd.

503-310-3600

Reo Varnado’s famous and frequently relocated rib joint reopened at the end of 2018 after being shuttered by a 2017 fire that knocked owner Reo Varnado out of business. It’s open for takeout and offers delivery through Postmates, Grubhub and DoorDash.

RIGHT BAYOU CAJUN CUISINE @rightbayoucajun 503-890-1571

is a mobile Cajun cart. Check its Facebook page or call to find out where it’ll be next.

SAFF RAMEN safframen.square.site 5240 NE 42nd Ave.

offers Persian-inspired plant-based noodle soups at Shady Pines Vegan Food Court.

SHANDONG shandongportland. com 503-287-0331

Henry Liu, owner of Kung Pow, has breathed new life into this Hollywood locale.

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SOUL BOWL PDX @soulbowlpdx 503-449-8238

This cart offers chicken or salmon over rice, macaroni and cheese, and desserts.

SPICE OF AFRICA spiceofafrica.com 722 SE 10th Ave. 503-619-5541

offers dishes from multiple African cuisines as well as cooking classes. You can also sign up for weekly subscriptions to soups and samosas—or to receive five pages per week from owner Wambui Machua’s novel, Broken Children.

STEAKADELPHIA steakadelphia.com 5835 SE Powell Blvd.

503-788-7141

has classic Philly cheesesteaks for takeout and delivery.

SUNSHINE NOODLES sunshinenoodles.com 3560 N Mississippi Ave. 971-770-0504

offers Cambodian street food for delivery or pickup.

Order online.

SWISS HIBISCUS swisshibiscus.com 4950 NE 14th Ave. 503-477-9224

Multiracial family-owned restaurant serving authentic Swiss food and offering orders to go from a limited menu.

TAQUERÍA LOS PUÑALES lospunales.com 3312 SE Belmont St. 503-206-7233

Third-generation taquero David Madrigal, 45, and his business partner, Brian Aster, opened the boldly original—and fearlessly queer—Taquería los Puñales on Belmont in June, serving exemplary guisado-style

tacos, plus a few curveballs, on in-house tortillas.

TRAP KITCHEN PDX trapkitchen.com/pdx 8403 NE Fremont St. 503-442-0748

Cult-favorite food cart out of Compton featuring deepfried lamb chops, barbecue and more.

VERAJAMES KITCHEN BBQ 16101 SE Division St. 503-935-4962

This cart offers catfish, grilled chicken, sides and peach cobbler for takeout, or delivery via Grubhub.

VIKING SOUL FOOD vikingsoulfood.com 4255 SE Belmont St. 971-506-5579

Scandinavian-soul fusion food cart, featuring lefse wraps, just reopened for limited takeout and delivery service.

WELCOME TO JAMROCK @welcometojamrockpdx 5812 E Burnside St. 503-354-9100

sells traditional Jamaican classics, including jerk chicken, plantains and oxtail stew.

YAAD STYLE JAMAICAN CUISINE yaadstylejamaican. com 3532 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

503-432-8066

is open for takeout and delivery.

FOOD & DRINK

wesley lapointe

SUNSHINE NOODLE

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joseph blake jr.

MARKETS & CHEFS FOOD PRODUCTS,

MARKETS & CHEFS

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joseph blake jr.

MARKETS & CHEFS

CASON’S FINE MEATS

casonsfinemeats.com 5015 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | 503-287-0855

Theotis Cason has been cutting meat in North and Northeast Portland for 35 years —first in Kenton and, since summer of 2019, in the Alberta Commons marketplace at Northeast MLK and Alberta Street.

Cason’s sells locally raised meat—beef from Oregon Natural Meat, pork from Carlton Farms, and chicken from Draper Valley —all raised without hormones or antibiotics. Cason’s also accepts special custom orders—and customers are encouraged to call in orders ahead of time.

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SPONSORED CONTENT

It’s going to be a long, cold winter—otherwise known as Drinking Season. Whether you’re looking for core-warming tea or something a bit harder, here are some ways to up your beverage game when things get frosty. All are available at New Seasons Market.

I’m looking for a local gift anyone can enjoy.

