‘Mr. Portland’ Jake McGrady is doing it for Rip City culture, Blazers fans
By Dayton Brown
The Oregon State grad is making a name for himself in the City of Roses while keeping his love for all things Portland in the forefront.
It’s a gloomy Friday afternoon in Portland, Oregon. I’m sitting at a desk in a very nice office for a digital media company. I see a MacBook with a company logo I recognize only from photos.
I know I’m looking at one of the next big brands in the Pacific Northwest.
(Jake McGrady. Photo courtesy of Jake McGrady.)
Jake McGrady and the PNW
There’s something about the upper left corner of the United States that inspires creativity. Perhaps it’s the uniqueness of the people here or the increasing diversity of the area. There’s an entire show, “Portlandia,” as quirky as anything, about the city of Portland — with most episodes stemming from real-life occurrences and people.
The Pacific Northwest is chock-full of intelligent, innovative and successful entrepreneurs, as well. Of course, there is Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Apple’s Steve Jobs attended classes at Reed College over on Southeast Woodstock Boulevard as well.
In 2018, many would agree there is one thing Portlanders and Pacific Northwest natives will put all of their passion into. It’s the reason this site exists; the reason you’re reading this article: Trail Blazers basketball.
With current All-Star and First Team All-NBA player Damian Lillard and former Portland stars such as Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and the eccentric Bill Walton, Rip City blood runs deep.
And yet it’s rare to find a combination of all three of the traits we’ve been discussing: unique, entrepreneurial and a downright die-hard Blazers fan.
Luckily for me, I was sitting across from one that very same gloomy Friday afternoon.