OEN Blog

Registration is open for the Gorge Angel Conference

sarenar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:16:26 GMT

Registration 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

3D Real World Replicas, Virtual Public Marketplaces and Sports & Lifestyle Social Networks Featured at March 10th OEN PubTalk

scotte — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:45:07 GMT

Presenters at this week’s Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) PubTalk stepped up to the challenge of pitching their firms on the heels of OEN’s highly successful Angel Oregon 2010 competition held March 5th.

Orbo Sports, Inc., CEO Greg Johnson credits his wife for his initial and ongoing support, with whom he first shared his idea and who responded. “You’re brilliant, honey. Anything you do will succeed.” Orbo Sports is an online sports and lifestyle social network that provides connectivity, collaboration and self-expression for athletes and sports enthusiasts. Orbo Sports offers users a 360 degree online and offline experience and features relevant content about sports and the lifestyle that surrounds them.
greg@orbosports.com
www.orbosports.com
503-703-7749

Public Marketspace, Inc. CEO Nathan J. Wagner discussed what he feels is the number one issue with emerging entrepreneurs—competing on the internet with its cost of entry, available URLs, search engine optimization, and social marketing. Public Marketspace is an online marketing channel for small businesses. The company’s first product, Publicmarketspace.com, is a social media and eCommerce (SaaS) platform for entrepreneurs, an online public market to attract customers, and a company committed to giving back to the merchant community.
nathan@publicmarketspace.com
www.publicmarketspace.com
503-866-4800

With the recent worldwide popularity of the 3D blockbuster film Avatar, CEO Mike Green made a strong case for his firm Vizitnow3D in the world of online commerce. Vizitnow3D builds revenue-generating navigable 3D replicas of real world environments, accessible via web browsers and mobile phones that can be used as marketing tools by high-traffic destinations. Introducing a disruptive innovative method of bringing consumers and merchants together in real time, Vizitnow3D capitalizes upon the exploding 3D trend by developing a niche in a wide open market.
Mike.green@vizitnow.com
www.vizitnow.com
541-730-2164

Mark April 14th on your calendar for the next OEN PubTalk. Watch for the upcoming announcement that will include the agenda and presenters.

Still time to apply to present at the Willamette Angel Conference - Submit plans by March 15th

sarenar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:55:15 GMT

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.

Credit Suisse and OIF Spring Networking Event on March 31, 2010

sarenar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:47:52 GMT

Please join Oregon Investment Fund in partnership with Portland Alternative Investment Association and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network for an evening of mingling, networking -- and appetizers and beverages.
We are looking forward to hosting a variety of entrepreneurs, local venture capital and private equity managers and other community stakeholders.

OIF Spring Networking Event
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Location:

MacKenzie Marketing Group Garden Room and Patio
123 NW 12th
Second Floor
Portland, OR 97209
(between Couch and Davis in the Pearl)

Register:

Please RSVP to laurend@mackenzie-marketing.com. See you there!

More Information:

Please download the attached pdf for additional information.

Know the next leaders in Clean Tech? Nominate a Pivotal Leader - due Wednesday, March 17

sarenar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:07:37 GMT

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.

Divina Sangria: Enjoy Life!

alizae — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:28:32 GMT

Divina Sangria founder Maria Corbinos never planned to start a beverage company. She moved to the United States from her native Barcelona, Spain, to complete an MBA.

On March 5, Divina Sangria – also known as Enjoy Life LLC – will compete with seven other seed-stage finalists at OEN’s Angel Oregon, in hopes of winning a $25,000 investment prize.

Divina Sangria was sparked by Maria's desire to "enjoy a little bit of Spain in the U.S. in the form of sangria," a traditional Spanish drink made with premium wine, fruit and a few secret ingredients. Maria brought sangria to gatherings with friends and colleagues, made according to the recipe her family has used for more than four generations.

"Friends and family kept asking why I didn't sell the product," Maria says. "I also realized there is an underserved market of female consumers looking for a high-quality alternative to wine and beer."