I’m looking for new ways to dress up my cocktails

Aesthete Tea

Hibisbloom

Aesthete Tea is a woman- and QBIPOC-owned organic loose leaf tea and herbal blend brand based in Portland.

Founded by Briana Thornton in 2017, Aesthete Tea maintains a strong commitment to knowing its farmers and sourcing only the highest-quality ingredients from individuals and collectives that share the same values in quality, ethics and health. All teas are farm direct, and most are available at your local New Seasons.

Hibisbloom’s products are an interpretation of a traditional hibiscus flower drink known as bissap from West African food culture. Enjoy three classic flavor accents with infusions ranging from vanilla to cinnamon to mint— all made from scratch with natural ingredients. Buy online or at New Seasons.

I’m looking for quality local spirits.

I’m looking for the perfect chai.

aesthetetea.com

Royalty Spirits royaltyspirits.biz

Also available at New Seasons, Royalty Spirits was founded by Chaunci King in 2014. King is the first African American woman to own a spirits company in the Pacific Northwest. Royalty Spirits is an all-women-owned and -operated company that strives to continue the growth of women-owned businesses through mentorship and local networking events. Look out for its new CBD juice bar coming this winter.

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hibisbloom.com

One Stripe Chai Co. onestripechai.com

One Stripe Chai began in 2015 in Portland, with the goal of bringing chai back to its South Asian roots. Its founders were baristas working in Portland’s specialty coffee industry when they realized that chai served in coffee shops was often nothing like the real thing. Now available at New Seasons or on its website, One Stripe Chai continues to reintroduce classic South Asian drinks with the perfect blends.

This father and son team—Phillip Johnson Sr. and Jr.—makes baked goods that taste like home during the holidays, from cupcakes to sheet cakes to sweet potato pie. They do catering, they’ll pull up at your farmers market, and they do special orders.

CHARCUTERIE ME charcuterie.me 971-220-8934

Charcuterie Me is a curated monthly subscription box of cured meats, cheeses, pickled veggies, fresh fruit and crackers, with options for customization depending on your taste and the size of group you hope to feed.

COME THRU PDX @comethrupdx 831 SE Salmon St.

This market, which pops up every Monday, focuses specifically on Black and Indigenous makers and farmers, presented by the Raceme Farm Collective.

CRACKER KING thecrackerking.com

Gluten-free artisanal crackers available at the PSU Farmers Market, at New Seasons and through the website.

DRINK MAMEY drinkmamey.com 1615 NE Killingsworth St.

Cydnie Smith-McCarthy makes health-conscious and delicious fresh juices, some infused with herbal blends. Drink Mamey is slated to take over the original Tea Bar location on Northeast Killingsworth Street.

ELENI’S KITCHEN ETHIOPIAN CUISINE eleniskitchen.com

serves at farmers markets in Beaverton and Milwaukie and at Oregon Health & Science University, and also sells Ethiopian simmer sauces (as well as gluten-free injera mix and teff flour) through its website.

MARKETS & CHEFS

BISHOP & SON’S bishopandsonspdx.com 503-974-6455

GOURMET BROTHERS CATERING gourmetbrotherscatering. carrd.co 7339 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Serving Oregon and Washington, Gourmet Brothers does all types of cuisines like Cajun, BBQ, Mexican, Hawaiian and more.

HALMAE @halmae_or

Halmae’s traditional Korean kimchi packs a super-flavorful and powerful punch. Takes orders through Instagram DMs. MAMA DUT VEGAN VIETNAMESE mamadutfoods.com

Doing Vietnamese food the vegan way, mom, chef and hairstylist Thuy Pham is slated to open a brick-and-mortar spot soon. In the meantime, catering and ordering inquiries should go to hello@mamadutfoods.com.

MAMA PAULINE’S AFRICAN MARKET mamapaulines.com 4606 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

503-281-6264

This is the go-to spot for African and Caribbean groceries, clothes and other goods.

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Clockwise from left: Glory Skincare, Ishq Skincare, House of Johnson, Iltopia

Support our local BIPOC-owned businesses.

Celebrate our stories.

Join us!

