The Portland 50

Jason Mraz is not a Portland local, but his focus on climate change and sustainable living fits very much into the Portland mindset. Plus, you can catch him performing in town at the Schnitzer Concert Hall on November 1st.  Hear about Jason's start in music, what he's up to these days - and how farming has changed his outlook.

Kevin Irving has been the Artistic Director for Oregon Ballet Theatre since July of 2013. And OBT is now entering it's 30th season in Portland. In this episode of the Portland 50, hear about Kevin's journey into dancing, and what circumstances created OBT 30 years ago... and what plans are in place for it's 30th season.

Most people know Carrie Brownstein as the co-creator of Portlandia. But before that, Carrie was a member of the PNW based rock band Sleater-Kinney.  They're new album, The Center Won't Hold, is out now, with a big tour this fall (stops here in Portland in November).  Hear about the new record, how she prepares for a long tour, and what it was like working with St. Vincent. 

Our guest this week is Dave Petterson, the General Manager and Winemaker at Domaine de Broglie, a vineyard and winery in the Dundee Hills that's now part of the of the Family Coppola.  

Vortex Magazine recently asked the question, "Is opera unapproachable to modern audiences?" May Arden has an answer for that. In this episode of the Portland 50, Cort talks to May about the state of opera, and how she's made it her mission to bring opera into modern context.  Her music might be the most unique thing out there on the current Portland soundscape.  Be sure to check out May and her new band Last Man as the perform on August 17th.  Get details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/last-man-tickets-67059261055  

2019 has shaped up to be a year of change when it comes to sports in Portland and in Oregon in general.  Cort gets a state of the union when it comes to Oregon sports with  with Judah Newby, Assistant Program Director of KXTG, 102.9/750 The Game.

On this episode of the Portland 50, Cort talks to Mike Zupan, president of Zupan's Markets.  Hear about the origins of Zupans, what brought Mike's family to Portland, and what the future of grocery shopping looks like.  

It's not a stretch to think that Anthony Bourdain had some influence on the Portland food scene.  In this episode of the Portland 50, Cort returns to an interview he had with Anthony early 10 years ago, as well as a what it was like for one local chef to work with Anthony on his TV show.

Our guest this week is Jamie Mustard, a speaker and author. His book, The Iconist, will come out later this year.  Jamie is an avid consumer of popular culture, and a graduate of the London School of Economics. He is obsessed with the "economics of attention" and has consulted for Intel, Cisco and Symantec.  Learn more here: theiconist.org

Chris Young is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Vortex magazine, celebrating it's 5th year this April.  Chris is an advocate for the local music scene, and serves as a board member for MusicPortland.

Ted Wheeler was elected as Mayor of Portland in the spring of 2016, but when he set out to college, public service wasn't his original path. In this episode of the Portland 50, we talk with the Mayor about is Oregon roots (6th generation!), a few of his hiking adventures, why he lists Eagle Scout on his list of accomplishments, and how a class at Columbia University made his re-think his career path.   

Kevin Carroll is an author, speaker and agent of change. He has one of the most unique stories of anyone you'll hear about on the Portland 50, raised by his grandparents in Philadelphia, spending 0 years in military intelligence with the US Air Force, before becoming the Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers in the mid-90s. Then NIKE brought Kevin to Portland, to do a job that hadn't even been created yet.  Kevin is the author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball book series.  Kevin travels the world, talking to CEOs and school kids, and always asking the question: What is your Red Rubber Ball?  

Chris Angelus founded Portland Food Adventures back in 2010, connecting food lovers in Portland with over 200 local chefs and artisans.  He's now taking Portlanders on international trips with some of Portland's best known chefs to see where they eat when they travel (or in some cases, return home).  Chris is also the host of the Right at the Fork podcast, where he interviews the people who make up Portland's vast food scene.

The Portland 50's original host, Peggy La Point, is back, to talk about her new podcast, Talking Trash.  Check it out at KINK.FM or download on Apple Podcasts.

Larry Crane is a recording engineer and owner of Portland's Jackpot! Recording Studio, and the editor for Tape Op Magazine.  He is also the music catalog archivist for Elliot Smith, following the singers death in 2003.  Hear about his journey to Portland from Northern California in the early 1990s, and how his love of music lead to opening up what has become known as Portland's most important recording studio.

Nick Zukin is a web developer turned restaurateur. He owns Mi Mero Mole in Old Town Portland, and co-founded Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen.  He's also the co-author of the cookbook The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home.

In this week's episode I talk with John David and Jack McGowan, and feature Jeff Douglas. The year was 1968 and John was KINK's first General Manager and Jeff, KINK's first Program Director. They were the vision behind the station. Jack McGowan was KINK's first Promotions Manager and came on board a few years later. The three discuss how they got KINK's call letters, the first days on the air and KINK, the Underground Link.

