Tag Archives: entrepreneur

2021 BVC Company Applications Now Open

BVC 2020 Winners

THE BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE RETURNS OCTOBER 21-22, 2021
COMPANY APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW THRU AUGUST 13TH

BEND, OR (July 8, 2021) – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) will again host the annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) on Thursday, October 21 – Friday, October 22, 2021, in downtown Bend and virtually online. Ticketing, speaker announcements and event details for the 18th Annual Bend Venture Conference will be announced in the coming months.

Over the past five years, investments, awards and prizes surpassing $10 million were awarded to 40 companies as a result of the conference. BVC is a yearly celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation, connecting investors, companies and business leaders.

APPLY

This year’s conference will feature three competition categories: Growth Stage, Impact and Early Stage. The application period is open now through Friday, August 13th and companies across the United States are invited to apply.

  • Growth Stage Competition: This category is open to companies that have a proven concept, have generated initial revenues and are prepared to scale quickly with investment. To apply, click here.
  • Impact Competition: This category is open to for-profit companies, whose business models are integrated with a mission to have a significant and measurable social or environmental impact. Applicants should be aiming to generate long-term enterprise value and attractive returns on capital. To apply, click here.
  • Early Stage Competition: This category is open to companies that have a great idea and are close to “proof of concept.” They are pre-revenue (or very early-revenue) and are in the process of testing their product in the market. To apply, click here.

Growth Stage Competition finalists could collect an investment of $250,000 or more. Companies in the Impact Competition have historically competed for investments ranging from $50,000-$100,000. Companies in the Early Stage competition could receive and investment of $25,000 or more. This year’s  BVC will feature impressive speakers from across the country representing angel investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC)

Now in its 18th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past five years, more than $10 million has been invested in 40 companies as a result of the conference. This year’s conference will take place on October 21-22, 2021, gathering entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. bendvc.com

About Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)

EDCO is a non-profit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders, whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by recruiting new employers to move to the region; helping entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses; and working with businesses that are already here to grow their operations. edcoinfo.com

April 2021 PubTalk: Kara Buckley and the World of Sports

PubTalk Keynote speaker

April 2021 PubTalk Keynote Speaker: Kara Buckley

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee | Oregon Sports Angels

Sports at the Intersection of Impact and Innovation

Relive the keynote speech from the April 2021 Central Oregon PubTalk, as Kara Buckley talks about the intersection of impact and innovation in the world of sports. Including her involvement with the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee and Oregon Sports Angles.

Check out the full event to hear pitches and updates from local companies and start-ups. Click here to see pitching company Zipcan, company updates from Bend Soap Company and Riff, and of course our keynote Kara Buckley.

About Kara

Throughout Kara’s career, she has worked across the highest levels of sports. Including the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup, League of Legends, Special Olympics, and UEFA Champions League.

With LA28 (the home of the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Team, she built and launched the first-of-it’s-kind Athlete Marketing Platform. While working at Visa, she pioneered Visa’s Rio 2016 “Acceptance” campaign by supporting ten athletes competing on the Refugee Olympic Team.

PubTalk Company lineup 

PubTalk keynote and pitching company

Pitching Company: Zipcan

CEO Fritz Brumder | CPO Spenser Lea

Realize the full power of video collaboration for your brand beyond hosting meetings. Zipcan provides the ability to add video chat capabilities to your website or application in just a few seconds. Just embed a code snippet and unlock a 2-way video experience within your platform. With Zipcan you can create new products, engage customers and connect your community.

PubTalk keynote and update company Riff

Company Update: Riff

CEO Paul Evers

Riff is a purpose-driven coffee company on a mission to explore and celebrate 100% of the coffee plant’s agricultural value. They are passionate about building a purpose-led company that creates widely desired, good for you and good for the planet beverages. The brand launched their first line of ready-to-drink cold-brewed coffees in 2018 and quickly garnered many awards and accolades.