Shop mercatuspdx.com

YOUR LOCAL STOP FOR ALL THINGS SNACKS + BEVERAGES

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@plaidpantryofficial

#keepportlandplaid

www.plaidpantry.com

MIZ DRIZZLE @miz_drizzle

PHO THE PEOPLE @phothepeoplepdx

Fresh, small-batch pho broths, dipping sauces and pho you just can’t get enough of.

RACEME FARMERS racemefarmers.org

An all-Black-and-Brown farmer collective that also helps put on the Come Thru Market.

REVOLUCIÓN COFFEE HOUSE revolucioncoffeehouse.com 432 SW 6th Ave. | 503-224-3174

At press time, the iconic downtown Portland coffee house was closed to the public and pivoting its business model to orders to go, but its Mexican coffee, “Café de olla,” is available at several area retailers or for delivery through CafeGo. ROYALTY SPIRITS royaltyspirits.biz

CBD-infused premium cocktail mixers that really get the party started. It even has holiday flavors.

SHE POURS PDX @shepourspdx

LaToya Brown provides liquid catering for bachelorette parties, weddings and whatever else you may want to jazz up with her premium cocktails.

Elan Hagens harvests wild mushrooms throughout Western Oregon and sells wild-foraged forest products, truffles, cultivated mushrooms and salts at the PSU Farmers Market—and offers mushroom and truffle tours as well.

MARKETS & CHEFS

On top of the funny play on Miss Frizzle’s name (of Magic School Bus fame), Miz Drizzle makes plant-based baked goods so colorful and beautiful to look at they could be art. Slide in the DMs to order.

TEMPTRESS TRUFFLES @temptresstruffles

THE BARRELED BEE thebarreledbee.com

Lee Hedgemon takes the barrel-aging process and applies it to local honey, creating a unique regional flavor.

TUME tumepdx.com

sells alfajores to restaurants and retailers and is also available for catering and pop-ups for Latino-inspired plant-based foods.

WITH LOVE FROM PDX withlovefrompdx.com 1830 NW 24th Place, WS #2 503-267-1472

Always sent with love, these handpicked regional goodies and treats are available to order as a subscription basket, or buy the items individually.

XOCOTL JUICE & SMOOTHIE BAR xocotlpdx.com @xocotlpdx | 503-785-9966

Located at the Portland Mercado, these are 100% natural fruit bowls, pressed juices and smoothies are available for takeout and pickup.

YOGA CHEF JESS yogachefjess.com @yogachefjess

Jessica Moxley, aka Yoga Chef Jess, is a plant-based chef and yoga teacher who also curates special meal plans of different sizes in a monthly subscription box.

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CLOTHING

CLOTHING

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HUD APPROVED NON-PROFIT HOUSING AGENCY Proudly offering programs to assist with: Estate Planning | Wills | Trusts Power of Attorney | Advance Directives | Pre-Purchase Counseling | Home Repair Home Retention | Credit Counseling | Solar Energy and much more.

Kids Under 17 FREE 48

portlandartmuseum.org

joseph blake jr.

CLOTHING

PRODUCE PORTLAND produceportland.com @produceportland @marketbyproduce 140 NW 4th Ave.

Produce Portland isn’t just a store, though its Old Town location offers a lot to poke and prod. Run by the rappers behind the Produce Organics record label, some of whom are also EYRST artists like Bocha and Donte Thomas, Produce embodies lo-fi and chill hiphop culture. Sneakers adorn the walls, there’s a lounge area where guests can kick back and play video games, and the overall vibe is that of open arms. The store carries its own Produce brand of streetwear, adorned with its fruit leaf emblem, while also carrying and curating other local or small business-owned brands. It’s where you go to catch a vibe, and you’ll definitely make some friends while you’re there.

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CLOTHING

IGNORANT REFLECTIONS @ignorantreflections

From Donovan Smith, creator of the Gentrification Is Weird project, this isn’t regular streetwear—it’s speechwear, with politically and socially provoking messages.

SWITCHBLADE SISTAS VINTAGE @switchbladesistasvintage

Diona Jackson manages to find the most beautiful treasures. The stylist, vintage buyer and mother vends her thrifted finds out of Hollywood Vintage and Jailbreak Studios, plus you can also find her serving as the manager over at greenHAUS Gallery & Boutique.

