Welcome to Portland, Actually; a new series of conversations with the people who make this city's purpose-driven business community what it is. A few weeks ago I wrote that I don't know what to do with a country right now, but I know exactly what to do with a city: show up for it, invest in it, and let it be the place where my values get to be practiced instead of just professed. This series is me practicing. I'm asking each person the same three questions, because I suspect the answers, taken together, will tell a bigger story about this place than any one of us could tell alone.First up: Tom Hering, founder of Benefit Corporations for Good, photographed exactly where you'd expect to find him (the Hawthorne Bridge, at a No Kings rally, grinning). For twenty years Tom has been quietly building a different kind of business movement in Oregon, and his answers below are a masterclass in why generosity compounds.
What's something you gave away for free that came back to you? I've given away two things for free that have paid me back many times over: knowledge and community. When Oregon's benefit company legislation was still flying under the radar, we packed up the car and drove across the state - from La Grande to Bend to Albany - explaining why becoming a benefit company wasn't just good for the world; it was good for business. We never charged for mileage, meals, or hotel rooms. We considered it tuition for building a better business community. Then in 2022 we launched Happy Hour for Good. No admission fee. No BCFG certification required. Just purpose-driven people gathering to swap ideas, make connections, and remind each other that business can be a force for good. More than 20 events later, those casual meetups have grown into a thriving community. What came back? Trust. Relationships. And a growing number of business leaders who no longer see profit and purpose as opposing forces. Turns out, generosity has one of the best ROIs I've ever seen.
Who in Portland made your work possible this year - and do they know it? Without hesitation: my BCFG Marketing Brain Trust. In 2025, I invited five BCFG-certified business owners—each an accomplished digital marketing leader—to become my unofficial board of advisors. They're listed on our website as the BCFG Marketing Advisory Council, but "Brain Trust" is what I call them because that's exactly what they are. They've challenged my assumptions, sharpened our strategy, and repeatedly nudged me out from behind my desk and in front of audiences that need to hear about Oregon's benefit company movement. Their advice has been practical, candid, and remarkably effective. Website traffic has more than doubled over the past year. And yes, they absolutely know how grateful I am. I tell them often. Good advice deserves good appreciation.
What's a number you track that nobody ever asks you about? The number nobody asks me about is also the one I'm proudest of: 90%. That's the percentage of new BCFG-certified businesses that found us through word-of-mouth. As a former copywriter, I love a great marketing campaign. But nothing beats one business owner telling another, "You should check these folks out." We can measure website visits, email opens, and social media engagement all day long. But when nine out of ten new members arrive because someone they trust recommended us, that's not just marketing—that's reputation. I'll take a referral over a click every time.
That's how you build a movement in Portland: not by extracting, but by believing first and letting trust do the compounding. There are more of these conversations coming, and I have a feeling the answers are going to add up to something...Xoxo, Sarah
