Portland Community College’s SBDC And Partners Celebrate 20 Years Of ‘Getting Your Recipe To Market’ (Photo) - 03/05/26

PORTLAND, Ore. – Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday that the Portland Community College Small Business Development Center (PCC SBDC), together with partners Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center and New Seasons Market, launched “Getting Your Recipe to Market” or simply known as GYRM. 

Now, two decades later, the partners and the college are celebrating the program’s 20th anniversary as a signature training program that helps local food entrepreneurs transform a promising recipe into a commercial-ready consumer packaged goods product.

Since the first cohort launched in fall 2006, GYRM has guided hundreds of aspiring food entrepreneurs and early-stage food businesses through the complex work of developing, producing, packaging, pricing and selling food products. Over the past two decades, the partnership between PCC SBDC, New Seasons Market and the Food Innovation Center has created a robust pathway that blends business advising, food science and product development expertise, and real-world retailer perspective.

“Twenty years is an amazing milestone,” said Tammy Marquez-Oldham, director of the SBDC. “It’s incredible to think about how many food entrepreneurs have walked into their first session with an idea, and walked out 12 weeks later with a product and a plan, all supported by experts and a community that wants them to succeed.”

The three-month training program is designed for pre-business and early-stage entrepreneurs who have a complete, consistent recipe and want to determine whether that recipe can be transformed into a viable, shelf-ready product. 

“This partnership reflects New Seasons Market’s commitment to building a strong, sustainable local food system,” said Chris Tjersland, director of brand development at New Seasons. “By supporting small food producers at the earliest stages of their journey, we’re helping create economic opportunity, strengthening our regional food community, and ensuring our stores continue to showcase local food made with care, integrity and purpose.”

The program culminates in an opportunity for participants to pitch their products to New Seasons Market buyers, strengthening connections between makers and the local retail ecosystem. Graduates of the program stand out when pitching to buyers, said New Season’s Local Finds Manager Lori Hunter.

“They show up retail-ready and understand the nuances of label compliance, shelf life, cost of goods and distribution,” Hunter said. “Wholesale isn’t intuitive or easy to access, so from a buyer’s perspective, this course is incredibly valuable. Our 20-year partnership with GYRM continues to grow and evolve, and we truly love working with brands that have completed this class.”

GYRM recently hosted an in-person pitch and sampling event for its students at New Seasons Market’s new headquarters last term. These local food entrepreneurs pitched directly to New Seasons buyers, received real-time feedback and showcased products at various stages of development, from refined shelf-ready concepts to innovative prototypes.

This experience is a hallmark of the program, offering participants an opportunity to learn what retailers look for, ask questions, and refine their approach before launching to market. Offered during spring and fall terms, the program has helped more than 500 graduates and supported more than 300 new business owners, contributing to a thriving regional food economy and expanding what shoppers can discover on local grocery shelves.

“Watching makers transform kitchen-table experiments into grocery-store-ready brands has been truly inspiring,” said Sarah Masoni, director of the Product and Process Development Program at OSU’s Food Innovation Center. “Celebrating 20 years of ‘Getting Your Recipe to Market’ fills me with immense pride and gratitude, and I’m excited to see the remarkable products the next 20 years will bring.”

For more information, visit: https://www.pcc.edu/small-business/getting-your-recipe-to-market/

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 57,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

For B-ROLL footage, visit PCC campus and student life highlight reel.

Foundation Hosts Big Give Day Fundraiser For Scholarships, Essential Programs (Photo) - 02/25/26

PORTLAND, Ore. – On March 4–5, the Portland Community College Foundation is hosting its seventh annual Big Give Day, a 36-hour community giving event that brings together alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to support PCC students.

This year, the goal is to raise $150,000 to fund scholarships and essential programs across the college. This ranges from helping students who face food insecurity, to supporting immigrant and refugee students, to helping provide resources to military-affiliated students and others like PCC’s Native and Indigenous students. The difference-making of Big Give Day begins at noon on Wednesday, March 4, and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. 

