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.”

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

After encountering the recently launched Idea Mensch web site, OEN couldn’t wait to interview the great mind behind it. Mario Schulzke, who is a principal at Quillion, senior director at marketing ideas agency WONGDOODY, publisher of ScrappyMarketing and a German Ironman-contender-in-training (among many other things), answers a few questions about his own entrepreneurial endeavors – and offers advice for how to be successful in yours.

1) What is Idea Mensch?

Idea Mensch is an interview-driven site where we feature people who are bringing good ideas to life. Interviewees range from ueber-successful entrepreneurs like the founder and former CEO of The Sharper Image to up-and-comers like a recent college drop-out who started a cycling and triathlon training center in Arizona – and lots of people in between.

2) What inspired you to create the site?

Personally, I am obsessed with ideas. I run an ad agency during the day but have at least another ten ideas or projects that I am pursuing. It's probably not healthy. But I’ve learned that no matter how great an idea is, it doesn’t accomplish anything if you don’t bring it to life.

I wanted to use Idea Mensch as a vehicle to celebrate some of the people who are bringing ideas to life – people across all industries, from all walks of life. It has been a fun journey and I’m completely blown away by the smart individuals we've been able to interview. More importantly, there is a community that is starting to form around our site. People are beginning to reach out to one another to help promote their ideas, and there are even a couple of business deals in the making. Good people are helping good people. I love that.

3) How do you select thought leaders and entrepreneurs to feature on Idea Mensch?

You have to be working on an idea and take the time to submit an intelligent and insightful interview. That's it. Once your interview is live, we hope you’ll help promote the site and bring more people to it. I think the simplicity of this format is surprising to some, as we’ve recently been pitched by various PR agencies about interviewing their clients on our site. It’s funny because (as our "About" section explains) you don't need a PR agency to be interviewed on Idea Mensch.

4) Tell us about your own entrepreneurial ventures, and what you’ve learned in the process of pursuing and/or founding them.

I spent the first eight years of my career as an agency guy – giving online marketing advice to large companies. On the side I've always been somewhat of a garage entrepreneur, figuring out different ways to make money online. I published a book on how to write complaint letters, ran some pretty big affiliate marketing campaigns in Europe and currently own a number of different web sites.

Now I’m helping to start a new kind of agency called Quillion – a digital performance marketing agency (where clients pay only for results we achieve). We also own our own digital properties.

In the coming weeks, we will be announcing an online course/community called CareerSparx to help recent college graduates start their careers. We're in a very tough economy and I have seen too many qualified grads who have no clue how to sell themselves to land a job in their field. We are going to help them.

5) What advice do you have for emerging entrepreneurs?

Borrowing from that large shoe manufacturer down the road from you guys: “Just do it.” If you have an idea and you're excited about it, keep moving it forward. Break it into small steps and do whatever you can do gain some momentum. There's nothing worse than a good idea that just sits there. Also, meet people. Help people. Tell them about what you are doing. Relationships make the world go round. You'll be surprised how people you've met (and have yet to meet) will shape your career and successes.

I was asked by OEN to write a blog about why I became an OEN member. I’ve been agonizing over the assignment for about two weeks now. I suspect most of us become members for the same reason: We love entrepreneurship. We appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community that has given to us. We thrive on the creativity and intelligence of our fellow members. How could I possibly write something that would be unique and interesting?

The answer came to me from thousands of miles away, in many ways a world apart, in the form of an earthquake that caused such massive destruction and indiscriminate devastation it left me speechless, and I wept uncontrollably in response. The earthquake that rocked Haiti touched me in a way no other disaster has.

The first person I thought of when news of the earthquake began flooding Twitter was Portland lawyer and OEN member Bill Pierznik. (You were wondering if I was going to tie this back, weren’t you?) Start-ups come in many varieties. Some are based on SaaS models, some social-commerce, others product-based or traditional services. Most are born of passion. Believe it or not, some, such as the Mangrove Fund, form without the goal of profitability.

