MEET DENISE MCCARTY

How did you learn about PDXWIT and what keeps you coming back?

I was familiar with PDXWIT in a previous role but did not go “all-in” until entering my current role as the PDX Site Community Manager at Autodesk.  We partnered with the Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) http://www.piepdx.com/ to establish our version of the incubator named PIE Shop. Through that process we invited PDXWIT to be one of our mentors in residence companies and offered office and facility space to PDXWIT.

Can you give us some background on your career in tech? Did you intend this career path?

My career path has been eclectic, spanning the nonprofit world,  economic development,  tech and entrepreneurship.  I co-founded and co-own a successful boxing gym with my wife Molly McConnell, a 2x world champion boxer, and an Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductee.  (Which honestly makes me the second-best boxer in our house). I can however, confidently state that the common thread weaving through all those roles and responsibilities is community. 

What’s the scariest, most overwhelming thing about your new project?

In a previous role I had responsibility for overseeing Government affairs and policy. This afforded me the opportunity to do grassroots work and testify in support or opposition to various bills.  Then, in 2016 my life and my community felt like it was set aflame. In private, I had countless conversations with trusted people about the idea of running for elected office.  It took me accepting my fear of what could be a very public life . . . to apply for the Emerge Oregon.  I was both thrilled and frightened after I was accepted into the Emerge Oregon 2021 class. The Emerge Oregon mission is to increase the number of Democratic women leaders from diverse backgrounds in public office through recruitment, training, and providing a powerful network. It is humbling to have this opportunity with Emerge Oregon, and my work is to listen and lead with this community.