“Big Give Day shows what happens when people across our community decide to show up for PCC students,” said PCC Foundation Executive Director Christina Kline. “In just 36 hours, that generosity turns into real support, helping students stay enrolled, focused, and moving toward their goals.” 

Through the power of crowdfunding and shared networks, supporters can make a direct impact by giving to more than 20 PCC programs and scholarship funds. A full list of participating funds is available on the Big Give Day webpage. Access is the goal. 

All gifts are encouraged, no matter the size, as they help provide critical resources that support student success and positive change across the college and community. The Foundation distributes $2.3 million in scholarships annually, ensuring that students in the region have access to an excellent education at PCC and the support needed to succeed, regardless of their ability to pay.

Big Give Day benefits students like foundation scholarship recipient Fareeha Nayebare. She said PCC is much more than credits, it is about survival, purpose and a path forward. Raised in a village in Uganda, she grew up apart from her parents, the only daughter among four brothers. Scholarships brought her to Forest Grove High School, and helped transition her to PCC in summer 2024. Now an Accounting Program student, Nayebare is the student trustee on the college board.

“My family doesn’t have much and they are fully dependent on me,” said Nayebare. "PCC has been transformative. If I were back in Uganda, I would be stuck at home and not sure about my future. Now I have hope. The path is a lot clearer. Dream high and dream big."

Learn more about the foundation's Big Give Day at pcc.edu/biggiveday.

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 57,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

For B-ROLL footage, visit PCC campus and student life highlight reel.

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Newberg’s Rising Star And PCC Interior Design Alum Gets The NKBA Nod For Her Work In Industry (Photo) - 02/17/26

NEWBERG, Ore. – When Newberg's Emma K. Winn started Portland Community College’s Interior Design Program during the first months of the pandemic, she never expected the experience to lead her to national recognition, international travel and a leadership role in one of the design industry’s key associations.

Winn, who completed her associate degree in Interior Design and two certificates from PCC in 2022, was recently named to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s (NKBA) Thirty Under 30 honor designation. The annual program celebrates emerging professionals shaping the future of kitchen and bath design.

It is the first time our NKBA chapter has ever had two Thirty Under 30 nominations in the same year with colleague Bethany Broussard, also a PCC interior design alum and communications chair for the NKBA Columbia River Chapter, being named to the same Thirty Under 30 cohort. Having two in one class is a record for any college in the country.

Interior design faculty chair Robin Fisher said the recognition reflects both Winn’s accomplishments and the strength of PCC’s accredited program.

“I really get jazzed when I hear about our graduates’ success,” Fisher said. “Emma is the third graduate to earn the Thirty Under 30 distinction in the last three years. It’s a huge honor and business opportunity. They’ll spend the next year traveling to manufacturers and becoming spokespeople for the NKBA.”

Community colleges have proven to be Oregon’s most practical, local engine for skills, mobility, and growth. PCC alone generates a concrete economic impact that shows up in paychecks, business receipts, and job openings filled thanks to graduates like Winn. PCC’s Lightcast-based impact analysis for FY 2021–22 reports $2.3 billion in added income across its primary economic region and 25,314 jobs supported. Every public dollar invested pays back $1.60 through economic growth and stronger communities. 

Winn is part of that economic impact. She grew up watching home design shows but didn’t realize interior design could be a viable career until her mid-twenties. She chose PCC because it was affordable, accredited by the NKBA, and offered a clear path into the profession.

Her entire program shifted online due to COVID-19, but she said the support of dedicated instructors, especially Fisher, helped her stay on track.

“For the first time in my life, I was excelling academically because I loved what I was learning,” she said. “The instructors adapted quickly and pushed us to succeed. Robin gave me the confidence to think I could make it in this industry.”

While in school, Winn worked retail and later joined Arizona Tile, which provided early professional experience. She then worked as a design assistant at C Change Design in Portland, supporting full residential remodels, creating construction documents, managing materials and specifications, coordinating clients, and facilitating photoshoots and digital content for the firm.

However, Emma recently took on a new challenge for 2026 as the designer and cabinet specialist with Crystal Remodeling in Wilsonville.

