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Registration is open for the Gorge Angel Conference in OEN Blog
Posted by Sarena Regazzoni Mar 12, 2010Registration Open for the 2010 Gorge Angel Conference
Presented by Hood River County Office of Economic Development in cooperation with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network.
Thursday, April 27,2010
11:30-5:30 PM
Best Western Hood River Inn
1108 E. Marina Way
Hood River, OR 97031
Conference Highlights:
- Three companies will give 20 minutes presentations of their business model and compete for an anticipated investment of $100,000, courtesy of the Gorge Angel Investor Network, (GAIN3, LLC). Other companies will deliver 5 minute pitches to gain exposure
- Lunchtime Keynote Speaker: "Building a Better Dog House", by Shelly Gunton, Co-founder and "Top Dog" of Castor & Pollux Pet Works, a leading organic and natural pet products company based in Clackamas, OR
- Educational Panel Presentation: "What Entrepreneurship Looks like in the Gorge" with Luise Langheinrich, Boulder Path Designs - The Dalles, OR and Craig Sabina, Summit Projects - Hood River, OR.
Online Registration Available At: http://www.oen.org/events.aspx?id=120
Deadline: April 22, 2010
Google Apps Premier Archiving from Smarsh in Transmissions From Smarsh
Posted by Adam Bullock Mar 11, 2010
Head to Eugene for the second-annual Willamette Angel Conference! If you've never attended an angel investor conference, you're not going to want to miss this opportunity. The conference will be filled with inspiration, education, competition, and fun. The winning company will walk away with a minimum investment prize of $125,000.
All submitting companies must be emerging-growth, and seeking somewhere between $200,000 and $2 million in seed/early-stage funding. Companies should submit their applications by Monday, March 15, 2010 by visiting www.willametteconference.com/businessplans.
The first pitches of the day will be wildcards called IGNITE-STYLE PITCHES – where six start-ups will have the opportunity to deliver their business plan in 3.5 minutes (13 slides, automatically advance every 15 seconds). This is a high-energy event. The audience votes for the company they think has the most viable business plan. The winner will compete in the main pitch event, and vie for a minimum investment prize of $125,000.
The MAIN PITCH consists of six start-up companies (5 who have been pre-selected, plus the 1 wildcard winner) who each have 10 minutes to deliver their business plan. Each pitch is followed by 7 minutes of feedback and audience Q&A, which is facilitated by an expert panel of investors.
About the Willamette Angel Conference
The Willamette Angel Conference is an investor conference, connecting early stage and seed businesses with angel and venture investors in the Willamette Valley. Their mission is to encourage, accelerate and showcase start-up companies in the Willamette Valley and across Oregon. Entrepreneurs and Start-ups can submit their business plans for review and coaching, ultimately vying for a $150,000 investment prize. The competition is expected to have real economic impact in the Willamette Valley, generating new business and jobs using local entrepreneurs, talent and intellectual property.
Save $50 on Registration to attend:
Visit http://tinyurl.com/ycyddcf to register to ATTEND the conference and save $50 @ when you register BEFORE March 26th.
For more information see www.willametteconference.com.
Would you rather get a job or find an opportunity? in Jobs, Interns, Human Capital
Posted by Cleon Mar 9, 2010
Credit Suisse and OIF Spring Networking Event on March 31, 2010 in OEN Blog
Posted by Sarena Regazzoni Mar 8, 2010
Contacts: Jeff Fishburn
OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
503-802-4408
www.twitter.com/jefffishburn
DeltaPoint Winner of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network’s Angel Oregon 2010 Investment Competition
DeltaPoint to Receive $170,000 Launch Stage Company Award;
Enjoy Life Wins $25,000 Seed Stage Company Award
PORTLAND, Ore. – March 5, 2010 — The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) today announced that DeltaPoint, Inc. was selected as the overall winner of OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010 receiving the $170,000 angel investment prize as the Launch Stage company winner. Portland-based DeltaPoint, Inc. (http://www.deltapointinc.com/ - Portland, Ore.) that is developing diagnostic software that performs “virtual biopsies” on suspected cancers. The company is focused first on taking the guesswork out of diagnosing breast cancer.
DeltaPoint, CEO Richard Lazar
Enjoy Life LLC - Portland, Ore., with its launch product class Divina Sangria, was select as the Seed Stage company winner and will receive a $25,000 investment prize Enjoy Life is the producer of the first authentic, premium Sangria in the US: Supreme Red and Majestic White.
