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Portlanders: A Community-Based Video Series

Meet some of the people who make the city what it is.

Updated Aug. 30, 2023 4 min read

Portlanders is a micro-video series showcasing the real people who make this city’s heartbeat. Our creativity and uniqueness make Portland an amazing place to visit because of the connections found and made here. Each of these Portlanders has found meaning here and cultivated ways of creative expression with and for the city. Get to know them and then plan your next trip to visit their Portland.

Portland musician Jonny Cool created the Portlanders theme song — listen now!

Listen to “Portland Zoo”

Portlanders: Residents of Portland, Oregon, who embody the spirit of the city and the heart of their community.

Amir Morgan

Visitors in need of a hand-crafted look can find sleek threads at Old Town China Town’s Barnes & Morgan, along with a curated selection of teas and tea-based tools to honor Morgan’s herbal remedy family traditions.

Palani Bearghost

CEO of indigenous-owned No End Of Designs, Palani Bearghost, chose Portland as the heart of the athleisure and couture designs she’s been dreaming up since childhood. Watch her work make center stage both in fashion and community activism.

NOMADNESS Travel Tribe

The core brains behind NOMADNESS Travel Tribe, a travel lifestyle brand of over 30k members, explore the beauty of Portland and plan the future of their company and community. NOMADNESS highlights the experiences of travelers of color, holding the travel industry accountable to equitable standards.

Michelle Lewis and Charles Hannah

What started as a meet-cute at Portland’s MAX Light Rail became a Black-centered, community-focused literary haven at Third Eye Books. Michelle Lewis and Charles Hannah invite viewers to explore their curated yet extensive collection of classic authors like Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, along with their favorite Black, Indigenous and POC authors.

Jill Kuehler

Jill Kuehler, the founder of Oregon’s first woman-owned distillery (Freeland Spirits), explains how her teetotaling grandmother inspired Freeland’s garden-fresh gin and why Portland is the only place she can imagine chasing her dreams.

Chef Arthur Dulin

Chef Arthur Dulin has cooked at several of Portland’s acclaimed international restaurants and believes that food is the best way to connect with other cultures. Find out where he loves to eat in Portland and how his culinary experiences here led him to victory on “Chopped.”

Aaron Robinson

Portlander Aaron Robinson is a meditation coach and podcaster who finds connection and self-discovery in the city’s restaurants, outdoors and community. His podcast, Opening Presence, creates space for artists and creators in Portland to gain exposure and be their most authentic selves.

A man with hands in pockets standing in front of street murals — Portland podcaster and wellness coach Aaron Robinson stands outside Gallery 3903 in North Portland.

A man with long hair, sitting on the floor cross-legged and eyes closed — Wellness coach and podcaster Aaron Robinson meditates in his home studio in Portand.

Two people sitting at a living room coffee table speaking into microphones — Aaron Robinson (right) and a guest record for his podcast "Opening Presence" in his living room.

3 seated men in outerwear in animated conversation — Podcaster and wellness coach Aaron Robinson (center) visits Washington Park with friends.

A man walking through a chain-link pedestrian overpass bridge, looking into the distance — Portland podcaster and wellness coach Aaron Robinson crosses the Failing Street Bridge in North Portland.

A man pulling noodles out of a bowl with chopsticks in a restaurant — Jonathan Riley eats at Sunshine Noodles in Northwest Portland.

Finding Wellness and Connection in Portland

Meet Portlander Aaron Robinson, a meditation coach and podcaster helping forge connections across the city.

Karina Rivas

Thanks to folks like Karina Rivas, the running culture is thriving in Portland. Whether trail running in Forest Park, organizing runs with Foot Traffic, or participating in one of Portland’s many marathons, Karina shares great insights along with some of her favorite stops along the way.

a woman running — Karina Rivas runs a trail in Forest Park with the St. Johns Bridge in the background.

a woman and a bridge in the backdrop — Karina Rivas overlooks the St. Johns Bridge from a trail in Forest Park.

two people in focus — Karina Rivas and Jonathan Riley walk in Forest Park.

a blue kangaroo mural — Karina Rivas approaches Blue Kangaroo Coffee Roasters in Sellwood.

a coffee/tea shop lobby — Karina Rivas at Blue Kangaroo Coffee Roasters in Sellwood.

a shared drink with friends — Karina Rivas at Stormbreaker Brewing in North Portland.

a table of food — A meal at Stormbreaker Brewing in St. Johns.

a woman stands at the finish line of a race — Race organizer Karina Rivas at the finish line of the Holiday Half Marathon.

a woman holding finish line tape — Race organizer Karina Rivas holds a piece of the finish line tape at the Holiday Half Marathon.

runners by the waterfront — Holiday Half Marathon runners along the North Portland waterfront.

a long distance runner — A participant runs the Holiday Half Marathon.

a woman sits in front of a wall of shoes — Karina Rivas at Foot Traffic running store in Sellwood.

a woman in front of a statue — Karina Rivas poses with the statue outside of Foot Traffic in SE Portland's Sellwood neighborhood.