GINEW USA ginewusa.com | @ginew_usa

Run by a husband-and-wife team, this is the only Native American-owned denim line, incorporating the couple’s Oneida, Mohican and Ojibwe heritages.

HOUSE OF JOHNSON houseofjohnson.net

is an online fashion boutique offering bold and elegant women’s clothing.

DESIGNS BY LE’YON designsbyleyon.com @designs_by_leyon

Family-owned and -operated by a mother-daughter team, it specializes in handmade fashion jewelry and accessories for the inner royalty in all of us.

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TAYLORED TEES tayloredtees.co 7494 SW 48th Ave.

Briana and Josh Ekandem do custom screenprinting, personal or for business, by appointment only.

NERDWORLD PDX nerdworldpdx.com

Online storefront offering T-shirts for nerds, plus photography services and more.

NATIONAL BEARD LEAGUE nationalbeardleague.com

Online storefront offering athleisure gear, hats and hoodies.

MIMI’S FRESH TEES mimisfreshteespdx.com

is an online storefront selling smartly designed T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, hats and masks with slogans that include “Make racism wrong again,” “Vote your truth” and “Women belong in all places decisions are being made.”

LATINA’S STYLE OF ELEGANCE L-S-O-E.com

run by Portland native Latina McCord, offers clothing and accessories for women of all sizes, including dresses, jumpsuits and handbags.

SWABKIN swabkin.com

Online shop featuring socially conscious hoodies, T-shirts and vests.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Business isn’t just about commerce— it’s also about making the city better.

These four do just that, in different ways.

I’m looking for a place my kid can grow!

Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest

I’m looking for tools for understanding and changing systemic racism.

girlsincpnw.org

Take PART (Portland Anti-Racism Team)

Inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Serving youth ages 6-18, it provides life-changing afterschool programs and experiences that teach girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers, and to grow up healthy, educated and independent.

Take PART offers monthly talks addressing aspects of racial injustice. Speakers discuss ways to recognize and change systemic racism. Group discussion follows each presentation. Talks are free and currently offered online.

I’m looking for a design-led real estate broker.

Sophia Rosenberg, pdxinspired.com

PDX Inspired

An accredited Earth Advantage Real Estate Broker and ADU Specialist, Sophia offers clients an abundance of green home expertise with hands-on experience creating backyard cottages. Among clients and colleagues alike, she’s known as much for her tenacity and enthusiasm for negotiating and navigating multiple offers as she is for nurturing and maintaining relationships long after her deals are closed.

takepartpdx.org

I’m looking for ways to creatively connect with my community.

Portland Playhouse portlandplayhouse.org

Now celebrating its 13th season in the King neighborhood, Portland Playhouse is on a mission to celebrate the complexity of our shared human experience through classes, community events, and professional theater productions.

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FITNESS, HEALTH & WELLNESS

OM THRIVE omthrive.org 212 SE Alder St.

For Day Bibb, yoga was necessary to her healing. She started Om Thrive back in 2018 after realizing how mental and emotional trauma from an abusive relationship was affecting her physically. Bibb was experiencing insomnia, chest tightness, headaches, and other symptoms associated with PTSD. As a practice, yoga has helped her immensely, and because she believes so strongly in it, OM Thrive offers classes for a minimum donation of $1. It’s not just yoga, either—you can also take healing dance and sound healing classes, and for the little ones, OM offers creative movement classes. You can even attend one of the Yomassage sessions, which blend massage therapy by a certified specialist with holding poses for longer periods of time. It’s yoga and wellness for survivors, provided by survivors, and that connection is incredibly important now more than ever.

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WELLNESS

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FITNESS, HEALTH & WELLNESS

ALL WITHIN YOU allwithinyou.com marvel@allwithinyou.com

Experiential therapist Michelle Vosika-Cooper employs a combination of the Hakomi method, R-CS and M.E.T.A. Primary Attachment Psychotherapy in helping her patients work through their trauma as comfortably as possible.

BLACK PEARL ACUPUNCTURE blackpearlacupunture.com 505 NW 9th Ave.

Located in the Black Pearl Wellness Clinic, Sita Symonette has operated her acupuncture practice for a decade now. On top of pain management, she also does cupping and fertility/pregnancy guidance.

