A portable riser for supporting a laptop computer or other article at an angle to a supporting surface. The riser includes a base and lid attached to each other by a double hinge. Arc shaped legs deploy form the riser when the lid is moved from a closed position to an deployed position a position where the lid rests against the opposite side of the base. The legs are formed by deforming a sheet of flexible material that lies between the base and a cover plate. The lid and the sheet of flexible material are coupled to each other so that when the lid is moved from the closed to the deployed position, the sheet of material is deployed.