Sarah Sabino

Sarah Sabino’s art in the AUX/MUTE gallery at Portland Art Museum showcased those whose stories have been muted throughout history. Through a multicultural lens, Sarah, who works as a sneaker designer by day, tells the stories of her life, work and identity with a visual medium and makes her worlds come alive.

Loves: Waterfalls, basketball, shopping

a woman stands in front of an art exhibit — Sarah Sabino in front of her art installation, “AWAY | HOME,” at Portland Art Museum in the AUX/MUTE Gallery.

a woman stands in an art museum — Sarah Sabino viewing her art installation in the AUX/MUTE Gallery in Portland Art Museum

three woman in front of an art mural — Sarah Sabino and guests viewing her exhibit, "AWAY | HOME,"; in the AUX/MUTE Gallery at Portland Art Museum

a woman stands next to an art decal, — Sarah Sabino stands outside of Deadstock Coffee cooling a drink

a woman holds a coffee cup in a doorway — Sarah Sabino at Deadstock Coffee

three people standing on sidewalk — Sarah Sabino, Herbert Beauclere and Jason Hill stand outside of Kat and Maouche in NW Portland.

scenery image of a street with trees — Herbert Beauclere standing under Kat and Maouche’s street sign on NW 4th Ave.

a man sits on a stack of rugs — Kat and Maouche

a woman stands in a rug store — Sarah Sabino inside of Kat and Maouche in NW Portland.

rugs — Rugs and tapestries from Kat and Maouche in NW Portland.

woman holding umbrella — Sarah Sabino holding a coffee and umbrella outside of Kat and Maouch’s Black Lives Matter window tapestry

Elsewhere Online

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Sa’rah Melinda Sabino is healing through making art in Portland

Portland Monthly

Inside the Portland Art Museum’s Aux/Mute Gallery

DJ Ambush

The first series turns the lens on DJ Ambush, founder and executive director of Portland’s first and only Black-led radio station, The Numberz FM. A musical leader and media pioneer, DJ Ambush and The Numberz have collaborated and spotlighted many local artists and creatives that add to Portland’s community and Pacific Northwest influence. With soundwaves coming from the fourth floor of the Portland Art Museum, DJ Ambush continues to draw inspiration from Portland’s rich arts community and share Black experiences, with sounds from all over the city.

Loves: Comics, vinyl, phở

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard sits in front of an image of a black number sign surrounded by red roses — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, outside the AUX/MUTE Gallery at the Portland Art Museum.

A Black man stands behind a set of two turntables and in front of a black wall displaying dozens of small artworks. — DJ Ambush stands behind the turntables in The Numberz FM space at the Portland Art Museum.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard sits in front of a collection of records, figurines and plants — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, in his workspace at the Portland Art Museum.

Two Black men with beards, one wearing glasses, clutch hands in greeting in front of an Incredible Hulk poster — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, greets a coworker at the Portland Art Museum.

Five men stand in front of a set of marble steps leading up to a brick building — From left to right: Brad, justblp, DJ Ambush, Mike and am.1r of The Numberz FM stand in front of the Portland Art Museum.

A Black man with dreadlocks stands in front of a brick building. His back is to the camera and there's a neon sign reading — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, stands in front of the Portland Art Museum.

Four men eat Vietnamese food at a wooden table — From left to right, Jonathan Riley, Sergio Coral Acosta, Jonny Cool and DJ Ambush dine at Pho Gia in NE Portland.

Two men eat Vietnamese food at a wooden table — DJ Ambush and musician Jonny Cool dine at Pho Gia in NE Portland.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard stands in front of a restaurant with a neon open sign and wooden picnic tables — DJ Ambush outside Pho Gia on Northeast Sandy Boulevard.

A man browses through racks of vinyl records — DJ Ambush shops for records at Everyday Music in SW Portland.

A closeup of a Black man's hands flipping through records with the labels — DJ Ambush shops for records at Everyday Music in SW Portland.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard stands in front of a display of comic books bearing a sign reading — DJ Ambush at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi Ave.

A Black man with a beard, wearing glasses and a facemask, looks at shelves of comic books — DJ Ambush at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi Ave.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard stands in front of a storefront holding a brown paper shopping bag — DJ Ambush at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi Ave.

Boosting the Signal of Black Portland

DJ Ambush created Portland’s only Black-led radio station. Now housed in the Portland Art Museum, The Numberz FM provides artistic space and creates media for Portland’s Black communities.

That Year clothing label and creative studio

Makers

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