ORACLE oracleinfused.com @oracleinfusedwellness

These wellness products use the medicinal (and non-intoxicating) elements of cannabis for their healing and healthy qualities. Infused with CBD and terpenoids, you can get tinctures, salves and salo panto bundles.

RAAP COUNSELING raapcounseling.com 333 NE Russell St.

LCSW DeShawn Williams’ counseling and consulting center approaches mental and behavioral health with empathy. His specialty is helping youth of color and providing their families with educational resources for understanding and coping.

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SEEKING SPACE seekingspaceyoga.com @seekingspaceyoga 8525 SW Barbur Blvd.

Rooted in inclusion, this yoga studio offers virtual and in-person classes, with a particular focus on care for service industry and sex workers.

TALKS WITH JUNE COUNSELING talkswithjune.com @talkswithjune

Specializing in trauma, PTSD, anxiety and depression, Jonicia Shelton uses cognitive-behavioral therapy to make sure all of her patients ask themselves, “Have you checked in on YOU today?”

WILD DIVERSITY wilddiversity.com @wilddiversity

With an emphasis on respecting and honoring the land that belongs to the Indigenous and Black Americans who tended and built it, Wild Diversity connects BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ communities with outdoor experiences.

YOGA FOR LIFE yogaforlifepdx.com 714 N Fremont St

This NoPo studio has been running for over a decade now, and is somehow one of the few that’s actually run by an Indian yogi. Founder Raj Patra prioritizes spreading the ancient teachings of his heritage and environmentalist principles as a 100% clean energy facility.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and it means different things to different people—it could be a gorgeous piece of handmade jewelry, a lovely home accent, a clever gift or a place to work on one’s own spiritual and physical wellness.

I’m looking for yoga and energy work I can access from home.

I’m looking for a one-stop shop for all my holiday gifting.

Luminance Yoga & Naturopathy

presentsofmind.tv

luminanceportland.com

Laura Washington of Luminance Yoga & Naturopathy has taken all of her work online. That means Yoga with Laura from the comfort of your own home and, yes, she is offering $5 classes to make this invaluable self-care accessible. Her Naturopathic Medicine and Energy Healing sessions are also happening virtually.

Presents of Mind

Open since 1989, Presents of Mind is a one-stop gift shop for people who want something beyond the big box generic. Carrying many local and independent designers, Presents of Mind offers high quality, fun and affordable goods for diverse and progressive social expression.

I’m looking for great licensed brokers.

I’m looking for artisan-made jewelry.

Aryne + Dulcinea with Living Room Realty

navajojewelry.org

Whether you’re buying a home or selling a property, top producers, Aryne + Dulcinea at Living Room Realty are ready to help! Providing a seamless experience from beginning to end. They are your partner in the process.

Navajo Jewelry prides itself on representing some of the best artists of the Native American tribes and nations of the Southwestern states. It features the largest selection of handmade Navajo and Zuni jewelry in the Northwest.

aryneanddulcinea.com

Navajo Jewelry

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joseph blake jr.

RETAIL

RETAIL

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joseph blake jr.

GREENHAUS GALLERY & BOUTIQUE greenhausgallery.com 376 NE Sumner St.

Owned by Arizona transplants Dayna and Cole Reed (who also run openHAUS coworking space for marginalized independent workers), greenHAUS offers quirky vintage goods, crafts and gifts—and it’s an art gallery too. The store was previously located on Northeast Killingsworth Street, but it found a home in 2019 at the Alberta Commons space near the intersection of Northeast Alberta Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. GreenHAUS is currently open limited hours Thursday through Saturday and by appointment all other days. It also offers a monthly subscription box. You set the price (starting at $25 a month) and receive either a curated selection of physical goods, a gift card or goodwill to keep the store going.

11:11 SUPPLY

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1111SUPPLY.COM 33 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

503-395-4440

sells pens, bullet journals, notebooks and productivity tools. The brick-andmortar location is closed, but you can still get organized with tools from its online store.

BIRDS AND BEES NURSERY birdsandbeespdx.com 3327 SE 50th Ave. 503-788-6088

BOXIES boxiesonline.com

creates curated gift boxes for any occasion in partnership with businesses owned by women and people of color.