A Business is Born

Maria enrolled in the "Getting your Recipe to Market" course taught at Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center in Portland.

Faced with the choice of taking a new job or pursuing her own business, "I chose to start Divina Sangria. With our authentic sangria recipe rooted in more than 150 years of family tradition, we are confident that we have a differentiated value product for our target audience."

Maria and her business partner, Magdy Salama, shared their business idea with friends, who encouraged them to start bringing the sangria to celebrations as a kind of market test.

"People liked it so much that I started receiving calls to check what time I – and my sangria! – would be arriving at celebrations and events," Maria says. "It was always gone very fast. The product was hot!"

Maria's and Magdy’s friends started taking bottles of sangria to events, and people kept asking where they could buy it. This confirmed for the partners that they were filling a real gap in the beverage market.

"We tested our sangria with beverage and wine experts and specialty stores such as New Seasons Market, and received very positive feedback about the taste, branding, and market opportunity," Maria says. “It is the ideal product for the retailers to cross-sell with fresh fruit, starters, chips and dips.”

High-end catering services, bars, and restaurants are also enthusiastic about Divina Sangria. “Managers at Jake’s Famous Crawfish and Jake’s Grill told us Divina is a wonderful stand-alone drink and fantastic base for amazing cocktails. They are waiting for us to launch the product.”

Getting the Details Right

Starting a food business – and especially, an alcohol-related business – is rife with bureaucracy. But Maria says there’s an advantage to those hurdles: They pose a barrier to entry for potential competitors.

Maria and Magdy worked with the Food Innovation Center to craft a manufacturing process that would allow them to ramp production as demand increases. “Their guidance and expertise helped us very much in achieving our production goals,” Maria says.

Maria and Magdy are in the process of securing their trademark and have been attending trade shows. “The Fancy Food Show in San Francisco was a proof point,” says Maria. There the partners saw how well their sangria compared with other new food products. They also observed that appreciation of Spanish cuisine and beverages is still growing.

Building a Board

“Our brightest green light was the interest from highly regarded professionals,” says Maria. Divina Sangria’s advisory board now includes Evan Bellinger, who’s responsible for managing 15 vineyards; Lisa Herlinger, owner and founder of Ruby Jewel ice cream, which distributes products in 10 states; and Sarah Masoni, who has more than 30 years’ experience in food product development.

The Next Step: OEN’s Angel Oregon

With so much encouragement and validation from food and beverage experts, it’s time to raise capital. Angela Jackson, a well-known Portland investor, recommended that Divina Sangria apply for Angel Oregon.

"Angela had reviewed our business plan several months ago and believed in the product, the company, and the team," Maria says. "The next thing we knew, we were finalists! This gave us a boost of energy."

Divina Sangria has received assistance from other Oregon Entrepreneurs Network members, too.

“Irving Levin has been a great support in connecting us with key professionals in the wine industry,” Maria said. “Abe Cable and Angela reviewed our business plan and provided valuable advice.”

It was a former Hewlett Packard Co. executive who recommended Maria and Magdy join OEN: Michael Thompson, an OEN member who was María ’s manager at HP a dozen years ago. Maria is now a volunteer with OEN’s education committee.

Divina Sangria’s Competitive Advantages

The market has already accepted other companies’ versions of sangria, including Bacardi’s “Silver Signature Sangria” and even a sangria-flavored chewing gum. Tapas and other Spanish dishes are still growing in popularity, and sangria is the perfect accompaniment to Spanish cuisine as well as other cuisines.

Divina Sangria is not only launching at the right time, it also has the advantage of a personable spokeswoman: Maria, a modern Spanish woman rooted in strong tradition who exemplifies the Spanish love of good food and drink.

“Magdy and I are motivated by sharing our Spanish culture and heritage with the American people,” Maria says.

The partners are highly motivated by the prospect of delivering a great return for investors. They also want to help local food banks and the American Cancer Society.

“That will be our success,” Maria says, “when we can deliver a higher-than-promised return on investment, and contribute to our local community.”