When Bill and his wife Mary traveled to Haiti in 2007 to visit for the first time their soon-to-be-adopted son Richelor (the “ch” sounds like “ck”), they were compelled to do something for the people of a country that for centuries has been troubled by colonialism, war, poverty, corruption and disease. The Mangrove Fund, formed by Bill, Mary and two other friends, is a Portland-based nonprofit organization focused solely on Haiti, providing assistance to existing organizations and people with proven track records in sustainable assistance and support. When the earthquake shattered Haiti in mid January, the Mangrove Fund shifted into high gear. And Oregon’s entrepreneurial community rallied with it.

Jive Software, OEN’s 2007 Growth Company of the Year, matched employee donations to any organization with a donation to the Mangrove Fund resulting in well over $5,000 to the organization. Early-stage OEN member GadgetTrak and SockItToMe, each donated a portion of the proceeds from sales of their products during a special sales event. OEN member and sponsor eROI donated their email campaign technology to Mangrove. Other area companies and individuals, such as Sightworks, Radiance Communications, Straub Collaborative, StepChange Group, Erik Weeman, Stoel Rives, Perkins & Co., Ater Wynne, Umpqua Bank and Weiden + Kennedy helped drive awareness of Mangrove and its role in Haiti earthquake relief. (W+K also matched employee donations.) Local restaurants such as the White Eagle, Delta Café, and Artemis Cafe helped organize events to raise funds. Additionally, Mangrove is sponsoring a Build a Business in a Day event on February 27, 2010 where members of NedSpace, Starve-Ups, OEN, Software Association of Oregon and other organizations will participate in a competition to raise funds.

This demonstration of collaboration, cooperation and creativity is exactly why I became an OEN member and the reason, regardless of where my career path takes me, I will remain an OEN member. The organization’s people are some of this state’s finest. I was duly impressed by the community’s response to Haiti’s needs, and I interrupted Bill’s schedule, made far crazier with recent events, to dig a bit deeper:

Q: Bill, how did the way the entrepreneurial community’s response surprise you?

BP:  In many ways it didn’t surprise me.  The unique thing about the community here is that your work colleagues become friends and vice-versa.  When something like this happens, the friendship part of that relationship becomes the catalyst for offering help.  What has surprised me is the amount of effort everyone is putting into this.  These are all people and organizations with plenty of other things on their plates and the fact that they are committing so much time to not only help, but provide very high quality help, has been the most rewarding thing for us to see.

Q: How do you think the response to Mangrove Fund’s requests would have been different if you were still practicing law in Silicon Valley?

BP: Good question.  Having retained relationships with people there, I think there would have been a similar response, but I think the more likely scenario would have been that these requests would have resulted in more checks being written and less time being devoted.  Both are important when you run a 100% volunteer organization, but in many respects, time is more valuable.  I also think that the personal friendships we have with our clients has resulted in an understanding that we can be a day late with a legal work product.  I don’t know if that understanding would have been as pervasive in Silicon Valley.

Q: How much did you raise as a result of the community’s efforts?

BP: We haven’t parsed out local entrepreneurial donations as a portion of our overall donation receipts.  We have raised well over $65,000 thus far.  If you factor in the value of the time that the entrepreneurial community here has dedicated to us, you need to add another $20,000 or so to that total.

Q: How does what you raised for earthquake relief compare to funds the organization had raised previously?

BP: The amount we have raised this year already exceeds what we raised last year for our projects in Haiti.

Q: It seems as though the Haiti earthquake has affected people in ways quite different from other tragedies, e.g. Hurricane Katrina or the Thailand tsunami? Why do you think it has affected so many people so deeply?

BP: Unlike Katrina there are hundreds of thousands of people who have died.  There are more than one million children orphaned or displaced.  The scale of this disaster is staggering.

As compared to the tsunami, I think the fact that this happened to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, which lies only a few hundred miles from the United States, has had an effect as well.  It was easy for news cameras to get there quickly and report the immediate aftermath.  Those are usually the most powerful images.

Also, the US has had a very involved history with Haiti, and while it is arguable whether it has been a historical benefit or detriment, the reality is that the American people are more familiar with the country.  For instance, more US missionaries do work in Haiti than in any other country.