"Not only is this a great opportunity but it's so close to home," said Winn of her shorter commute. "I'm settling in and getting to know so much about Cyrstal and full-service remodeling from a design-build perspective.

"It's been amazing so far and I'm very excited to see what the future holds for me here," continued Winn, who has a near-obsessive gift for details. "Design is a language that most people don't know how to speak, and my job is to translate it for my clients."

This year, she will travel to Austria at the invitation of Blum, a manufacturer of hardware for high-quality kitchens and cabinetry, for a factory tour and then to Milan to attend EuroCucina, one of the industry’s most significant international exhibitions.

“It’s a dream for many designers to attend EuroCucina,” she said. “Being invited so early in my career is a huge honor.”

Winn also serves the local design community. After joining the NKBA Columbia River Chapter as a student member, she moved into leadership roles and is now the Chapter President for the 2026–27 term, beginning early due to a leadership transition.

Winn encourages prospective students to consider PCC’s Interior Design Program for its affordability, hands-on learning, and strong industry ties.

“If someone is interested in designing kitchens and bathrooms, PCC is the place to go in Oregon,” she said. “The instructors care about their students and the program prepares you for real work.”

Balancing full-time classes with multiple jobs was challenging, but she said the experience strengthened her time-management skills and helped her succeed in her career.

Outside of work, Winn enjoys knitting, she made the sweater in her photo, and loves spending time with her two cats. She and her electrician husband bought their first house in 2024 at the base of the Chehalem Mountains in Newberg, and are dreaming of remodeling their kitchen in the near future.

For more information, visit pcc.edu/programs/interior-design.

Newberg Center Classes And More

For the past decade, Newbergite Stephanie Romero has been the Newberg Center office assistant and helps coordinate ongoing courses and events.

The Newberg Center, located at 135 Werth Blvd., offers discounted event rentals for nonprofit groups, from public meetings to private gatherings such as community baby showers and club meetings. The building features a lobby with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto an entry courtyard and the surrounding landscape. With free parking and an accessible facility, it is a convenient place for the community to gather near the hospital, senior living and the university. The adjacent PCC Learning Garden and acres of green space support seasonal gardening and activities.

“I just love to see people here and enjoying this beautiful, open space and its artwork,” said Romero. “PCC even offers senior discounts on free or reduced-rate classes.”

The center’s winter and spring class schedules are available online and include courses ranging from retirement planning, Heart Savers First-Aid, CPR & AED training, to career-boosting project management and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

To inquire for more information, call (971) 722-8602 or visit pcc.edu/locations/newberg/ for the latest class information.

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 57,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

For B-ROLL footage, visit PCC campus and student life highlight reel.

New Labor Department-funded Scholarships Help PCC Fast-track ‘work-ready’ Talent (Photo) - 02/11/26

PORTLAND, Ore. – A new U.S. Department of Labor-funded scholarship initiative at Portland Community College is helping students move faster into high-demand careers in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and welding, all fields that are essential to Oregon’s economic growth and where employers continue to struggle to find skilled workers.

The grant-funded scholarships will support 40 PCC students this academic year, distributed evenly across four programs aligned with regional workforce needs: Electronic Engineering Technology, Machine Manufacturing, Mechatronics and Welding. Ten students in each area have been selected to receive awards of $2,062.50 to cover tuition and fees for up to 13 credits, reducing financial barriers that can slow or prevent entry into technical training.

“Those companies don’t just need workers: they need workers with the specific, high-level technical training found in our Electronic Engineering Technology and mechatronics programs,” said Christiaan Desmond, dean for PCC’s Advanced and Applied Technologies Pathway. 

Desmond noted that the region’s labor shortage is expected to intensify as semiconductor and advanced manufacturing investment expands. 

“By funding 10 students in each of these four disciplines, we are delivering a balanced, work-ready cohort that hits the ground running,” he said.

Each scholarship supports students preparing for technician and production roles central to modern manufacturing operations. In PCC’s Machine Manufacturing Program, student-machinists use computer-aided manufacturing software to control and manage precision computer numerically controlled machines, producing high-tech components and tools. 