Enjoy Life, Founder Maria Corbinos
“Despite the difficult economy, OEN’s Angel Oregon is a bright spot that demonstrates the commitment that the angel investor community has to supporting emerging growth companies,” said Angela Jackson, AB Jackson Group and Chair of OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010. “OEN's Angel Oregon is about cultivating entrepreneurs and angel investors and creating successful companies that benefit the economy and the communities in which we live – as well as creating a cycle of growth that spurs the entrepreneurs and angels to spawn more companies in the future.”
This year’s finalist companies were selected from nearly 50 companies, based throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, that applied to compete at OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010. A rigorous selection process was undertaken by the 39-member panel of angel investors to select the companies chosen as the Launch and Seed Stage winners. Each investor staked at least $5,000 that helped create the $195,000 investment award for this year’s event. The total award includes investments from the Willamette University Angel Fund and a $21,000 loan that will be given by the Portland Development Commission, to the Portland-based Launch Stage winner.
OEN’s Angel Oregon is the Northwest’s premier deal flow and networking event for Oregon and SW Washington-based angel investors and early-stage entrepreneurs, which led to the formation of the Willamette Angel Conference, Gorge Angel Conference and the Oregon Angel Fund. The competition has real economic impact for Oregon with more than 33 companies that have competed at OEN’s Angel Oregon since 2003 who generated more than $85 million in combined revenues (up from $66 million in 2008) and employ more than 546 people. This year’s event drew an audience of nearly 285 angels, potential angels, entrepreneurs, OEN members and guests.
About Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and improving the business climate for emerging, growth-oriented companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. For more information about the OEN, visit its website at www.oen.org.
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Finalists for the OEN Angel Oregon 2010
2010 Launch Stage Companies
ActiveTrak Inc. – Portland
ActiveTrak Inc. is the provider of mobile endpoint security solutions for businesses and consumers. Its innovative software enables customers to track and recover lost or stolen laptops, mobile phones or portable media devices, as well as to protect the data stored on them.
Coherence Resources, Inc. (NightWave Sleep Assistant) ‐Portland
Coherence Resources produces proven wellness solutions for restful sleep and relaxation without pills, masks, wires or sounds. NightWave® Sleep Assistant is our flagship product.
Copa Di Vino – The Dalles
80% of the Beer and Pop sold in America are in ready to drink (RTD) containers. Our patents for our “glassing” process have created the only “Wine RTD”.
DeltaPoint, Inc. ‐Portland
DeltaPoint is developing diagnostic software that performs “virtual biopsies” on suspected cancers. The company is focused first on taking the guesswork out of diagnosing breast cancer.
InFuez, Inc. ‐Portland
InFuez, Inc manufactures FUEZ, a surface product which incorporates Northwest recycled glass to satisfy growing demand for affordable and sustainable building products.
Matradee, Inc. ‐Beaverton
Matradee is an online restaurant reservation platform designed to provide restaurateurs a unique opportunity to reduce processig costs, improve service and increase revenue.
Second Porch, Inc. ‐Portland
Second Porch helps owners extract more value from their vacation home by enabling easy sharing, trading & renting among members of a trusted network.
2010 Seed Stage Companies
‐Portland
Athletepath is a website that supports the individual athleteʹs performance goals. Athletepath helps everyone realize achievements, find events and buy the best products for their needs.
Enjoy Life LLC ‐Portland
Enjoy Life is the producer of the first authentic, premium Sangria in the US: Supreme Red and Majestic White.
Gamma Therapeutics ‐Tualatin
Gamma Therapeutics is a start‐up biopharmaceutical company founded by Dr. David Farrell of OHSU for the development of diagnostics and drugs for heart attacks.
Green Goose ‐Portland
The Green Goose enhances the urban cycling experience by automatically tracking distance, locations, and savings earned along your daily bike commute.
Indie Wines, Inc. ‐Oregon City
Indie Wines enables artisan wineries to end‐around traditional distribution channels. Leveraging their SaaS/social‐commerce solution to deploy consumer‐ and trade‐direct platforms, wineries increase sales and profitability.
Mobspot, Inc. ‐Portland
Mobspot is a cross‐platform discovery, download, and review destination for mobile applications on any device. Mobspot helps you filter through the glut of apps, enabling you to quickly discover which applications your friends actually use and like.
My Home Details ‐Vancouver
The social network for residential buildings.