Athletepath's Climb To The Top: An OEN Angel Oregon Seed-Stage Finalist

shawnaharch — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:54:49 GMT

David Embree of Athletepath answers a few questions about the company’s journey thus far. On March 5^th, 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.

Angel Oregon launch-stage finalist, Coherence Resources, shares its entrepreneurial story.

shawnaharch — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:33:55 GMT

OEN Angel Oregon launch-stage finalist, Coherence Resources, shares its entrepreneurial story in a pre-event interview. Read on to find out when the big idea first came to mind, what keeps them awake at night, and how they’ll ultimately define success.

Coherence Resources, Inc. produces proven wellness solutions for restful sleep and relaxation without pills, masks, wires or sounds. The NightWave® Sleep Assistant is its flagship product. On March 5, 2010, the company will compete against five other launch-stage companies at The Nines Hotel in Portland, Oregon for an estimated investment prize of approximately $175,000. Register to attend the event today.

OEN: Describe the moment when your big idea first came to mind.

CR: Founder Stephen Parsons invented the NightWave(R) sleep assistant while creating a simple handheld device for stress reduction. His prototype utilized a group of small LEDs that projected blue light in a specific direction rather than producing an ambient glow. He tested the device while lying in a darkened bedroom with the light projected onto the ceiling. He discovered that in these conditions, the device produces a state of drowsiness that leads to sleep – and that this was a reliable and repeatable effect. NightWave was born.

OEN: With whom was the idea first shared? What was his/her reaction?

CR: Stephen Parsons first shared the concept with some friends who suffered from insomnia, and then with his business advisor, Keith Wymbs (who later invested in the company to build prototypes and became CEO after initial market testing). The reaction from most people is that it’s brilliant in its simplicity, but it makes complete sense.

OEN: At what stage of your business planning did you experience the most “go” or “no-go” feelings?

CR: We've experienced many “go” and “no-go” feelings throughout the launch experience. Probably the biggest “no-go” feeling came when we were rejected by Angel Oregon in 2009, early in the process. But we didn't listen and reapplied for 2010 – and now we are a finalist!

OEN: What event, decision or conversation transitioned you to the “all-systems-go” point?

CR: The biggest “all-systems-go” feeling came after selling our first $100,000 of product, gathering customer feedback, and realizing that we were helping the great majority of the insomniacs who were trying the solution.

OEN: What keeps you awake at night in regards to your business?

CR: The thing that keeps us awake at night is knowing that we have an effective, affordable, and natural solution available for a massive unsolved problem – but we don't yet have the funds to make enough people aware of the solution. Of the 50,000 people that have hit our website, more than 20% have been convinced to buy. If we can make 100M insomniacs that exist in the U.S. aware of our solution, we’ll have a nice business.

OEN: How will you ultimately define success for your business?

CR: Helping more than one million people who struggle with sleeplessness re-learn their ability to fall asleep again naturally.

OEN: Tell us about your present and/or past involvement with Oregon Entrepreneurs Network.

CR:

• Company membership with OEN since 2008

• CEO Roundtable Workshops

• Selected for PubTalk presentation

• Business plan and presentation coaching through OEN

• Business advisors brought on board via OEN event

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Announces Presenting Companies for OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010

sarenar — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:15:40 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Fishburn
OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
503-802-4408
jefff@onpr.com

Six Launch Stage and eight Seed Stage finalists chosen to compete for investment prizes totaling approximately $200,000

February 25, 2010, Portland, Ore. — The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) today announced six Launch Stage companies were chosen as finalists to present at OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010, to be held at The Nines in Portland on March 5, 2010. The eight Seed Stage companies were selected and announced earlier in February.

Finalists for OEN’s Angel Oregon were chosen from nearly 50 companies that are based throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington One Launch Stage finalist, ActiveTrak, was selected as part of a round robin competition during a series of OEN PubTalks over the past three months. The list of presenting companies follows below.