CULTURAL BLENDS culturalblends.net

sells streetwear and basketball swag.

We dubbed it “the most original vintage shop Portland has seen in years,” and we mean it. Christopher Yen’s shop carries vintage sports and pop culture clothes and artifacts, including a lot of old-school Blazers gear. Plus, you may find rapper Mic Capes holding down the fort a few days a week.

PRODUCE PORTLAND produceportland.com 140 NW 4th Ave.

Consignment and barbershop offering vintage streetwear for men, women and children.

SHOP LA FAMILIA & CO-OP shoplafam.com @shoplafamiliacoop 2205 N Lombard St.

RETAIL

Birds and Bees is a small, women- and Black-owned nursery offering seeds, starts and supplies for outdoor gardening as well as mason bees, birdfeeders, houseplants and gifts.

LAUNDRY @laundrypdx 140 NW 4th Ave. 503-893-5937 curbside pickup available

The retail space for the La Familia Co-Op, the artist and music collective and label started by local rapper Swiggle Mandela.

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SALONS, BARBERSHOPS & BEAUTY SUPPLY

PAZ HAIR LOUNGE

pazhairlounge.com | @pazhairlounge 4605 NE Fremont St., Suite 209B BEAUTY & BARBER

Owner Yanelly “Nelly” Ayala got tired of mainly seeing hair salons in Portland tend to a certain type of hair texture—one that isn’t typical of many minorities. Wanting to find a space where she knew she and so many others who look like her could feel seen and comfortably treated, she opened PAZ Hair Lounge back in the summer of 2017. It’s been a bumpy ride along the way, but with natural hair specialist Laura Inez they now boast a variety of your standard salon offerings, on top of braids and twist extensions, waxing and lash services.

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SALONS, BARBERSHOPS & BEAUTY SUPPLY

ABBEY SOAP COMPANY abbeysoapcompany.com

Founded by Angela Benjamin Bey back in 2015, this luxury soap company uses all-natural, cruelty-free ingredients that don’t have complicated names or contain preservatives.

BODI BRAND SOAP bodibrandsoaps.com @bodibrandsoap

Owned by Malia Thompson, this new soap company is rooted in the concepts of ritual and self-care. Its small-batch, handcrafted products are perfect for sensitive and acne-prone skin.

CHAMPIONS BARBERSHOP championspdx.com various locations

It’s the only barber-run shop that also offers a barber college for those interested in learning the necessary skills.

MARIE ERNST marieernst.com

David Jenkins started Marie Ernst as a means to reinvent the way we think not only about body care, but sleep care as well. The company offers everything from soaps to sleep masks.

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NATURAL HAIR AND EXTENSIONS @naturalhairandextensions 510 NW 10th Ave. inside the Sola Salon Studios

This small and talented team, led by Tisha Aspirations, really can do it all— braids, locs, handmade wigs, lineups, bear trims. You name it. Plus, she’s one of the go-to stylists for some of the Trailblazers, including CJ McCollum.

NENE’S BEAUTY SUPPLY @nenes_beauty supply 17110 NE Halsey St. 503-367-1945

This independent supply shop has every tool and hair accessory you could possibly need. You can get hair and lashes there, too.

STYLED BY HER MOBILE BEAUTIQUE styledbyherbeautique.com @styldbyher 6806 NE Broadway

Rita Calloway literally brings the salon to you. She can do nails and hair in her mobile “beautique,” plus she’s a stylist, fashion designer and certified beauty instructor.

CANNABIS

joseph blake jr.

MAKE & MARY makeandmary.com 2506 NE Sandy Blvd. | 503-444 7608

Among Make & Mary’s notable products are a duo of rose gold cannabis inhalers—slim, lipstick-shaped capsules meant to be inhaled deeply, aromatherapy style—and a selection of CBD sticks, skin serums, roll-on oils, and a single pillar candle.

Initially, Perez Emerson says, she realized she designed the brand for “the yoga mom who shopped at Whole Foods. But I do yoga high,” she says. “So I redesigned the whole thing. When I drew the logo, I wanted it to feel mysterious. ‘Is this a mushroom or is this a vagina?’ I want it to be alluring but also very grounded.”