Zubeo, Inc. ‐Portland
Zubeo is a ‘Pandora‐like’ service for radio show and podcast listeners that creates and delivers personalized audio mixes containing the web’s most compelling content. Delivered fresh daily to a listener’s computer & MP3 player, Zubeo’s seamless playlists play from beginning to end with just a click; perfect for listening at home or on the go.
Angel Insights - Eric Rosenfeld Answers Angel Investing Questions in Angel Oregon
Posted by Mitch Daugherty Mar 3, 2010
Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is proud to be a community sponsor of the inaugural year of the Pivotal Leaders awards. Pivotal Leaders seeks to recognize the Northwest’s top prospective clean technology business leaders, as nominated by their community and selected by their peers.
An initiative of Pivotal Investments , Pivotal Leaders is designed to expand resources for innovation in the Northwest’s clean technology sector. By helping to identify and recognize outstanding prospective CEO and CTO talent in the region, Pivotal Leaders will provide opportunities for leaders to partner, collaborate and maximize their chances of success. These leaders’ success is success for all of us.
We hope you’ll help us recognize our future leaders of the clean economy - the people who will ensure that our region’s clean technology businesses will create jobs, draw investment, and seize global markets for clean energy solutions.
Please take a moment right now to nominate the people you believe will lead us into a sustainable economic future. Nominations are due on Wednesday March 17th.
The Green Goose enhances the urban cycling experience by automatically tracking distance, locations, and savings earned along your daily bike commute.
We interviewed Brian Krejcarek from Green Goose and picked his brain about Green Goose.
OEN: Describe the moment that the 'light bulb' (idea) first appeared in your mind?
GG: There really wasn't a light bulb. We've been iterating over and over.
We started out making smart thermostats. Then we tried focusing on energy savings. In the end, it came down to a product offering that was lots of fun and really low-cost.
OEN: With whom was the idea first shared? What was their reaction?
GG: Conversations with an awesome local tech community of supporters. We thought the idea was a bit nutty, but we learned we were actually solving some real day-to-day problems.
OEN: At what stage of your business planning did you experience the most 'go/no go' feelings?
GG: It's been a daily struggle, but we kept pushing the ball forward while seeking critical feedback.
OEN: What event, decision, conversation, etc. transitioned you to 'all systems go'?
GG: All of the above, of course.
OEN: How will you ultimately define success for your business?
GG: Lots of revenue. A product people get excited about. Creating jobs, and having fun.
OEN: In terms of relationship to OEN...
GG: I had actually been a member of the old OEF about 10 years ago right out of college. It was a great early experience while trying to build a little dot-com company back then. It also helped spur some motivation to earn an MBA and build some more working experience before rejoining OEN.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the new Board Chair, Bob DeKoning, for the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) the other day and asked him about his vision for OEN and how it can impact business growth and startup success in Oregon. Bob first and foremost made it clear that he is passionate and committed to creating a supportive atmosphere where startups can get the resources they need to thrive. Bob is a long time Oregonian and a successful repeat CEO at four different companies over the past 16 years. I asked Bob why he got involved in OEN and what led to him ultimately becoming the Board Chair. Bob explained:
“The reason I considered this opportunity was the fact that in this recessionary time, and with the state of the economy, I felt that there was a chance to make a difference. If we were looking for additional job growth in an environment of high unemployment, that job growth most likely would come from growth in small companies. I couldn’t think of a better way to give back and help this economy, than to come in and help keep OEN growing, and stimulating this economy, in support of small company management. ”
In the interview Bob took the time to expand upon his vision for OEN and where it can have the most impact on young Oregon companies. Bob indicated that there are three major focus areas where he is spending his time and energy with OEN:
- Make OEN indispensable to the entrepreneurs, here in the four-county area, as well as throughout the state of Oregon.
“We can do that by thinking outside of the box of what we are doing today, and look at ways at which perhaps OEN can further our efforts to provide funding mechanisms to those entrepreneurs. Today we have OEN’s Angel Oregon, OEN’s Venture Northwest, the Portland Angel Network, the Women’s Investment Network, and are involved with the Oregon Angel Fund. Ongoing we are exploring other creative programs that would provide funding opportunities. Other areas where we are thinking outside of the box is realizing where we can show some leadership in helping foster discussion amongst state leadership and entrepreneurs to help answer what is the state of entrepreneurism in this state? In fact, we’re looking at co-sponsoring some political forums, not debates, but forums along with the Portland Business Alliance, SAO and others, to help have this exchange between the candidates and the entrepreneur community in terms of what are the important issues, and what should we be addressing in Oregon in the years ahead. Additionally, I’m trying to look at some of the environments for entrepreneurs out there… some would call them incubators. It appears that the various communities in the four-county area are all looking at incubator involvement, and what the OEN can do to help whether it be through providing that type of facility management or leadership in getting a project like that to the support the areas entrepreneurs. We are actively pursuing unique, new opportunities like these to be indispensable to the entrepreneur.”
