Supportland, a St. Johns startup, will soon unveil its website and iPhone app, which will revolutionize the way Portland consumers interact with local businesses. The people behind Supportland have taken the consumer-based technology used by large corporations and transformed it into a usable network for Portland businesses.

This unique system is based on Supportland points. Consumers can acquire points from local businesses and spend points for products and services by using the Supportland card or iPhone app. The type of products and services offered will vary as greatly as the Supportland network itself, which has been designed to serve everyone from individual tutors to large local grocery stores. To expedite the consumer experience, all incentives will be automatically filtered with location-based technology via the website or iPhone app.

The Supportland card is free and can be picked up at any participating business or ordered online at Supportland.com. Consumers can immediately start using the card at any business displaying a Supportland window sticker, or they can register their card through the Supportland website or iPhone app to get real-time and web-exclusive incentives.

“We’re still a few months from a citywide launch and already the enthusiasm is palatable,” says Supportland owner Katrina Scotto di Carlo. “Small businesses are excited to have a level playing field with the huge chains, and Portlanders are stoked that buying local will be easier. We have so much technology around us, it’s about time it was affordable to everyone.”

The beta launch is set for January 1, 2010, and will focus primarily on local businesses in the St. Johns neighborhood. Supportland will soon expand the incentive program to businesses throughout Portland and the surrounding area. Local businesses that sign up during the beta launch will receive select perks. 

Consumers and business owners can now go to Supportland.com to read updates, get a sneak peak of the site’s woodsy design featuring Kenton neighborhood's Paul Bunyan, and view a short video that explains the Supportland system. This network is designed to benefit both consumers and business owners by incentivizing local consumption and solidifying a local customer base. It promises to bring local consumers and local businesses together in an unprecedented way, building on the dedication to localism and community that already pervades Portland.

Supportland is owned and operated by Katrina and Michael Scotto di Carlo. The Scotto di Carlos founded Supportland out of a common desire to see the local business community thrive. They combined their talents in design and programming with the talents of many volunteers to create a service that embodies the unique spirit of Portland. They are committed to preserving and cultivating that spirit.