On this episode of Hiring For Good, we sit down with Josh Carter, Co-Founder of UpStart Collective—Portland’s founder-focused accelerator creating a supportive home for early-stage entrepreneurs to launch, collaborate, and scale sustainable ventures. With two locations across the city and more than 170 founders served, UpStart has become a hub for innovation, mentorship, and meaningful economic impact. Josh shares his journey from the Navy to tech startups and accelerator programs, explores how community fuels growth through “happy collisions,” and unpacks what it truly means to hire for good. Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search, the leading certified woman-owned executive search and advisory firm on the West Coast.

Topics Discussed:

• Building Founder-First Ecosystems: How UpStart Collective supports entrepreneurs through affordable workspace, mentorship, and collaborative “happy collisions.”
  
  
• Leadership Through Experience: Josh’s journey from the Navy to tech startups—and how mission, values, and resilience shape great leaders.
  
  
• Hiring for Good in Practice: Why potential and alignment matter more than titles, and how diverse teams fuel innovation.

UpStart Collective: https://www.upstartcollective.org/ 

Josh Carter’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcarter/ 

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602

Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Topics Discussed:

• Josh Johnston’s path into entrepreneurship: from sales and high-tech burnout to bartending, opening his first bar (North 45), and growing Independent Restaurant Concepts to nine locations over ~20 years.
  
  
• The leadership shift that comes with scaling: moving from “shoulder-to-shoulder” coworker to being perceived as the boss, and learning how communication, boundaries, and expectations change as you expand.
  
  
• Building culture and strong teams in hospitality: hiring for character over experience, defining mission/values (“favorite neighbor,” work hard/be nice/be safe, be memorable, embrace community), and creating loyalty through genuine hospitality and community partnerships—while navigating Portland’s cost/tax pressures and keeping the business resilient post-2020.

Independent Restaurant Concepts (IRC): https://www.irc-nw.com/restaurants

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602

Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Topics Discussed:

• Valdez Bravo’s leadership journey in public service: From enlisting in the Army as a medical equipment repair technician, to leadership roles at the VA, to becoming Deputy Director of Operations at the Multnomah County Health Department—plus how mission-driven work shaped his career path.
• A practical leadership toolkit built on EQ and self-awareness: Why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership, how emotional intelligence shows up day-to-day, and how leaders can avoid common pitfalls like micromanaging, “because I said so” commanding, and constant pace-setting.
• How to build strong teams and culture (especially in complex systems): “Start with why,” set clear expectations and standards, create consistent communication rhythms (like regular huddles), build trust and belonging, and hire for complementary strengths (not clones) to improve performance and accountability.

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602

Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602

Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Topics Discussed:

• Randy Reed’s nonlinear career journey from public accounting to high-tech leadership to serving as President of SAM Medical, including experiences with IPOs, acquisitions, and a major company sale.
  
  
• The evolution of his leadership philosophy — communication, inclusion, values alignment, and learning from both positive and negative examples throughout his early jobs and corporate career.
  
  
• Strategic team building and business growth at SAM Medical, including shifting R&D models, hiring key leaders, driving rapid revenue expansion, and maintaining a mission-driven culture that saves lives.

Randy Reed’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-reed-6b37a1116/

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602

Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Topics Discussed:

-Hart’s nonlinear career path from advertising to tech startups to J.P. Morgan and Bessemer Trust, and eventually founding Cloud Capital.

-The philosophy behind Cloud Capital—deep research, client-first service, scalable systems, and building intentionally rather than reacting quickly.

-Leadership lessons on hiring without job postings, aligning values, empowering advisors, and designing a firm where people thrive long-term.

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Acumen Executive Search Website: https://www.acumenexecutivesearch.com/

Hart Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartwilliams/ 

Suzanne Hanifin: President at Acumen Executive Search
Email: [email protected]
Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Hiring for Good is a podcast exploring the transformative power of leadership and what happens when the right person takes the job. Thank you for tuning in to this episode with our guest, Shannon Berg, APR, the Founder & CEO of Berg & Associates.

About Shannon Berg, APR: https://bergassociatesnw.com/about/

Berg & Associates : https://bergassociatesnw.com/

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/288s2urueV7xjlsFoYW8QN 

Acumen Executive Search Website: https://www.acumenexecutivesearch.com/

Email: [email protected]

Suzanne Hanifin: President at Acumen Executive Search

Email: [email protected]

Hiring for Good is presented by Acumen Executive Search. Acumen Executive Search is the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search and advisory Firm on the West Coast.

Acumen sources, attracts, and qualifies world-class executive and management talent for organizations to support them in achieving their organizational goals.​ Due to their focus and local network, which is both broad and deep, we are able to leverage best practices across a broad range of industries. We employ an equity lens throughout the recruitment process.

Topics Discussed:

1. Dr. Stewart’s journey from hospice and palliative care to executive leadership—how early patient experiences shaped her mission to humanize medicine and lead with empathy.

2. Building cultures of compassion and innovation—what she learned transforming organizations like UnitedHealth Group and Aledade through values-driven leadership.

3. Mentorship, balance, and hiring for purpose—how to identify passion over ego, nurture diverse teams, and empower future healthcare leaders to lead with heart.

Dr. Tanya L. Stewart’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyaluglianistewart/ 

Aledade's Website: https://aledade.com/

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602

Hiring for Good is a podcast exploring the transformative power of leadership and what happens when the right person takes the job. Thank you for tuning in to this episode with our guest  Paul Delvecchio, CEO and co-founder of Ethos Companies.

Topics Discussed:

• From Engineering to Entrepreneurship – Paul shares his path from construction and global real estate strategy at the U.S. State Department to co-founding and leading Ethos Companies.
  
  
• Building “Small Big Deals” – Insights into how Ethos brings institutional sophistication to mid-market development, brokerage, and property management projects.
  
  
• Hiring with Purpose – Why credentials matter, how values and cultural fit come into play, and what “Hiring for Good” means when aligning talent with organizational mission.

Ethos Companies Website:  https://ethoscompanies.com/

Hiring For Good Website: https://www.hiringforgoodpod.com/ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-for-good-podcast/id1725208602 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/288s2urueV7xjlsFoYW8QN 

Acumen Executive Search Website: https://www.acumenexecutivesearch.com/