The field of finalists was narrowed after weeks of due diligence, research and debate among the approximately 40 angel investors who provide the majority of the investment award totaling approimately $200,000, the largest prize awarded at OEN’s Angel Oregon in the past three years. The angel investors participating in the OEN’s Angel Oregon investment prize will select the top two companies that will receie investment awards upwards $175,000 for the winning Launch Stage company and $25,000 for the Seed Stage company.

New for the OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010 award prize is the participation of the Willamette University Angel Fund and the City of Potland; the Portland Development Commission will provide a $21,000 loan to the winning Portland Launch Stage company.

OEN‘s Angel Oregon was designed to recruit and educate more people to become accredited angel investors. It’s been a tremendous success, resulting in more people investing in local companies. It’s also increased participation in the Portland Angel Network and the Women Investors Network, and it led to the formation of the Oregon Angel Fund, the Willamette Angel Conference, and the Gorge Angel Conference.

ʺThis year, the cycle of entrepreneurship has come full circle, with the first Angel Oregon winner back as an investor, following a successful exit,ʺ said Angela Jackson, AB Jackson Group and Chairman of OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010. “This is what OEN's Angel Oregon is all about‐ entrepreneurs and investors creating wealth together, succeeding, and doing it all over again.ʺ

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 at oenangeloregon.org or through the OEN offices at 503‐222‐2270.

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 emergin, 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.

# # #

Finalists for the OEN Angel Oregon 2010
Winners will be announced at the event on Friday, March 5, 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

Athletepath, Inc. ‐ 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 mostcompelling 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.

Get inspired at Startup Weekend Portland

sarenar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:42:29 GMT

Get inspired at Startup Weekend Portland.

Startup Weekend is a grass roots organization of 15,000+ entrepreneurs/developers that rapidly develop new startups in 54 hours. Startup Weekend is a tech-focused event currently operating in 60 cities spanning 18 countries and growing. During the event 75-200 attendees form 8-12 new ventures from mobile apps to web services to cupcake shops and anything between.

This is their second time to Portland, and the event is open to anyone interested in the local entrepreneurial community . This event is infused with the feeling that anything is possible. In the past 2 years, 280+ startups have started, 9,000+ entrepreneurs have been inspired. Teams have even started to generate revenue during the 54hr event, and others have even gone on to direct angel and VC investment. None of these stats take into account the amazing networking, ongoing professional relationships, and amazing experience that happen at every event.

What: OEN members receive $10 off when they use the code: swoen

Where: NedSpace Old Town, 117 NW 5th Ave

When: March 5-7, 2010

· (Friday: 5:30pm – 11pm, Saturday: 9am – 11pm, Sunday: 9am – 10pm)

Speakers & Mentors that will be there to help teams during the weekend:

Matt Compton (venture partner at Madrona and ex vp at Yahoo), Rob Wiltbank (venture partner at Montlake Capital and professor at Willamette U), Eric Doebele (Founder/CEO Reliable.remodeler.com), Nitin Khanna (Founder/CEO of MergerTech), Doug Fieldhouse (CEO of Vesta) and of course the guys from Mugasha Akshay and Justin will be there.

The Sponsors and Supporters:

Ned Space

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

TiE Oregon

Portland Ten

Network Redux

Silicon Florist

Twitter: #PDXSW - portland.startupweekend.org

For Questions or more info contact: marc@startupweekend.org

OEN's Angel Oregon 2010 - Seed-Stage presenting companies selected

sarenar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:37:09 GMT

OEN's Angel Oregon 2010 Investor's have selected the Seed-stage finalists to present at OEN's Angel Oregon Investment Conference OEN's Angel Oregon Investment Conference on Friday, March 5th at the Nines Hotel in Portland.The companies in this category are in early stages of development. Companies have a clear idea of the business concept with some progress on the business model and investment opportunity.

This year marks the first time Oregon and southwest Washington’s brightest entrepreneurial talent can vie for a seed-stage prize. The top six launch-stage companies who apply, including the OEN Seed Oregon PubTalk winner, ActiveTrack and the top seed-stage companies (listed below), will present at the conference. Launch-Stage presenting companies will be announced at the end of February.