In this week's episode we feature Scott Showalter and Peter Frajola. Scott is the President and CEO of the Oregon Symphony, and Peter is an Associate Concert Master. The Oregon Symphony is the oldest orchestra west of the Mississippi, and under Scott's leadership is seeing record ticket sales and an expansion of their recordings. Following the interview, we came up with a possible new tag line: Oregon Symphony, very, sexy, cool.

In this week's episode we feature Fred Nilsen. Fred retired in 2008 as Forest Park's Chief Arborist, a job that he held for 22 years. In the early 1900's, John Charles Olmsted proposed that the densely wooded area above Northwest Portland be designated by the city as a forest park. Dedicated in 1948, Forest Park is 5,200 acres with more than 80 miles of trails.

In this week's episode we feature Tim Boyle, President and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. Tim's grandparents bought the small hat company after fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930's and named it the Columbia Hat Company. Tim and his mother, Gert Boyle, eventually took over the company in 1970. Now in its 80th year, Columbia Sportswear is still based in Portland, where the company's Tough Mother still goes to work every day.

In this week's episode we feature Intel, Oregon's largest private employer. I spoke with Courtney Martin, Intel's Public Affairs Director and Fawn Bergen, who leads Intel's Water Sustainability and Carbon Footprints programs globally. Intel is also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

In this week's episode we feature Lisa Schroeder. Lisa is the executive chef and owner of Mother's Bistro. Mother's Bistro features mothers food, traditional home-cooked dishes served by Portland's unofficial Mother, and has been recognized by Food & Wine Magazine, Willamette Week and The Portland Monthly. Mother's Bistro celebrates their 19th anniversary on January 1st.

In this week's episode we feature Mike Thelin. Mike is a former food writer and contributor to Willamette Week and The Portland Monthly. In 2012, he co-founded Feast Portland with his partner Carrie Welch. Now approaching its 8th year, Feast Portland frequently sells out and is one of Portland's most popular events.

In this week's episode we feature Mike and Emily Powell of Powell's Books. Powell's has its roots in Chicago where Mike started his first bookstore in 1970. A few years later his dad, Walter Powell, opened a used bookstore in Portland. In 1979, Michael joined Walter in Portland to ope the store on Burnside that we now know as Powell's City of Books. Emily is now at the helm of this third-generation family-owned business. Powell's celebrates their 50th anniversary next year.

In this week's episode we feature Lynn Peterson. Lynn is a transportation engineer and a land use expert. She started in public service as a Lake Oswego City Councilor and Clackamas County Commission Chairperson. Lynn has also worked in the administrations of two governors. In January, Lynn Peterson takes over as the new president of Metro, the area's regional government.

In this week's episode we feature Bill Schonely, otherwise known as The Schonz and the Mayor of Rip City. Bill was the play-by-play announcer for the Portland Beavers and for 35 years with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and in 2003 the Blazers retired his microphone. Bill Schonely now works as the Blazers Goodwill Ambassador.

In this week's episode we feature David Cress, founding partner of Food Chain Films. David is a commercial, TV, music video and film producer who has worked on a number of films by director Gus Van Sant. He produced a segment of the Kurt Cobain documentary "Montage of Heck" and David was nominated for an Emmy for helping produce the series "Portlandia".

In this week's episode we feature Brian Kidd, otherwise known as the Unipiper. In college, Brian found a unicycle in a dumpster and started to ride it. At the same time, he was learning how to play the bagpipe. He combined the two, added various costumes along the way and the Unipiper was born. Brian is launching a new project this month called Weird Portland United that he discusses with me on this week's podcast.

In this week's episode we feature Paula and Dave Harkin from the Portland Running Company. Paula and Dave are running ambassadors, and founded Run with Paula Events. They created the Hippie Chick and Helvetia half marathons, and now run Bridge of the Goddess and Newport Bay to Brews half marathons. And this year they're organizing the Portland Marathon they've dubbed "Portlandathon".

In this week's episode we feature Matthew Drake, CEO of Mt Hood Meadows. Matthew's father, Franklin Drake, founded Mt Hood Meadows, which opened in January of 1968 with two chairlifts, a T-bar and two rope tows. There are no 11 lifts and 85 named runs. Mt Hood Meadows is one of only a handful of ski areas in the U.S. that have operated for 50 years under the same ownership and are still privately owned.

In this episode we feature Stan Amy and Kristi McFarland. Stan is one of the co-founders of New Seasons Market and now serves on its Board of Directors. Kristi was in HR and served as the chief people officer for four years and recently took over as one of the two co-presidents. New Seasons Market was founded in 2000, employs over 3,000 people and now has about 20 stores, in Oregon, Southwest Washington and California, most of them are in the Portland Metro region.

In this week's episode we feature Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a former state representative, Multnomah County Commissioner and Portland City Council Member. Blumenauer was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996 where he advocates for mass transit, bike commuting, human rights, sustainable energy, health care and cannabis. Congressman Blumenauer is also a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

In this week's episode we feature Curtis Salgado, an award-winning soul, blues and R & B vocalist who's also known for his harmonica playing. Curtis grew up in Eugene where he was the driving force behind The Nighthawks and a number of other bands. He met John Belushi in the 70's and John used his blues knowledge, honed from hours spent learning from Curtis, to create The Blues Brothers.

