Meet Hannah Oran: A Queer Start-Up Founder, Advocate, and Innovator

Meet Hannah Oran, a member of last year’s first-place team in the PSU Cleantech Challenge!

Hannah’s journey as a queer startup founder, PSU student, and staff member with a disability embodies resilience, advocacy, and innovation. Originally from the Appalachian foothills of East Tennessee, Hannah spent much of her early life as a community activist, championing accessibility and equity for her hometown. But in 2023, she and her partner, Colette, made the difficult decision to leave Tennessee in search of a safer, more inclusive environment amid the wave of anti-trans legislation and rising hate that was sweeping the region.

Their move to Portland brought new beginnings, with Hannah quickly finding both a home and a purpose at Portland State University. In the Winter of 2024, she joined Arachne Intimates, a team competing in PSU's Cleantech Challenge. Drawing from her lived experience with a disability and her connections within the disability community, Hannah helped the team research and develop solutions for fashion-related challenges faced by people with disabilities. Their efforts earned them 1st place at Clean Tech, propelling them to the statewide InventOR competition.

While the Arachne Intimates team eventually parted ways, Hannah’s drive to innovate and advocate didn’t stop there. She and her partner Colette teamed up with two of their longtime friends to launch Kore Intimates, a groundbreaking start-up. Kore is a 100% disability- and queer-owned company focused on designing accessible, inclusive lingerie for all bodies. By merging innovation with liberation, Kore is redefining what it means to create products that serve every body, proving that thoughtful design can spark meaningful change.

Hannah is currently still at Portland State working for the Graduates Office, and a current member of the new Entrepreneurship Club, being one of the founding members.