Applicants of OEN’s Angel Oregon receive education and support throughout the process. From coaching to networking to real-world feedback, this event offers emerging companies excellent guidance and high visibility.

Seed-Stage companies will be competing for a $25K prize.*

*Based on target investor recruitment goal. Actual amount may vary.

OEN's Angel Oregon is a premier investment conference. Whether you’re seeking capital, emerging opportunities or networking, it’s an event you don’t want to miss. People interested in registering for OEN's Angel Oregon can visit www.oenangeloregon.org.

Following is the list of the OEN Angel Oregon 2010 Seed-Stage presenting companies:

Athletepath, Inc. - Portland

Athletepath is a website that supports the individual athlete's performance goals. We help everyone realize achievements, find events & buy the best products for their needs.

Enjoy Life, LLC - Portland

Selling premium Spanish items.

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 finds and delivers personalized audio mixes containing the web’s most compelling content.

Organizations Collaborate to Announce Entrepreneurship Program for Dislocated Engineers

sarenar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:28:39 GMT

WSI, OTBC, and OEN Announce Entrepreneurship Program for Dislocated Engineers

Program helps engineers move from concept to company launch and job creation.

BEAVERTON, Oregon, February 16, 2010-- The Oregon Technology Business Center (OTBC), Worksystems, Inc. (WSI) and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) announced today an entrepreneurship program for dislocated engineers who live in either Multnomah or Washington counties. The 10 week program will be based on FastTrac® TechVenture™, a program developed by the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the largest organization in the nation solely focused on entrepreneurial success at all levels.

Leveraging funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the program will help dislocated engineers who have a business idea validate the market, assess business feasibility, and develop a solid business strategy and plan.

“We’re excited about this program which relates directly to WSI’s mission of supporting individual prosperity and business competitiveness” said WSI Andrew McGough, WSI’s Executive Director. “Historically, small businesses have driven the majority of new-job creation in the state. We’re helping dislocated engineers build on that track record, starting competitive companies that will create new, family-wage jobs for Oregon.

Steve Morris, OTBC Executive Director and Oregon’s only certified FastTrac TechVenture facilitator, states, “Many engineers have tremendous knowledge and IP, an idea for a start-up, and the passion to pursue their vision. But most have not started a company before and are not sure where to begin. The training and mentoring that FastTrac offers fills that void. Thanks to the ARRA and WSI, now dislocated engineers will have an opportunity to benefit from the program.”

We’re excited that this program supports both entrepreneurship and Oregon’s economic growth, while also helping displaced engineers transition to a new opportunity” said Linda Weston, Executive Director of OEN. We’ll be tapping our network of experienced entrepreneurs and executives to provide coaching and mentoring to the entrepreneurship program participants, providing them with invaluable benefit of real world advice from people who have successfully started and grown companies.

The FastTrac® TechVenture program for dislocated engineers begins on Monday, March 15, 2010. Dislocated engineers who live in either Multnomah or Washington counties can read more about the program and apply at www.otbc.org, or they can call OTBC at 971.223.4660 for more information.

Press Contact:

Andrew McGough, WSI, 503-478-7371

Steve Morris, OTBC, 971-223-4661

Linda Weston, OEN, 503-222-2270

About Worksystems, Inc.

Worksystems, Inc. (WSI) is a nonprofit organization serving the City of Portland, Multnomah and Washington counties. The mission of the organization is to coordinate a regional workforce system that supports individual prosperity and business competitiveness. The organizational values essential to the growth and vitality of the system include: A skilled workforce that improves business and individual competitiveness, earning capacity, income and assets; Partnerships that support alignment, effectiveness and continuous improvement; and High standards of accountability to the community. For more information, visit http://www.worksystems.org/.