Finally, the spirit of the Haitian people is unique in the Western Hemisphere.  I think even people who haven’t been there understand what Haitians have endured and have an admiration of the strength that they have had to exhibit to survive.

Q: What needs does Haiti continue to have, and how can people continue to help?

BP: I never thought I would say this, but I agree with both Presidents Clinton and Bush on this:  We need large amounts of people to give small amounts of money.  Aid will continue to be important.  The biggest challenges will be in a few months when the acute situation has stabilized and the initial wave of people leave Haiti.  That is when the true reconstruction will begin.  My hope is that Haiti stays on people’s minds for a long time into the future.  It will take many years if not decades to rebuild this country.

For more information on The Mangrove Fund or to donate, please visit www.mangrovefund.org.

i was at the UN – Ceres investor summit on climate risk this week at the UN.

the central question for the summit: will institutional investors (the $trillions in pensions and asset mgmt pools) actually deploy their portfolios to signal direction and intent?

robert orr (UN) notes that the one of the successes of copenhagen was the agreement at deforestation came to the foreground.

todd sterns (US state dept)…and robert orr both observed that copenhagen drew unprecedented attention from both corporations and global country leaders, presidents and entire cabinets. the accord may be viewed as failure…but for first time this was an issue that commanded top leader attention. the copenhagen accord did move on transparency, generated an agreement on financing…however, no mechanisms.

mckinsey…climate & carbon need to be seen as the massivs drivers of economic growth: (1) electrification of everything and conversion to low carbon models –> ah ha moments in “mature industries” as they realize the implication for new phase of their industries. (2) this is about “resource productivity” & leaps forward via innovation in biz models + tech. (3) transformation of issue from “environment” treaty to economic treaty (4) will us and china “start the race”? [my thought...never thought about this like the US vs USSR space and nuclear race].

McK forecast: carbon price flat, energy up, capital intensity up, policy up. they believe RPS & energy efficiency may be more critical than carbon pricing. (1) capital goes… into power,(#2) transportation, (#3) buildings.

right policy delivers double bang…clean energy/low carbon infrastructure + superior returns (lower variable cost risk). last topic: risk to existing investor portfolios…creative destruction risk in energy efficiency, cleantech, bio-energy, water. he drills into ee oppties & a hot spot for winners/losers.

denise nappier (treasurer Conn), investors need to understand that risk & oppty in climate change and sustainability factors is a core part of portfolio mgmt.

kevin parker (deutsche bank)…the biggest success of copenhagen was raising global attention. DB has never seen more investor attention on this topic. investors that look out 6-12 months are factoring in “an agreement” coming and therefore impact on capital mkts.  solutions will come via private investors if they get transparency, longevity and certainty (TLC)…they don’t want to factor regulatory & political risk into their investments. germany has been implementing TLC in their economy…impact is clear…wind (20% CAGR), solar (60% CAGR), bio gas (40% CAGR)…impact on jobs…resulting in 2x absolute dollars invested vs US.

states/countries are downloading german policy & following their lead on use of policy to stimulate growth…like feed in tariffs. in the US, the key issue is looking at state level policies on electric policy. states are ahead of fed. those without TLC will fall behind. the impacts are clear

.

abby cohen (GoldmanSachs). the role of companies in this issue of climate & sustainability…(1) protecting shareholders from liabilities. (2) resource productivity. (3) revenue. (4) GS research says there is a premium for ESG that out perform the indexes by 10 percentage points [that's a big deal]. (5) companies are not telling investors about what they are doing in sustainability and climate change…the ones that do, their disclosure data is not consistent or accurate.  these corp disclosures have shifted from reporting on liabilities into reports on their new  asset + growth strategies.