PubTalk keynote and update companyBend Soap Company

Company Update: Bend Soap Company

Founder & Owner Dwight Johnson

Created 10 years ago out of Dwight and Marilee Johnson’s mission to find safe, natural, and nourishing products to help soothe their son’s eczema, Bend Soap Company is a family-run company dedicated to creating toxin-free goat milk soap. Today, their all-natural skincare products have helped thousands of families enjoy healthy skin with nourishing and wholesome ingredients at an affordable price

About PubTalk

EDCO’s Central Oregon PubTalk, held the fourth Thursday of the month, is a happy hour aimed at bringing together different facets of the business community in one place to network, share ideas, and further local businesses.

March 2021 PubTalk: Randy Adams and Failure

PubTalk Keynote speaker

March 2021 PubTalk Keynote Speaker: Randy Adams

 Managing Partner, C-Level Solutions | Strategic Advisor

Three Failures of a Serial Entrepreneur

Experience the March 2021 Central Oregon PubTalk keynote speech given by, Randy Adams. Randy dives into his own experiences as a serial entrepreneur and the three failures to avoid.

Check out the full event to hear pitches and updates from local companies and start-ups. Click here to see pitching company Boundless, an update from Josie’s Best Gluten Free Mixes, and of course our keynote Randy Adams.

March PubTalk Keynote Randy Adams

About Randy

Randy Adams has a vast background of knowledge, having been a serial entrepreneur for over 35 years. He’s founded nine venture-backed technology companies including autonomous vehicle insurance, digital avatars, software-publishing, IT, e-commerce, and two celebrity-based digital media companies (ever heard of Will Ferrell or Marlon Wayans?). He’s published more than 30 consumer software applications that have collectively sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Raised more than $100M in venture capital. Had five successful start-up exits return more than $1B to investors…and the list goes on.

He is credited with raising the initial funds for Yahoo, creating the first desktop publishing app for the PC, managing the team that created PDF and Acrobat, and creating the first e-commerce site on the web. Currently, he runs C-Level Solutions, providing consulting services for early-stage companies.

PubTalk Company lineup 

PubTalk Pitching Company Boundless

Pitching Company: Boundless

Co-Founder Ian Gregg

Flying on commercial airlines can be inefficient, unpredictable and exhausting. Boundless was created to raise your transportation expectations by defining a new category of travel: personal aviation. They aim to make your final travel destination more accessible for both pilots and passengers. Think of it as a charter solution for the environmentally and cost-conscious individual. Boundless is empowering people to move seamlessly between home, work and play with an elevated mobility solution.

PubTalk Company Update Josie's Best

Company Update: Josie’s Best Gluten Free Mixes

Founder & CEO Josie Johnson

Some of Founder & CEO Josie Johnson’s main passions are cooking and baking. But when allergies led her to go gluten-free, Josie’s Best was born. Josie’s Best produces gluten-free and allergen-free baking mixes from Sisters, Oregon. Recently, they were featured on Good Morning America, further spreading the word of their delicious mixes.

About PubTalk

EDCO’s Central Oregon PubTalk, held the fourth Thursday of the month, is a happy hour aimed at bringing together different facets of the business community in one place to network, share ideas, and further local businesses.

November 2020 PubTalk: Todd Laurence on Sales and Marketing

PubTalk Keynote speaker

November 2020 PubTalk Keynote Speaker: Todd Laurence

Todd Laurence | Managing Director | Thimble Peak Advisors

What Every Founder Needs to Know About Sales and Marketing

At the November 2020 Central Oregon PubTalk, we heard from Todd Laurence as he discussed what every founder needs to know about selling and marketing.

Check out the full event to hear pitches and updates from local companies and start-ups. Click here to see pitching companies Seahorse Chocolate and Holm Made Toffee, an update from fsboHandshake, and our keynote Todd Laurence.

November 2020 PubTalk Keynote Todd

About Todd

With sales being the key to any successful company, this discussion will apply to companies of any size. Todd is a sales leader in the technology industry, delivering workshops at various venture accelerators and colleges, including Princeton University. He’s sold complex enterprise solutions and built sales teams globally for two decades with expertise spanning a plethora of industries from open source software, large scale analytics, robotics and AI, supply chain/manufacturing, and even food/ag tech.

PubTalk Company lineup 

November 2020 PubTalk Pitching Company Seahorse Chocolate

Pitching Company: Seahorse Chocolate

Owner Amanda Gartrell

Seahorse is a single-origin chocolate studio in Bend. They believe the yummiest chocolate is a direct result of people who care deeply about the work they do everyday. They find chocolate by seeking partners who focus on transparency and quality in their work, offering direct-trade certified, single-origin cocoa that reflects the craft of the farmers and producers. Once you try their chocolate, you’ll understand!