- Expand OEN’s focus on outreach beyond Portland.
“OEN, I think, really represents the Portland market extremely well and they have done the same downstate, but there’s even more that we can do. We’re supported the I-84 corridor right including Hood River, the Dalles, on out to Burns and La Grande and those economies. We’ve had great success with helping these communities launch their own PubTalk programs and there even has been the development and growth of the Gorge Angel Invesment Conference. We also have been supporting the communities along the I-5 corridor and over to Bend. There is more outreach to do but this region too has successfully developed a new investment conference supporting emerging companies.”
- Continue to focus on programs for entrepreneurs.
“Last year, in 2009, we certainly looked at which programs were financially viable or not, and which ones needed to be sunsetted. Many programs were taking extraordinary staff time, versus the real value-add that we offer the community. This year, now, with that already done, we are looking to expand programs, viable programs that are profitable from day one, but that addresses new needs in the community. For instance, we will be exploring putting on new programs for what we call gazelle-type companies, those companies that have emerged from the startup phase. They’re in a fast growing, scalable phase, maybe in that $3 million to $20 million range. They have unique needs, different from younger startups that are doing business plan reviews and angel funding. Can we put programs on like that? Can we partner with Willamette University, and The Portland Business Journal, to creat an entrepreneurial business index piece? Can we put on the other kinds of programs that haven’t been done yet that, again, bring value? We’re answering those questions and actively pursuing that.”
Bob emphasized that in addition to their top three priorities that he is looking to build an entrepreneurial community that is close knit, helps each other and has fun.
“At OEN, we like to have fun. That’s part of the entrepreneur environment as well, and so we’re looking to perhaps put on a party or two in the summer. It’s a way in which we can not only thank our membership and thank our volunteers, but have fun in the process. And, so, we’ll work hard, and we’ll play hard too.”
We wrapped up by speaking about what sets OEN apart from other organizations and Bob took the opportunity to speak to the strength of the OEN volunteer community.
“There are quite a few things that set OEN apart. The first, is the volunteer community. Linda has a staff of four great professionals, and Linda makes the fifth. But you can’t put on all the programs and tackle all the issues that the OEN takes on without volunteers. I think I’ve heard we have well over 100volunteers that support our programs throughout the year. That’s a huge network as opposed to some of the other associations that tend to rely primarily on the efforts of the Board members. So, the volunteer community really sets OEN apart because it allows us to put on far more programs that we could otherwise afford. Secondly, I think, OEN has done a really nice job of focusing on our niche area and being true to that niche, focusing on the smaller emerging company. OEN is unique in that it serves a broader business community regardless of whether you’re in forest products or food products or technology or services.. We’ll serve a broader community, but we know what our mission is, and we know what’s core to that. To think that it primarily leverages volunteer efforts, they do one hell of a service to the Portland Metropolitan Area and to the State. The niche just isn’t served by anybody else, so, I think, that’s what makes them unique.”
Bob expects a great year for OEN and I am personally excited about Bob’s vision and the opportunity to be involved in this organization.
Athletepath's Climb To The Top: An OEN Angel Oregon Seed-Stage Finalist in OEN Blog
Posted by shawnaharch Mar 1, 2010David Embree of Athletepath answers a few questions about the company’s journey thus far. On March 5th, 2010, Athletepath will compete against seven other seed-stage companies at OEN’s Angel Oregon event in Portland, Oregon for an estimated investment prize of approximately $25,000.
Athletepath, Inc. is a website that supports the individual athleteʹs performance goals. Athletepath helps everyone realize achievements, find events and buy the best products for their needs.
OEN: Describe the moment when your big idea first came to mind.
I spent countless hours over the course of the 2007 season searching for my relevant triathlon and running results. After finishing a local Olympic distance race I wanted to see how I had improved and how my teammates had done. Struggling to find my own data, and finding it nearly impossible to find anyone else is what brought me to Athletepath's "aha" concept moment.
OEN: With whom was the idea first shared? What was their reaction?