About the Oregon Technology Business Center

OTBC is a non-profit corporation that helps technology entrepreneurs move from idea to successful start-up. It does that by providing coaching from experienced entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship programs, networking events, and educational programs. OTBC helps entrepreneurs avoid common startup mistakes, make smarter decisions, and increase their odds of success. OTBC is certified to provide the Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac® series of entrepreneurship programs. For more information, visit www.otbc.org.

About the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and to improving the business climate for emerging companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about OEN, visit www.oen.org.

® FastTrac TechVenture and the FastTrac logo are a registered trademarks of the Kauffman Foundation.

Help map the 'Apparel Universe' with the creator of the 'Silicon Universe' poster

sarenar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:44:42 GMT

Heike Mayer, the creator of ‘Silicon Universe’ poster plans to track apparel company spinoffs in conjunction with the Portland Development Commission. Mayer from the University of Bern (Switzerland) hopes to identify hundreds of spinoffs or standalone companies within Oregon’s activewear design, production and supply realms. A Portland Business Journal article entitled Creator of ‘Silicon Universe’ poster to focus on apparel by Andy Giegerich details her objectives.

She is looking for companies in the Outdoor Gear and Actcivewear industries in the Pacific Northwest, to take part in survey. The information obtained from this study will be used create a map of the industry! And, as a thank you for participating, you will receive a free copy of the poster.

Did you start or know someone who started a company in the apparel or outdoor gear industry? Please have them respond to the survey. Once the results are in, the survey will provide some baseline information about how the companies are located in this region.

Click here to learn more about the survey.

The Pacific Northwest Region is the Epicenter of the Outdoor Gear & Activewear Industry - Let's Map It!

sarenar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:37:40 GMT

Why are these companies located in Oregon or Washington?

The Portland Development Commission is partnering with Professor Heike Mayer from the University of Bern (Switzerland) on a study of the Outdoor Gear & Activewear Industry.

Do you know someone who started a company in this industry ? Please forward this invitation to someone who started or heads a company in this industry. The survey will help us understand why your company is located in this region.

To participate, please click this link before March 3, 2010:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Activewear_Survey

The survey will take at most 10 to 15 minutes.

The information will be used to create a map of relationships (i.e. genealogy) among outdoor gear and activewear firms. The genealogy data will be visualized on a poster similar to the one created for Portland's Silicon Forest (click here to see the poster). Being on this map will help raise firms` visibility.

As a thank you for your time, you will be sent a copy of the poster.

Thank you for taking part in this survey!

Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to contact Heike Mayer, Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Bern, Switzerland (mayer@giub.unibe.ch). For project questions, contact Jennifer Nolfi at the Portland Development Commission (nolfij@pdc.us)

Confidentiality

Your privacy is important to us. We will publish company names and organization relationships (e.g. genealogy) similar to the image above. All other information will be kept strictly confidential and will not be reported, released or disclosed in any way that could connect your specific responses to your name or company.

why do we still debate the value of education?

dchen — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:44:04 GMT

i had coffee this am with a friend in the military. he's an officer leading a unit that trains battalion officers before their teams are deployed in iraq and afganistan. he shared details on the extensive role playing right down to hiring iraq and afganistan immigrants to staff these scenarios. entire "mock" towns are built and used. drills and mentoring.

the conversation drifted to his work on a masters degree. he reminded me that it's now difficult to become a senior military officer without an advanced degree. several of our 4 star leaders have PhD's. sergeant are in constant training programs. the US military believes that the better trained and more educated "workforce" wins.

i could not help thinking about the irony.

all too often in our public discourse, in our testimony to government bodies, in our rallies to lobby for continued funding of our education system...there is an undertone...we're still trying to justify that education is the foundation of a vibrant society, that education is economic development, that education is the first step in a globally competitive country, that education creates a better citizenry.

the great irony is that the DoD takes this as a given, and builds an organizational strategy around this "foundation." this foundation spans teaching the "trade", skills, and thinking. this foundation is across all ranks. this foundation follows the entire career, from beginning through advancement. it's an investment in both effectiveness and development.

why isn't this a strategy and a "given" for our entire society?