OEN Blog

Nike Materials Index Hackathon - Saturday, May 19th

larryw — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:49 GMT

If you're in Portland this weekend and interesting in tech and sustainability, then check out the Nike Materials Index (MSI) Hackathon. The event takes place on Saturday, May 19th, at 9:30 AM. Here's a bit of background about the MSI Hackathon:

Nike MSI is one of many approaches to evaluate the environmental sustainability of materials and the suppliers that produce them. We have created this forum to capture feedback and new ideas from users and reviewers.

We hope that releasing this framework and data will jumpstart a rich conversation within the footwear and apparel industry. Please participate with questions and comments regarding the value of our approach, ways to improve and build upon Nike MSI, data to populate new materials and a wider variety of supply chains, and the development of a centrally managed, open-source center of excellence that provides access to all.

Learn more and register to attend by visiting the MSI Plancast page:

http://plancast.com/p/b4fq/nike-materials-index-hackathon.

Tripwire’s Participation in OEN’s Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest Generates $500,000 to support Oregon Nonprofit Causes

jefffishburn — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:25:06 GMT

Tripwire charitable fund created from participation in Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest to be administered by the Oregon Community Foundation

Portland, Ore. — (May 15, 2012 ) — The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network’s Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) is pleased to announce the generation of more than $500,000 in community support through its partnership with Tripwire, Inc. and the creation of Tripwire’s company-directed fund with the Oregon Community Foundation.

“It is very gratifying to see EFNW member companies realize their dream of giving back to the community,” said Linda Weston, OEN Executive Director. “Our business model enables early-stage and emerging growth companies to partner with EFNW by granting equity interest and in return, EFNW assists them with developing their community giving and corporate philanthropy program. When a liquidity event occurs, the equity shares held by EFNW are cashed out and the funds are provided to designated community organizations of the member company’s choice. It is a win/win situation for the companies and for the communities in which the companies reside.”

"Tripwire is extremely pleased to have an opportunity to formally give back to the Portland community," said Jim Johnson, Tripwire CEO. "Tripwire has a firm commitment to serving our local community and by partnering with EFNW/OEN we have been able to donate thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of community service by Tripwire employees. We take great pride in being a strong and contributing member of the Oregon community and thank EFNW/OEN for assisting in our philanthropic efforts.”

“It’s very exciting that Tripwire is showing such a strong commitment to community service,” said Max Williams, OCF President and CEO. “The liquidity event provides a new opportunity for Tripwire to support the causes employees care about. This is good news for Oregon philanthropy." (For more information about OCF, please visit: www.oregoncommunity.org.)

About Tripwire, Inc.

Tripwire is a leading global provider of IT security and compliance automation solutions that help businesses, government agencies, and service providers take control of their physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure. Thousands of customers rely on Tripwire's integrated solutions to help protect sensitive data, prove compliance and prevent outages. Tripwire VIA, the integrated compliance and security solution delivers best-of-breed file integrity, policy compliance and log and event management solutions, paving the way for organizations to proactively achieve continuous compliance, mitigate risk, and ensure operational control through Visibility, Intelligence and Automation. Learn more at www.tripwire.com and @TripwireInc on Twitter.

About OEN’s Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW)

OEN’s Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) offers a unique model for early-stage companies to create philanthropy and give back to the communities in which they do business. Companies join EFNW by granting equity and in return, receive assistance with their community engagement efforts. When the company has a successful exit, EFNW sells its shares and distributes the profits for community benefit in consultation with the member company. By partnering with EFNW, young companies have the potential to leverage the value of a pre-liquidity donation into meaningful philanthropic support for the community. Since the program’s founding in 2001, EFNW participants have returned over $10 million in cash, volunteer time, and goods and services to our local community. (http://www.oen.org/efnw_oen.aspx).

Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest is a program of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) and one of 11 world-wide affiliates of the Entrepreneurs Foundation headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. Founded in 1991, OEN is the largest entrepreneur assistance organization in Oregon and SW Washington. OEN fosters the flow of entrepreneurial ideas, services, and capital to entrepreneurs and helps connect emerging Northwest businesses to growth-stimulating expertise and valuable resources. (www.oen.org)

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Got a food/beverage startup? Then check out the Multnomah Food Summit

larryw — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:59:00 GMT

Entrepreneurs with an interest and/or a startup that focuses on food and beverage should check out the upcoming Multnomah Food Summit. The team at Multnomah County would love to meet you and discuss their cluster strategy for food/beverage entrepreneurs and startups.

The event details are listed below, and you can register at www.multnomahfood.org.

3rd Annual Multnomah Food Summit

Where: Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd., Portland, OR 97232

When: June 15, 2012 9am – 4pm (lunch provided)

Who: Stakeholders, organizations, and individuals committed to creating a healthy, equitable

and prosperous local food system by implementing the community vision in the Multnomah

Food Action Plan.

Registration: www.multnomahfood.org

Introducing the Entrepreneurs' Passport membership, provides access to both OEN and SAO events

jefffishburn — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:29:18 GMT

The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and Software Association of Oregon have partnered to offer small businesses the opportunity to purchase the Entrepreneurs’ Passport membership that provides companies and their employees with access to both SAO and OEN educational and networking events.

“Working together with SAO, OEN is pleased to be able to extend this new membership offer to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington,” said Linda Weston, president and executive director of OEN. “The new membership package will allow businesses to participate in more events, provide them more opportunities to network, and create opportunities that will help businesses to grow.

“It’s a great value, and a great way for us to celebrate the contributions small businesses make to our communities on the eve of National Small Business Week,” said Weston. (National Small Business Week, May 20-26, http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/)

The Entrepreneurs’ Passport membership will cost $350 for qualified small businesses. The Entrepreneurs’ Passport is a great investment, the combined membership fees to both organizations is normally valued at $600.

Some of the OEN benefits of the Entrepreneurs Passport include:

· OEN membership access to be able to pitch at a PubTalk

· Access to the Spring and Fall Internship Fair

· Webinars are free to members

· Access to Xenium HR package and 1-hour consultation

· Company Spotlight in an OEN Buzz (goes out to over 3000 contacts)

· Discounted rates to a variety of OEN events

· With a host of other benefits

More details and qualifications to be announced soon

Nominations Are Open for 2012 OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards

heathers — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:13:48 GMT

Contact:

Heather Sorensen

Plugged In PR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

503-841-0625

heather@pluggedinpr.com

Jeff Fishburn

OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

503-802-4408

jefff@onpr.com

www.twitter.com/jefffishburn

May 4, 2012, Portland, Oregon – Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) invites nominations of outstanding Oregon and SW Washington-based companies and individual entrepreneurs for the OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards. Nomination information is available on the OEN Website http://www.oen.org/events_oen_awards.aspx.

The OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards is Oregon's largest, annual, statewide gathering which celebrates our best and brightest entrepreneurs. Organizations and individuals based in Oregon or Southwest Washington are eligible for the awards. The submission deadline for company nominations is Wednesday, May 16^th and for Individual Achievement, nominations must be received by Wednesday, June 20^th.

The OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards are a highly competitive process and it is a significant achievement to be named as a finalist. In honor of that, OEN not only produces a gala celebration focusing on excellence in entrepreneurship but also the awards presented to the winners are true works of art, designed the by local and world-renown company, Ziba Design. This high profile gala event attracts a crowd of more than 700 of Oregon and SW Washington’s most influential business people. Finalists receive premium exposure leading up to, during and after the event.

Nominations will be taken for four categories: OEN Development Stage Company of the Year; OEN Working Capital Stage Company of the Year; OEN Growth Stage Company of the Year and the OEN Entrepreneurship Award for Individual Achievement. These categories allow competition between companies in different markets based on performance during a particular stage in the company’s development.

