TAO Member Spotlight: Mark Bryant

Where do you currently work?DAT Solutions What’s your title?Vice President, Technology In which city (or cities) is your company located?DAT Solutions is based in Beaverton, OR, with offices in Colorado, Missouri, Texas, and Bangalore, India. In what year was your company founded?1978Describe the company you work for and its product/mission.DAT Solutions is a next-generation SaaS technology company that has been at the leading edge of innovation in transportation supply chain logistics for 42 years. We continue to transform the industry year over year by deploying a suite of software solutions to millions of customers every day - customers who depend on DAT for the deepest, most relevant data and insights to help them make intelligent business decisions and successfully run their companies. We operate the largest marketplace of its kind in North America, with 183 million freight matches in 2019, and a database of $118 billion of market transaction data.Why is your company a member of TAO?Having been a member of the Oregon tech scene for almost half a century, we recognize the role that a vibrant tech community plays in our region’s growth and general well-being. When member companies have an opportunity to share ideas and pursue new ways of doing things, it benefits not just our own organization, but the community at large. Our affiliation with TAO is an opportunity to both participate in and support our region’s idea-rich network.What do you, personally, like best about being a TAO member? Being a TAO member affords us an opportunity to connect with other member companies whose primary goal is also the advancement of new and better thinking. Additionally, TAO is a way for us to stay apprised of both the business and social trends that are so important to our own organization and our own company culture. TAO allows us to spotlight our thought leadership but also gives us an uncommon opportunity to learn from others’ insights, as well.What’s your favorite thing about our region’s tech ecosystem?The Portland tech footprint embodies everything we love about Portland; in a nutshell: it’s creative, humble, but also scrappy when it needs to be. There seems to be a shared vision among Oregon tech companies that is uniquely Oregonian. In essence, when we engage with peer companies or candidates who live in the region, there’s a sense of camaraderie and a sense of belonging that make us all feel proud to call this place home.What is your hope for the future of tech in Oregon & SW Washington? Our hope is that tech in Oregon is recognized more globally for the contributions we’re already making and are developing. There are some spectacular companies in our region’s tech collective who live at the crest of the innovation wave, and who are generating and implementing the ideas that will change the way our world works. The wider that message is broadcast, the better.