Port of Portland

The Economic Development team at the Port of Portland had made significant strides toward shared prosperity but struggled to clearly communicate their role and value within the larger organization. This lack of clarity meant missed opportunities for collaboration and strategic decision-making. The Impact Collective worked closely with the team to summarize and align their past work, develop compelling narratives, and create a storytelling framework that clarifies how economic development is integral to the Port’s long-term strategy.Through this process, the team gained the tools to effectively communicate their impact, ensuring that economic development will be a priority across all strategic initiatives at the organization.
Outcomes
  • Consolidated and clarified the team’s past work, defining their role within the organization’s overarching mission and vision.
  • Developed strong impact narratives to articulate their purpose and value to potential collaborators.
  • Conducted stakeholder interviews to ensure the framework was clear, accessible, and useful.
  • Created decision-making frameworks to ensure economic development is prioritized in all strategic initiatives.
  • Implemented an impact framework linking day-to-day operations to long-term regional impact.
In their words
Our team had been doing meaningful work for years, but we lacked a cohesive way to communicate our role within the organization. The Impact Collective helped us bring clarity to our contributions, align our strategy with the larger vision, and develop a framework that ensures economic development remains a key priority. Their guidance made our work more visible, strategic, and impactful.
Rachel ThiemePort of Portland, Economic Development Team

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