How can I make a flash drive with a portable app that runs without admin permission? I'd like to have a flash drive with my common programs on it. That, combined with SkyDrive, allows me to be productive anywhere.

Unfortunately, I can't do this on Macs that don't give me admin permission. I get the portable app, download it to a flash drive on my PC, plug it in to a Mac, and lo and behold, it doesn't work. It needs admin permission.

Is it possible for me to download/create a portable app that I can run without admin permission?
You can run an App no matter where it is located - even on a write protected volume unless the app is severely non-standard and attempts to write to the application directory or self-modify itself.

Are you certain that there are not some other form of managed preferences or parental controls enabled that is restricting non-whitelisted apps?