CANNABIS

The vibe at Make & Mary’s cannabis skin care boutique is notably luxurious.

Art educator, designer and community organizer Yvonne Perez Emerson started Make & Mary in 2017 as a line of handmade, CBD-infused skin care, beauty and lifestyle products and opened a brick-and-mortar cannabis skin care boutique in August.

The store’s centerpieces are a teal velvet couch, a glossy coffee table shaped like the state of Oregon, a bright, phallic-shaped copper still, and a botanical mural that spans the shop’s street-facing accent walls.

Each shelf is thoughtfully stocked with Make & Mary’s line, as well as select products from other BIPOC makers.

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CANNABIS

DISPENSARIES ❋ BUDDING CULTURE buddingculturepdx.com 6802 NE Broadway 503-719-6192

This well-stocked shop features daily deals as well as two daily happy hours.

CLUB SKY HIGH clubskyhigh.net 8975 N Lombard St. 503-719-5801

If you find yourself in Eugene, High 5 features indoor flower only, as well as a wide variety of cannabis products at all price points. Show your support next time you’re in the area.

KUSH CART kushcartpdx.com 971-229-1281

This St. Johns dispensary offers daily deals, free delivery, and a deeply rooted commitment to community leadership.

Also, its moon rocks are legendary.

is a cannabis delivery service offering edibles, topicals and flower and co-founded by Isaac Camacho and Eriverto M. Montes.

EXODUS WELLNESS CENTER exoduswellnesscenter.com 16211 SE Powell Blvd.

971-242-8079

RELEAF HEALTH releafhealth.green 3213 NE NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | 971-255-1447

Exodus functions as a full-service dispensary, as well as a de facto social club, showing sporting events on its big screens and encouraging customers to sit and stay a spell. It also has a sizable inventory of pipes, rigs, bongs and associated accoutrements.

GREEN BOX

(delivery only)

pdxgreenbox.com 971-263-1975

Green Box was the first licensed cannabis delivery service in Oregon and, according to its website, remains the only one in the state. Order from an online menu or subscribe to receive a personalized box at your doorstep.

Pay with cash or Venmo.

GREEN MUSE

(formerly Green Hop)

gogreenhop.com 5515 NE 16th Ave. 971-301-5859

At one time known as “the first hip-hop dispensary,” Green Muse is another small shop, offering premium cannabis at every price point as well as industry master classes for aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs.

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HIGH 5 cannabishigh5.com 86531 College View Road Eugene | 541-726-9333

This full-service, mom-and-pop dispensary features a wide variety of local and private-label products.

❋PRODUCTS ❋ CUSHY CONES cushycones.com

is Alexis Fernandez and Victoria Rodriguez’s vibrantly designed line of pre-rolled organic hemp papers based in Portland and Miami.

LEVELS BEVERAGE COMPANY levels-beverage-company. myshopify.com

Levels’ lightly carbonated, freshpressed, CBD-infused juice tonics are made in Oregon and available online— ask your local grocers and dispensaries to stock up.

NUTTY BEE MAGICAL SALVE teepdx.com

All-natural CBD salves, body butters, oils, soaking salts, and more.

MAGIC HOUR magichourcannabis.com

Available through Green Box and Green Muse, Magic Hour Cannabis is a Tier 1 producer of organic cannabis, headquartered in Molalla.

SWAY CBD/SESS CANNABIS sesscannabis.com

Maker of hand-rolled hemp CBD blunts and Thai sticks, available in Portland at Lumi Wellness Shop, 2929 SE Powell Blvd.

VIOLA BRANDS violabrands.com

Former NBA player Al Harrington started his brand in Colorado, but Viola’s multistate presence now includes a 40-acre farm in Falls City, Ore.

❋COMMUNITY RESOURCES ❋ DIVERSIFY PORTLAND diversifyportland.com

What began as a hashtag has evolved into a social development, event planning, and educational service focused on fostering community growth and connection. Founder Mss_Oregon’s premier event is the National Cannabis Diversity Awareness Celebration, a weekend summit celebrating people of color in the cannabis industry.

MINORITY CANNABIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION minoritycannabis.org

Co-founded by local cannabis luminary Jesce Horton, the Minority Cannabis Business Association is the first not-for-profit business league created specifically to promote policy considerations, social programming and outreach initiatives to achieve equity for the communities most affected by the War on Drugs.