PCC’s Mechatronics, Automation, and Robotics Engineering Technology area of concentration builds on the college’s historically strong Electronic Engineering Technology Program, developing technicians through hands-on training in electronics, digital systems and automation, with pathways to bachelor’s degrees.

“Partnerships like this with support from the Department of Labor are at the heart of how we respond to workforce needs in our region,” said Sage Learn, PCC executive director of College Relations. “By working closely with employers and investing in targeted training, PCC is helping students move quickly into high-need, high-wage careers while giving local industries the skilled talent they need to grow. These scholarships are about opportunity for students, for employers and for the long-term economic health of our community.”

The initiative arrives as funding pressures mount statewide. Oregon has documented worker shortages across key sectors, and legislators are considering mid-biennium cuts to community college budgets due to a poor economic forecast, reductions that could affect the very Career Technical Education programs relied upon to fill in-demand roles. PCC’s impact is significant: an economic impact analysis found the college generates $2.3 billion in added income and 25,314 jobs in the region, and students see an estimated $5.10 in higher future earnings for every $1 invested in education.

For students, scholarship support can also help cover the upfront costs of required gear. In welding, for example, personal protective equipment and tools can total $1,300 to $1,600. 

With strong hiring outcomes in semiconductor-focused programs, including nearly 100% hiring for Microelectronics Technology graduates with employers such as Intel and Lam Research, PCC leaders said maintaining training pipelines is vital. Starting salaries for many of these programs typically range from $56,000 to $65,000, with schedules that can offer compressed work weeks and improved work-life balance.

“This was a super cool scholarship for welding,” said Matt Scott, PCC welding instructor and high school liaison. “The students can easily use their financial aid or grants and they get it so quickly.”

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 57,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

For B-ROLL footage, visit PCC campus and student life highlight reel.

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PCC Hosts Advancing Diversity In Manufacturing Industry Panel At OMIC R&D (Photo) - 02/10/26

SCAPPOOSE, Ore. – Portland Community College is hosting an informative panel discussion on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the OMIC R&D facility.

PCC's OMIC Training Center is hosting an industry roundtable and panel discussion as part of the Advancing Diversity in Manufacturing event, spotlighting how inclusive workplace cultures strengthen innovation, workforce sustainability, and long-term business success in Oregon’s manufacturing sector. The panel discussion is free and open to the public.

The panel will bring together leaders from labor, industry, and workforce development to share practical strategies for expanding access to manufacturing careers, developing local talent pipelines, and fostering inclusive growth across the region. Designed for employers, educators, policymakers, and community members, the discussion will focus on actionable approaches that organizations can implement to build stronger, more resilient teams.

The discussion will be moderated by Amy James Neel, PCC Capital Construction Workforce and Contracting Equity Manager.

The panel follows an event designed to introduce students to high-wage, high-demand manufacturing and skilled trades pathways through live demonstrations and interactive stations featuring technologies such as machining, automation, welding, robotics and digital design.

The industry panel and roundtable discussion will take place:

• 1-2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19

• OMIC R&D Conference Room (33701 Charles T. Parker Way)

• Advance registration can be completed online at:
  https://www.pcc.edu/events/advancing-diversity-in-manufacturing/

The event comes at a time when the Oregon Legislature is making mid-biennium cuts to the budgets of higher ed, including community colleges. PCC’s Lightcast-based impact analysis reports $2.3 billion in added income and 25,314 jobs supported in PCC’s primary economic region. The same study found students see about $5.10 in higher future earnings for every $1 invested in their education.

Community colleges are where Oregon trains the people employers cannot do without, especially in the field of advanced manufacturing. PCC’s OMIC Training Center is located at the Columbia County Center in Scappoose and is part of the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) initiative to build that strong workforce pipeline for Oregon's economy. This is a partnership model that brings together industry, academia, and government to support applied R&D and workforce training for Oregon manufacturers.

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 57,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

For B-ROLL footage, visit PCC campus and student life highlight reel.

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