looking to 2010: (1) sluggish growth in developed world in next 2 years (2) developing nation robust growth. (3) low capacity utilization = little new investment, which means slow progress to “new” efficient tech. eg,  little new real estate, hence fewer oppties to implement state of art systems. (3) high un-employment. times where politically you look inward.   (4) rising energy prices (5) investors are regaining equilibrium in their portfolios…and are back to looking at best oppties. (6) there are industries that will be impaired…best investments will be companies re-making themselves. look beyond those companies simply posting their carbon footprint; look to those that are developing “new solutions”. look at companies that creating commercial scale solutions.

brendon mcdunah (hsbc). china is now the second best place in world to invest in renewable energy. look to new corporate alliances: utilities linking with car companies.  climate will impact ag & food in US as much as reduction of 10-14%.  investors need to identify firms at risk. investors must demand more info & disclosure.

al gore:  key point he made was incentivize your fund managers to think, make decisions, manage assets for the long term; you can’t do this until you change the fee structure.

for more on this topic: http://quuh.wordpress.com/

Still time to apply to compete for investment dollars in OEN's Angel Oregon 2010

Are you working with or work for companies who are seeking angel funding? We're seeking companies to apply for OEN Angel Oregon 2010!

OEN's Angel Oregon is the nation’s premier angel investment prize conference. It is the chance entrepreneurs are looking for to get in front of accredited angel investors. This must-attend event gives presenting companies excellent visibility and a chance to win a substantial prize by bringing together Oregon and SW Washington’s brightest entrepreneurial talent with real-world, accredited angel investors.

The top six companies who apply, including the OEN Seed Oregon PubTalk winner, will present at the OEN Angel Oregon conference on March 5th at the Nines.

This year we’ve also added a new prize for seed-stage companies. Applicants of OEN’s Angel Oregon will receive education and support throughout the process.At the conference a final vote of the OEN Angel Oregon 2010 LLC investors will take place. At the conference two investment prizes will be awarded, a grand prize for launch-stage companies and a smaller prize for seed-stage companies. Entrepreneurs may select the category in which they wish to compete (Competition for the launch prize will be more rigorous).

The experience of going through the process will provide valuable coaching and connections. Deadline to apply has been extended to Monday, January 11, 2010 at 5:00pm. Companies may apply for OEN's Angel Oregon 2010 by clicking the following link.

http://www.oen.org/events_ao.aspx

March 5, 2010 - The Nines Hotel

OEN's Angel Oregon is the nation’s premier angel investment prize conference. It is the chance entrepreneurs are looking for to get in front of accredited angel investors. This must-attend event gives presenting companies excellent visibility and a chance to win a substantial prize by bringing together Oregon and SW Washington’s brightest entrepreneurial talent with real-world, accredited angel investors.

This year we have some exciting changes that will enable even more companies to shine. Whether you are a seed-stage or a launch-stage company, OEN's Angel Oregon is the place to get coaching, networking and real-world feedback to take your company to the next level.

Interested in applying?  Listen to hear more about it then check outthe 2010 Angel Oregon Competition Overview.

Call for company applications due dates:
Early bird: Friday, December 4, 2009
Final deadline: Friday, January 8, 2010

Interested in investing?   Listen to hear more about investing in the Angel Oregon 2010, LLC then learn more about joining the Angel Oregon 2010, LLC.

A day in Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Venture Northwest 2009

Session 1: Presenting companies of OEN Venture Northwest 2009-Wicked Quick, Giftango, Lucid Commerce

Success story: Dave Moffenbeier of Zeba– Absorbent Technologies

"You could raise money in town, with a great story and distribution strategy" - Dave Moffenbeier

Wicked Quick -                                                  

Wicked Quick is a premium clothing and accessories brand rooted in the world of speed, rebellion and attitude. We currently offer lifestyle product at Nordstrom, Metropark, select Harley Davidson Dealership's and others. We also produce performance gear for professional teams including three-time NASCAR champion team Joe Gibbs Racing.

Giftango –

Giftango is focused on the NEXT stage of gift, loyalty and member cards with virtual cards delivered through computer and mobile phones. This means new promotions, incentives and rewards capabilities for merchants through an all-digital, carbon friendly fulfillment channel that is already proving more popular than plastic.

