Portland Design Works: Planting Supply Chain Know-How Into Fertile Oregon Soil

Making Oregon

Our guest in this edition of Making Oregon is Erik Olson, founder and owner of Portland Design Works (https://ridepdw.com/PDW). PDW makes bike gear and accessories that are designed in-house for the urban and everyday cyclist. The designs and gear have a little bit of fun and flair too, an aspect that distinguishes their products from the rest of the pack. Erik moved to Portland from Madison Wisconsin in 2008 to start Portland Design Works, and we’ll hear about his childhood in Minnesota, his decision to study Chinese while he was in college, how his entrepreneurial spark came about while he was working at a Madison bike shop, and why he chose Portland as the best place to start his own business. He’ll also share a ton of helpful advice and hard-earned wisdom for the aspiring maker-entrepreneur.