“The OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards honors entrepreneurs and the companies they create,” said Linda Weston, OEN’s president and executive director. “It’s an event that recognizes the creativity, hard work, and risk taking it took to convert ideas into successful businesses that stimulate the region's economy.”

The awards will be presented at the 19^th annual OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards, which will be held Wednesday, September 20^th, at the Portland Hilton & Executive Towers. Nomination information is available at www.oen.org

About Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Founded in 1991, celebrating 20 years of service to entrepreneurs, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) is a 501c3 non-profit corporation and the largest entrepreneur assistance organization in Oregon and Southwest Washington. OEN fosters the flow of entrepreneurial ideas, services, and capital to entrepreneurs and helps connect emerging Northwest businesses to growth-stimulating expertise and valuable resources. OEN is a people-oriented network that helps cultivate, nurture and develop emerging businesses and entrepreneurs. Our network of members and breadth of services offers business education, access to capital networks, support and contacts who can mentor and nurture startup companies’ growth and development. OEN also helps small and mid-sized companies develop and implement strategies for community involvement that jointly meet the goals of the company, the passions of the employees and the needs of the community via its program, EFNW. For more information on OEN and its programs visit www.oen.org.

What Incubators Look For When Taking On A Start-Up

keeganr — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:02:47 GMT

There is no shame in asking for help, especially if you don’t exactly know what it is that you’re supposed to be doing.

For start-ups, incubators seem to be on the rise as places new entrepreneurs can turn to when in need of answers. As companies look to take their ideas to the next level and prepare for real world expansion, these centers have the resources necessary to accelerate your business. Keep in mind though; while you may be looking towards them, they are certainly looking right back at you.

One of the first attributes that incubators consider when deciding to onboard a company is whether or not they believe that your idea is scalable. Much like investors, there needs to be some indication that your company has the potential to grow. As Rick Turoczy, co-founder of the Portland Incubator Experiment, stated, “We look to see if there is room to expand the size and scope of their work into a business.”

But business isn’t the bottom line. Incubators are very much a social enterprise and believe that the people who make up the company often determine how successful they will be in an incubator. With meetings from mentors and industry leaders accounting for much of the experience, company members need to be open to advice, and willing to learn, as they will often hear from others how to best move forward with their business. Though at the end of the day the entrepreneurs are ultimately the boss, trust that these opinions are from experienced individuals who are there to help companies succeed.

The company team is critically important to the incubators as well. Candidly, Steve Morris, Executive Director at Oregon Technology Business Center, commented that, “If you haven’t at least convinced one of your friends to do this with you, it throws up a red flag for us.” Incubators often look to see that they are working with a well-balanced and experienced team, with good knowledge of the industry that they are entering. Though incubators can get the entrepreneur where they need to be going, they only take you so far, as the rest is up to the team in leveraging existing skills to make things happen.

Ultimately though it comes down to a commitment. With interest in incubators increasing they expect companies to dedicate their full time and effort to the business. As Greg Rau, Founder of Upstart Labs, stated, “ If you haven’t quit your day job, you need to.”

Meet the Startup: OEN Angel Oregon 2012 Recap

larryw — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:14:10 GMT

Meet the Startup was invited by OEN to attend the annual Angel Oregon event in downtown Portland, OR. This event is the culmination of a long process for both concept an launch companies to get mentoring and pitch investors to help get them to the next stage of their business. Meet the Startp compiled a recap of the launch stage companies for you to enjoy.

Meet the Startup: Patricia and Nino Marchetti of EarthTechling

larryw — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:26:21 GMT

Patricia and Nino Marchetti, cofounders of EarthTechling, discuss the tasks they face running an online consumer publication focused on green technology and give advice for others looking to follow in their footsteps.