I first unveiled Athletepath's service concept to my father, who is a venture capitalist. I figured if anybody would give me the honest truth it would be him. After that, I polled some close friends of mine who are poly-competitive, and it met their enthusiastic approval.
OEN: At what stage of your business planning did you experience the most “go” or “no go” feelings?
When I first found out that there were competitors in the space, I was disheartened. For a few months I actually believed this was a completely untouched market.
OEN: What event, decision or conversation transitioned you to the “all systems go” point?
Finding competitors forced me to change Athletepath from being a simple one-step service into a multi-customer, shared-benefit business platform. It forced me to evolve the concept well beyond what currently exists in the market.
OEN: What keeps you awake at night in regards to your business?
I know how much Athletepath will help athletes and guide newcomers to the sport, I am haunted by the thought of not yet effectively serving those millions of competitors.
OEN: How will you ultimately define success for your business?
When Athletepath becomes the go-to resource for amateur athletes, I will feel that we've accomplished something important. Athletepath will help individual athletes measure their improvements over a lifetime – keeping them involved and helping them save time and money in the process.
OEN's Angel Oregon: Reservations Highly Recommended! in Angel Oregon
Posted by Scott Etheredge Mar 1, 2010
InFuez, Inc. Talks OEN, Angel Oregon and what Fuels their FUEZ in Angel Oregon
Posted by Katie Bennish Sachse Mar 1, 2010
Angel Oregon Finalist ZUBEO Hot Seat (ok, warm) Interview in Ryan Lewis's Blog
Posted by Ryan Lewis Feb 26, 2010This week OEN announced the finalist for Angel Oregon and I am proud to be profiling a few of them. First one is ZUBEO of Portland.
A short summary about ZUBEO for those not familiar:
The Company
Zubeo is a privately held company committed to the idea that technology should enable connection between people and what matters most to them – their purpose, their communities, and the larger world beyond. We are located in Portland, Oregon.
The Mission
It is our mission to help people grow in the areas important to them. We do this by connecting each person to his or her ideal audio content in a way that creates an optimal listening experience and fosters an enduring relationship with the provider of that content. We do this in areas the listener is passionate about and in a manner that helps organizations further their purpose.
It is our way of improving the world.
The Questions for Kevin Ulam of ZUBEO
Q: Describe the moment that the 'light bulb' (idea) first appeared in your mind?
A: October 16th, 2006 at 2am. It was a surprise to me as I was primarily starting to look for a job.
Q: With whom was the idea first shared? What was their reaction?
A: My wife. Concern from a financial standpoint.
Q: At what stage of your business planning did you experience the most 'go/no go' feelings?
A: No Go = Only a few times when setbacks occurred, though cash flow will dictate the future. Many, many ‘Go’ moments, especially when we’ve achieved milestones and received positive feedback from listeners and content providers.
Q: What event, decision, conversation, etc. transitioned you to 'all systems go'?
A: My initial focus group market research that uncovered the universal appeal of a customization engine that would let each person hear a unique mix of shows for them
Q: What keeps you awake at night in regards to your business - funding, competition, team?
A: Cash flow vs learning how to educate listeners on the new way of show listening Zubeo offers.
Q: How will you ultimately define success for your business?
A: Cash flow positive, providing at least a 5X return for investors, and positive feedback from show listeners and content providers.
Kevin Ulam is Currently an OEN member, has presented at Pub Talk in 2007, attended Angel Oregon in 2007 and presented Zubeo in a 60 second pitch.
Kevin has also participated in one OEN training series andis part of the OTBC
Some facts about OEN’s Angel Oregon since inception:
• Since 2003 more than 33 companies competed in OEN’s Angel Oregon
• Two past OEN’s Angel Oregon presenting companies have had successful exits, Castor & Pollux/Pet Appeal was the first
• OEN’s Angel Oregon alumni companies produced more than $85 million in revenues up from 2008 revenues of $66 million
• The OEN’s Angel Oregon alumni have raised $67.5 million in equity to date
• OEN’s Angel Oregon companies employ 546 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington up from 478 employees last year
OEN’s Angel Oregon is the Northwest’s premier deal flow and networking event for Oregon and SW Washington based angel investorsand early‐stage entrepreneurs. Registration to OEN’s Angel Oregon is available online atoenangeloregon.org or through the OEN offices at 503‐222‐2270.
Angel Oregon launch-stage finalist, Coherence Resources, shares its entrepreneurial story. in OEN Blog
Posted by shawnaharch Feb 26, 2010