Hunger Doesn’t Take the Summer Off

Hunger doesn’t take the summer off and neither does the Oregon Food Bank. Last Friday, Senator Wyden teamed up with players from the Portland Timbers FC and the Thorns FC to raise awareness of food insecurity and the importance of the Food Bank in helping Oregonians in need.  Along with players and local volunteers, Senator Wyden helped to sort food and pack boxes and shed light on the ongoing fight against hunger.

Later that day Senator Wyden visited two Portland technology businesses- Urban Airship and Viewpoint Software. Urban Airship got its start when founders Adam Lowry and Michael Richardson took advantage of the Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEA)- legislation first offered by Senator Wyden. Today Urban Airship has 170 employees and $46.6 million in funding! Senator Wyden held a town hall style meeting at the company’s Portland headquarters and answered questions on privacy rights, the digital economy, and health care. Urban Airship’s innovative software, like their signature longboard the Senator got to check out, is designed and built in Portland.

Afterward, Senator Wyden met with employees of Viewpoint Construction Software in their LEED Gold company headquarters. Viewpoint is another compelling Oregon success story. Its software helps engineers and builders save time and money by managing construction projects more efficiently. CEO Jay Haladay and Senator Wyden discussed global Building Information Management (BIM) trends and the need for comprehensive tax reform (like Wyden-Coats legislation).