Join Better Portland for our monthly Thinking Local gathering, where members and guests come together over coffee to build relationships, exchange ideas, and have meaningful conversations that strengthen Portland's business community.

This month, we're pleased to welcome Hannah Sandmeyer, founder of Steward Market and Up & Over Advisors, for a discussion on succession planning. Hannah will share practical insights to help business owners think strategically about protecting what they've built and preparing for the future.

The conversation comes at a critical time. Across Oregon, more than half of businesses are owned by people over the age of 55, yet only a small percentage have a formal succession plan in place. In Multnomah County alone, that represents more than 9,000 businesses, supporting approximately 95,000 people and generating $19 billion in annual revenue. How these businesses transition or whether they transition at all will have a lasting impact on our local economy, neighborhood character, and community wealth.

Whether you're planning your own next chapter or interested in strengthening Portland's future through local business ownership, this is the conversation.

Interested in learning more about the research behind this conversation? Explore Project Equity's report on the "Silver Tsunami" of retiring business owners.

Northwest Portland Hostel & Café | 479 NW 18th Ave, Portland

Hannah Sandmeyer is the creator of Steward Market, a values-aligned M&A marketplace where purpose-driven businesses find aligned buyers, sellers, capital, and advisors. She also founded Up & Over Advisors; the first B Corp doing buy-side acquisition sourcing for social enterprise and hosts the Ethical Exits podcast on regenerative business transitions.

A 20-year Portland resident, Hannah believes that how our businesses change hands is the most consequential and least examined lever we have for keeping wealth, ownership, and community character in the places where they were built.