TiE oregon announces matt dittrich as new president

We are proud to announce the appointment of Matt Dittrich as our new President, succeeding Donn Dimond, who successfully led the organization for the past two years.

Under Donn’s leadership, TiE Oregon made a significant impact by:

• Assisting over 300 high school students in learning invention and entrepreneurship.

• Investing over $900k in 18 companies through TiE Angels.

• Relaunching Pitch Oregon with three distinct competitions:

  • Westside Pitch for Washington County entrepreneurs.

  • Columbia River Pitch for Multnomah and Clark County entrepreneurs.

  • Clackamas County Pitch for Clackamas County entrepreneurs.

• Continuing to inspire hundreds of more entrepreneurs through programs like Pitch Club, Mentor Connect, TiE University, and TiE Women.

  A Vision for the Future

  As the incoming President, Matt Dittrich brings a deep passion for entrepreneurship, mentorship, and ecosystem building across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. His vision for TiE Oregon is to strengthen its role as a leading force in the startup ecosystem between Silicon Valley and British Columbia, helping entrepreneurs at every stage— from high school students to seasoned executives— access funding, mentorship, and opportunity.

  “TiE Oregon is a unicorn: an angel community that squarely focuses on the entrepreneur. We are all about ‘giving first’ to founders— from high school and college students to seasoned business executives across the region. The wealth of mentorship our members and investors provide is unparalleled.

  Ecosystem building is the driving passion in my life, and empowering founders’ fuels me each day. My highest aspiration for TiE Oregon is to help it become the premier entrepreneurial support network in the Pacific Northwest, investing our time and resources to help the next generation of innovators grow our economy."

  * — Matt Dittrich, President, TiE Oregon

About Matt Dittrich

Matt Dittrich has spent the last decade building and investing in the Northwest startup ecosystem. A Portland native raised in Southwest Washington, Matt is an active angel investor and Venture Partner at three firms, with experience spanning urban and rural startup hubs. His expertise includes AI-driven B2B software/hardware, HealthTech, IndustrialTech, AgTech, consumer products, and multi-sided marketplaces.

Matt’s career began at Bain & Company in London, where he consulted global tech companies and late-stage venture capital firms. He later returned to Portland to help local startup nLIGHT (NASDAQ: LASR) expand into Asia and go public. Since then, he has co-founded two startup studios, a private equity firm, and a venture capital fund.

A Whitman College graduate and Yale MBA with Honors, Matt is a sixth-generation Northwest farmer, a first-generation college graduate, and has worked across four continents. He also serves on multiple nonprofit boards focused on education and enjoys long walks on the beach in his free time.

Please help us welcome Matt!
president@oregon.tie.org