In this week's episode we feature Susannah Morgan and Rachel Bristol from the Oregon Food Bank. The Oregon Food Bank and their network of 21 regional food banks distribute food to, on average each month, an estimated 260,000 people in Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Rachel retired in 2012 after serving as executive director and CEO, and that's when Susannah took over as CEO of the Oregon Food Bank.

In this week's episode we feature Nelson Farris, Senior Director of Global HR Talent Development at Nike. Nelson has held about 20 different jobs during his Nike career that goes back to the '70's. Nelson is Nike's longest tenured employee and is also known as Nike's Chief Storyteller.

In this week's episode we feature David Nemarnik, CEO of Pacific Coast Fruits, a company founded by his father. Pacific Coast Fruits is a produce distributor that started in the historic Produce Row over four decades ago. David is also the owner and manager of Alloro Vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains.

In this week's episode we feature Rick Bauman, a former state legislator and county commissioner. In 1994, Rick organized the first large-scale American bike tour of Vietnam. Inspired by the view from the Marquam Bridge of the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption, Rick started the Portland Bridge Pedal in 1996. By 2007, it was the third largest organized bicycle tour in the world.

In this week's episode we feature Marcus Harvey, a Portland area native. In 2014, Marcus started the @Portland Instagram page that has grown to over 322,000 followers. A few months later he began his iconic brand with two Portland t-shirts. In four years, his Portland Gear brand has partnered with Widmer Brewing, Doernbecher Children's Hospital and the Portland Thorns. Portland Gear is part of the movement to bring baseball to Portland.

In this week's episode we feature Walter Cole, you might know him by his stage name, Darcelle. Walter was born and raised in Portland, and in the 60's bought a tavern that became the Darcelle XV Showplace. He started dressing in drag shortly after he bought the tavern and in 2016 Darcelle was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Oldest Drag Queen.

In this week's episode we feature Homer Williams, a real estate developer for more than 40 years. Homer was instrumental in the success of the Pearl District and South Waterfront. He's now focusing his time and energy on his non-profit, Harbor of Hope, and is looking to be an integral part in helping to solve our homeless crisis.

In this week's episode we feature Nigel Jaquiss, investigative reporter for Willamette Week for the last 20 years. Nigel has been referred to as the reporter of last resort and in 2005, he and the paper won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting on his work exposing Governor Neil Goldschmidt's abuse of a 14 year old girl.

In this week's episode we feature Tres Shannon and 'Cat Daddy' who started Voodoo Doughnut in 2003 in downtown Portland. They are known for their creative doughnuts, like the now infamous maple bacon doughnut, and operate seven stores and one food cart. And, of course, the world knows that 'good things come in pink boxes'.

In this week's episode we feature Kim Malek, founder and owner of Salt & Straw. She started the small batch, handmade local ice cream company with her cousin, Tyler. Salt & Straw is based out of Portland and there are now 15 shops along the west coast.

In this week's episode we feature former Mayor Bud Clark. As mayor he initiated and led the campaign to build the Oregon Convention Center, and is known for his distinctive cry. Outside of Portland, Bud Clark is best known as the raincoat-wearing model for the "Expose Yourself to Art" poster from 1978.

In this week's episode we feature Maureen Fisher and Quintin Bauer from SOLVE. Maureen is the Chief Executive Officer and Quintin is the Program Director at the non-profit. SOLVE's mission is to bring Oregonians together to improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship. SOLVE celebrates their 50th anniversary next year.

In this week's episode we feature Sharon Harmon, Chief Executive Officer at the Oregon Humane Society. OHS is the largest humane society in the Northwest and they're celebrating their 150th anniversary this year.

In this week's episode we feature Bruce Walker, the Solid Waste & Recycling Program Manager at the City of Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

In this week's episode we feature David Leiken, president of Double Tee Concerts, Oregon's oldest and largest concert company. David is also the owner of the Roseland Theater and he founded FastTix.

In this week's episode we feature Gerry Frank, fourth generation Oregonian whose family founded the Meier and Frank stores, he spent 20 years as Senator Mark Hatfield's Chief of Staff and for the past 30 years, Gerry Frank has written a column that appears in the Sunday Travel section of the Oregonian. He's also the author of Gerry Frank's Oregon, now in its 4th edition.

In this week's episode we feature Willie Anderson, a former professional footballer who was on the Portland Timbers team in 1975 for their inaugural season with the North American Soccer League. The Timbers went on to the championship game and Willie stayed with the team until 1982.

In this week's episode we feature Bob Moore. Bob and his wife, Charlee, founded Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie in the late 1970's. Bob's Red Mill is now an employee-owned company, making and distributing more than 400 natural and organic products enjoyed around the world.