And the Winner of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network’s Angel Oregon 2012 Investment Competition Is....

jefffishburn — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:03:45 GMT

Chez Gourmet from Marie is Winner of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network’s Angel Oregon 2012 Investment Competition

Tellagence places second;

OEN’s Angel Oregon 2012 investment award totals a record $344,000

PORTLAND, Ore. – April 18, 2012 — The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) today announced that Portland-based Chez Gourmet from Marie of Wilsonville, a healthy food company that includes veggie burgers, was selected as the winner of OEN’s Angel Oregon 2012 from among the Launch Stage companies competing for the $250,000 angel investment prize. Tellagence, which develops analytics software for social networks to predict behaviors in communities and how information propagates within them, was selected as the second place finisher and will receive an angel investment of $94,000.

Wild Squirrel Nut Butter, with its unique, delicious line of nut butters for health and sustainability conscious consumers, was voted by OEN’s Angel Oregon attendees as Audience Favorite from among the Launch Stage companies and will be awarded a $7,500 market research package from Market Decisions Corporation. Conscious Commuter Corp., maker of a folding electric bike for commuters, was voted Audience Favorite from among the Concept Stage companies and will receive a $5,000 cash prize and be awarded a $7,500 market research package.

"OEN’s Angel Oregon 2012 was a tremendous success; with a record $344,000 in angel investment raised from a record number of angels participate in the investment award.,” said Shelley Gunton OEN’s Angel Oregon 2012 program chair. “Congratulations to all of the entrepreneurs and their companies who competed and took part in OEN’s Angel Oregon."

Over the years the entrepreneurs who have included OEN’s Angel Oregon in their journey, their companies have had a real economic impact on Oregon and Southwest Washington. Since 2003 more than 46 companies have competed in OEN’s Angel Oregon and they have contributed or garnered:

More than $121 million in combined revenues, up 25 percent from last year among active companies
Employed more than 741 people, up 38 percent
Raised at least $7.4 million in angel investments, and altogether OEN's Angel Oregon companies have raised a combined $81 million in angel and VC investment
There have been seven successful exits, and several have acquired other companies

This year’s finalist companies were selected from nearly 40 companies, based throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington that applied to compete at OEN’s Angel Oregon 2011. A rigorous selection process was undertaken by the panel of more than 57 angel investors to select the companies chosen as the Launch Stage winners. Each angel investor staked at least $5,000 that helped create the $344,000 raised for the investment awards for this year’s event.

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, Southern Oregon Angel Conference, Bend Venture Conference and the Oregon Angel Fund.

About Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

OEN is a people-oriented network that helps cultivate, nurture and develop emerging businesses and entrepreneurs. Our network of members and breadth of services, offers business education, access to capital networks, support and contacts who can mentor and nurture startup companies’ growth and development. OEN also helps small and mid-sized companies develop and implement strategies for community involvement that jointly meet the goals of the company, the passions of the employees and the needs of the community via its program, EFNW. For more information on OEN and its programs visit www.oen.org.

###

2012 OEN Angel Oregon Launch Stage Presenting Company Finalists:

Chez Gourmet from Marie-Wilsonville -@chezgourmet

Rapidly growing $1MM healthy food company that includes veggie burgers served at Burgerville, Sharis, McMenamins and sold at PNW natural retail outlets.

EdCaliber -Portland -@Edcaliber

Reinventing the way K-12 schools leverage digital tools and resources to get results.

Indow Windows-Portland -@Indowwindows

Indow Windows manufactures thermal window inserts that press into the inside of window frames to give double pane window performance at a fraction of the cost.

Tellagence-Portland -@Tellagence

Analytics software for social networks to predict behaviors in communities and how information propagates within them.

Wild Squirrel Nut Butter - Eugene -@wildsquirrel

Unique, delicious line of nut butters for health and sustainability conscious consumers.

Seed Oregon PubTalk Champion:

BikeTrak-Portland - @BikeTrak

A GPS Cellular device covertly attachable to your bicycle to alert you when your bike is moved unexpectedly and track it if stolen.

2012 Concept Stage Presenting Companies

Architectural Applications - Portland

A2’s air conditioning technology creates healthier buildings with lower energy use in the fastest growing parts of the globe.