Lucid Commerce -

Lucid Commerce is the leading provider of media optimization solutions for marketers. Lucid Commerce enables marketers to see exactly what their real return on investment is for every marketing dollar they spend. Lucid Commerce has optimized over $600,000,000 in revenue for its clients.

Session 2: Presenting companies of OEN Venture Northwest 2009- Elemental Technologies, Shore power, Prolifiq and Calidora skin clinics

Success story: Jim Johnson of Tripwire. Tripwire's powerful configuration assessment and change auditing solutions let IT gain configuration control of the entire IT infrastructure.

Elemental Technologies –                          

Elemental Technologies is the leading provider of massively parallel processing solutions for video applications. Using off-the-shelf, programmable graphics processing units (GPUs) for compute-intensive video processing and conversion tasks, Elemental’s products are ideally suited for a variety of video applications including consumer media processing, professional video editing and Internet video processing.

Shore Power –

Shorepower Technologies builds, deploys and operates road-side plug-in stations that allow the nation’s 500,000 long-haul truck drivers to eliminate unnecessary idling during required rest periods, saving drivers an average of $4,000 per year on diesel fuel while significantly reducing associated toxic emissions.

Prolifiq -

Prolifiq provides on-demand software that accelerates sales and helps companies meet regulatory requirements by organizing, sending and tracking approved digital content throughout their sales processes. Prolifiq has transformed the sales operations of leading companies in the life sciences, technology and digital media industries.

Calidora Skin Clinic –                                           

Calidora offers custom tailored aesthetic solutions using cosmetic technologies and products under the care of medical practitioners and aestheticians in a friendly, retail environment. With 7 locations, 4 in Washington and 3 in Southern California, our goal is to become the leading national brand in this emerging, multi-billion dollar industry.

Session 2: Presenting companies of OEN Venture Northwest 2009- Shop Igniter, Advanced Inquiry systems, DesignMedix and Secondporch

Cularis, Inc. –

ShopIgniter is a real-time, social eCommerce platform with an intent-based search engine for Twitter, FaceBook and other popular social networks. It can manage multiple sales channels for products, including their marketing and promotion. Built for boutiques, small businesses and the enterprise, and delivered as a Software as a Service or download, ShopIgniter is a complete end-to-end solution for online sales.

Advanced Inquiry Systems -                  

Advanced Inquiry Systems, Inc. (AISI) is revolutionizing semiconductor test, helping our customers combat rising costs in the midst of falling product prices. Our unique solutions enhance flexibility for device design, greatly reduce test floor WIP, and nearly eliminate pad scrub, enabling at speed wafer test for flash, DRAM and logic devices.

DesignMedix –

DesignMedix develops novel pharmaceutical products for the treatment and prevention of life-threatening infectious diseases based on its proprietary approach to overcoming drug resistance. The company’s lead program for a low cost, safe medicine for malaria is in preclinical studies, with a second program in development for a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Second Porch -

Second Porch facilitates renting and trading vacation homes through owner’s trusted network, avoiding pitfalls of dealing with strangers. The application spreads awareness of vacation properties across social platforms like Facebook. Owners list and renters search properties free. Revenue comes from premium features via subscription, referral and transaction fees.

Top 3 finalists are: WickedQuick, Prolifiq, Design Medix

Congratulations to Prolifiq , winner of Venture Northwest 2009

A few takeaways from Gerry Langeler

Myth 1 - You can't grow a company here as fast as in the valley. Busted! Mentor graphics is the fastest growing software company.

Myth 2 - You can’t raise Venture Capital in OR. Busted! Dave Moffenbeier has raised a quarter of billion in angel funding

Myth 3 - Nobody has built a major company here in decades. Busted! Tripwire has trumped it.

Myth 4 - Entrepreneurs are easy, it’s investors that are tough - It's a two way street, manage your relationships wisely.

Myth 5 - Nobody has gotten any liquidity here in decades - Keith Oelrich of Insight Schools found liquidity in 15 months.

Myth 6 - Limited Partners have abandoned Venture Capital - Ron Schmitz OR CIO, have dedicated targets for Venture investment