NuLeaf’s minority business accelerator program features education, technical skill building, and mentorship by successful cannabis industry leaders: Past grantees include Green Box, Green Muse and Levels Beverage Company.

COCO MADRID @chubbykush

Madrid, one of Portland’s favorite body-positive models, event hosts and fashionistas, also runs a cannabis lifestyle Instagram that celebrates femme consumption with a sensually curated feed.

LUIS MUCHADO-JUGO motaradio.com ciudadcannabis.com

Luis Muchado-Jugo’s Mota Radio is an online radio station focused on the benefits of legal cannabis—and trends in the industry. His Ciudad Cannabis is a source of hard news relating to cannabis.

VANGUARD @vanguard_media_online

Founded by Tiffany Watkins, aka Lady Canna, Vanguard is an online magazine that serves to promote women creatives, entrepreneurs and innovators in the cannabis industry.

WOMEN.WEED.WIFI @womenweedwifi

Cannabis news, reviews and education resources from Black women, including artist spotlights, poetry, community support and—when the public health crisis abates—events.

CANNABIS

NULEAF PROJECT nuleafproject.org

CANNABIS INFLUENCERS ❋

❋

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COLLECTIVES & CREATIVE AGENCIES

BROWN GIRL RISE @browngirlrise

Brown Girl Rise is a grassroots collective run by many BIPOC femmes that started back in 2016.

The collective’s mission is to create spaces for BIPOC femmes, trans and nonbinary youth. BGR typically works with adolescents and teens ages 7-17, hosting events and workshops that focus on “decolonizing” the way BIPOC histories are taught in school.

Diverse topics are covered, spanning everything from herbal medicine to food justice to the liberation of marginalized communities, while also instilling a sense of comfort in taking up space and knowing the best ways to care for oneself to therefore care for the community.

Since the pandemic has started, BGR meetings have moved to Zoom, where the youth are able to find release and expression in whichever way they need.

BLACK FOOD SOVEREIGNTY NW blackfoodnw.org @blackfoodnw

Founded in 2018, BFSNW is a member-based coalition that works with BIPOC growers, advocates and other community members to bring food stability to marginalized Pacific Northwest communities.

BLOOM BEAUTY COLLECTIVE bloombeautycollective.com @bloombeautycollective

A vogue dance house led by house mother and father Paula Metzler and Daniel Girón.

ILTOPIA STUDIOS iltopiastudios.com

A Black-owned and -operated creative studio that uses comics and other illustrative art to communicate the Black experience.

JAILBREAK STUDIOS jailbreakpdx.com

The transformed studio and collective of Jailhouse Studios, serving as a gallery, resource center, studio and store focused on BIPOC, queer and womxn artists.

KIKI HOUSE OF FLORA @kikihouseofflora

A vogue dance house led by house mother and father Kerry Yamaucci and Brandon Harrison that recently launched a house in Denver as well.

NOCHE LIBRE nochelibrepdx.com @nochelibrepdx

A Latinx DJ collective with a weekly residency at Dig A Pony that can also be booked for events and performances.

ORI GALLERY oriartgallery.com 4038 N Mississippi Ave.

A BIPOC media collective and talent agency that holds workshops and hosts events centered on art, beauty and fashion.

Art gallery run by Maya Vivas and Leila Haile, with a focus on queer and trans artists of color. They’ve switched to an artist residency model during the pandemic and will resume hosting workshops, openings and events when safe.

DEEP UNDER GROUND @deepunderground

UWU COLLECTIVE @uwupdx

What started as an open mic night has grown into a massive artistic and music community that also serves as a networking, promotion and performance platform.

FOOD MUSEUM food-museum.org

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HOUSE OF ADA @thehouseofada

An artist collective, led by Alexis Mercedes, that uses provocative imagery to address socioeconomic and historic subjects regarding food.

A queer art collective focus on queer, trans and gender-noncomforming creators of color.

Y.G.B. PORTLAND @y.g.b.portland

Young, Gifted & Black/Brown is an artistic collective and community that creates pro-Black-, pro-femme-, and pro-queer-centered events.

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