Blanketbooster, Inc. - Tigard - @blanketbooster

World’s only provider of a more comfortable night’s sleep with a self-assembling blanket lift that creates a “tent for the toes”.

Conscious Commuter Corp. - Portland - @ccomuter

Patent pending folding electric bike for commuters will dominate the commuting niche of the fastest growing sector in the EV market.

FoodTrekker - Portland - @foodtrekker

A new lead generation & marketing platform for all kinds of independent food & drink businesses.

Mad Mike's Food - Hermiston - @MadMikesFood

We are an Eastern Oregon, small batch food production company specializing in sauces and relishes. Our products are made from fruits and vegetables grown in Eastern Oregon and Washington.

Yeti Snow Traction - Bend

Yeti-Trax is the snow chain alternative which takes the process of installing snow chains from 30 minutes to 30 seconds!

OEN's Angel Oregon Kicks Off Today with Record $341,000 Angel Award

jefffishburn — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:58:06 GMT

Today’s Oregon Entrepreneurs Networks’ Angel Oregon 2012 is expected to be a fantastic event highlighting the top businesses and entrepreneurs selected from those that applied from across Oregon and Southwest Washington. OEN’s Angel Oregon 2012 finalists are competing to win a record $341,000 angel investment award, which will invested in the top two Launch Stage companies selected by the angel investors participating in the investment pool.

Keynoting the event will be Keen Footwear CEO and Chief Product Tester Oregon James Curleigh, who will share his experience as an entrepreneur and visionary business executive with the angel investors, business people and entrepreneurs attending the event.

More $121 million in combined revenues, up 25 percent from last year among active companies
Employed more than 741 people, up 38 percent
There have been seven successful exits, and several have acquired other companies

"We’ve seen a tremendous amount of success among the companies competing in OEN's Angel Oregon conference,” said Shelley Gunton, OEN’s Angel Oregon 2012 program chair. “This year’s conference promises to be an amazing event with outstanding companies vying for a record raise reflecting the dynamic and exciting start-up community in Oregon."

OEN’s Angel Oregon takes place today, Wednesday, April 18, 2012 from Noon to 6:30 pm at the Governor Hotel. Registration is available onsite. For more information visit www.oenangeloregon.org.

James Curleigh to deliver lunch keynote at OEN's Angel Oregon

larryw — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:13:23 GMT

OEN is excited to have James Curleigh, KEEN Footwear's CEO and CRO, speak at Angel Oregon 2012!

You can learn more about James and the incredible things happening at KEEN Footwear by visiting their blog: http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/blog/?tag=james-curleigh, or by coming to Angel Oregon!

Meet the Startup: Balki Kodarapu of Return Guru

larryw — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:04:02 GMT

Balki Kodarapu, founder and CEO of Return Guru, talks about how Startup Weekend influenced his company's development and offers advice to others on the fence.

Meet the Startup: Jeri Alcock of Good Works Now

larryw — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:36:33 GMT

Jeri Alcock, founder of Good Works Now, talks about her experience at Portland Startup Weekend and how it helped launch her not-for-profit focused startup

May 1-2, Angel Capital Association Northwest Regional Meeting (Seattle)

sarenar — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:47:15 GMT

The Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Alliance of Angels will be running the ACA Northwest Regional Meeting from May 1st – 2nd in Seattle. The event will feature multiple topics on angel investor education, including due diligence, terms negotiation, effective board stewardship, and managing exits. Speakers include David Giuliani (founder of Clarisonic and Sonicare) and Basil Peters (author of Early Exits). We expect 50 – 70 angel investors from the Pacific Northwest to attend.

Registration and detailed agenda: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3141938623

Meet the Startup: Shashi Jain and Jeff Martens of Startup Portland Weekend

larryw — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:08:21 GMT

Shashi Jain and Jeff Martens, organizers of Portland Startup Weekend, joined Meet the Startup to explain the history behind this great event and how it fits in the startup ecosystem.