Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Why every exec should be vibecoding – by Elena Verna

The future looks more like this: senior leaders and execs who stay part-time ICs. People who still build, ship, review, and create, not just talk about it.

Builders Meet Advisors Happy Hour, Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 6:00 PM | Meetup

We’re bringing together builders—founders, founding team members, and functional team leaders (think Directors and above)—with experienced professionals for a curated gathering where builders meet advisors in a casual setting, share real challenges, and discover what’s possible when top notch talent decides to invest in your success.

Duncan Wyse hands OBC leadership to John Tapogna – Portland Business Journal

John Tapogna will take over leadership of the Oregon Business Council from longtime President Duncan Wyse on March 1. Wyse will transition to a new role within the organization.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek names data center advisory committee – Portland Business Journal

A new report from Bloom Energy, however, sees Oregon as one of a handful of “legacy and secondary markets” losing out on new development in the next few years as the market shifts toward bigger data centers tied to artificial intelligence.

Innovators Everywhere. Figuring out how to leverage… | by Joe Maruschak | Jan, 2026 | Medium

The talent is in every town in every state — it is, in many ways, underutilized. To truly thrive as a nation, we need to figure out how to leverage the unique talents of all of these individuals.

Everyone deserves a better computer | Ahead Computing

AheadComputing, Inc. is a semiconductor start-up built on the belief that everyone deserves a better computer. We are designing a unique architecture with the ultimate goal of delivering the best per-core performance available.

AheadComputing lands $30M to build RISC-V processors for AI data centers – SiliconANGLE

Since the company’s founding in 2024, AheadComputing has moved quickly through product development and technical collaboration across the semiconductor ecosystem, working with hyperscalers to pair RISC-V extensibility with a breakthrough microarchitecture that delivers top-tier performance for modern AI and datacenter workloads.

Elevate Capital Funds $1.6M Investment in Oregon Startups

Over the past year, that work has continued with $1.6 million invested across five Oregon-based startups, representing a diverse mix of technologies, industries, and growth opportunities.

Oregon governor forms new committee to advise on massive data center growth • Oregon Capital Chronicle

The seven members of Gov. Tina Kotek’s new Data Center Advisory Committee will recommend regulations meant to protect energy and water amid rapid data center growth

10 Nonobvious Things About Silicon Valley Fundraising — Chris Neumann

Here are 10 nonobvious things about fundraising in Silicon Valley according to our week two speakers