November 2020 PubTalk Pitching Company Holm Made Toffee

Pitching Company: Holm Made Toffee

Chief Toffee Officer & Co-Owner Randi Holm

Founded in Glide, Oregon in 2007, Holm Made Toffee is a family-owned artisan confectioner now headquartered in Bend. Holm Made Toffee crafts their candy in traditional handmade batches, utilizing Oregon-grown hazelnuts and ingredients sourced from the Pacific Northwest in every batch.

November 2020 PubTalk Company Update fsboHandshake

Company Update: fsboHandshake

Co-Founder Stephanie Hix

fsboHandshake allows home sellers and buyers to transact real estate online directly, without the need for commissioned real estate agents. fsboHandshake provides the platform, tools and guidance to complete real estate transactions with confidence all the way from offer to closing, for a flat fee. Hear what they’ve been up to since their first PubTalk appearance in 2019.

About PubTalk

EDCO’s Central Oregon PubTalk, held the fourth Thursday of the month, is a happy hour aimed at bringing together different facets of the business community in one place to network, share ideas, and further local businesses.

2019 Bend Venture Conference Winners

2019 BVC Winners

EDCO ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF THE 16TH ANNUAL BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE

Six Companies Presented with a Total of $488,000 in Investments & Cash Awards

BEND, OR – October 18, 2019 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) hosted the 16th  Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) to a sold-out crowd at the Tower Theatre in Downtown Bend. This August, nearly 100 companies from across the U.S. and Canada applied to the conference in hopes of making it to the Tower Theatre stage. Over the past two days, 14 finalists presented their ideas to nearly 600 attendees.

This year marks the largest fund yet for the BVC, LLC, setting a funding record for the conference.

This year’s award breakdown is as follows:

Growth Stage Competition

The Growth Stage Competition, which included companies that have a proven concept and initial revenues, had two different winners.

  • Winners of BVC, LLC, Investment Awards*:
    • Observa (Seattle, WA) – An AI platform bringing ecommerce-style analytics to brick-and-mortar retail, was awarded $250,000.
    • Belmont (Portland, OR) – Providing break rooms with coffee, simplified draft beverages and fully-managed pantry service using proprietary technology, was awarded $100,000.

*The investment arm of the conference, BVC, LLC, awarded the Growth Stage investments following considerable due diligence of each of the five presenting finalists. This investment included $75,000 from Business Oregon and $10,000 from Oregon Community Foundation. Investments and follow on deals are still being finalized.

Impact Competition

The Impact Competition, which included for-profit companies with an integrated social or environmental mission, had one winner, awarded by the BVC Impact LLC. This is the fifth award given by the Impact LLC in the past four years.

  • Winner of the BVC Impact LLC, Investment Award*:
    • Riff Cold Brewed (Bend, OR) – Upcycling coffee byproduct into an all-natural energy drink, was awarded $85,000.

*The impact investment arm of the conference awarded an investment following considerable due diligence of each of the four presenting finalists. This investment included $25,000 from Business Oregon and $10,000 from Oregon Community Foundation. Investments are still being finalized.

Early Stage Competition

The Early Stage Competition included companies that are pre-revenue (or very early) and are in the process of testing their product in the market. The three winning Early Stage companies are:

  • Winners of the Portland Seed Fund Early Stage Competition:
    • FleetNurse Inc. (Eugene, OR) – An app-based on-demand staffing service for healthcare facility supervisors, was awarded $25,000.
    • Steamchain Corp. (Salem, OR) – A blockchain company using smart contracts to reduce high currency conversion costs and fluctuation risk in shipping and logistics, was awarded $25,000.
  • Winner of the Keiretsu Forum Audience Award (awarded at EDCO’s September PubTalk):
    • TerrAmor (Corvallis, OR) – A low-cost, easy to deploy, organic-certified solution for soft fruit growers to address the spotted wing drosophila problem, won a $3,000 cash award.

“This year we’ve raised the most money for the BVC LLCs in the history of the conference,” said Brian Vierra, EDCO’s Venture Catalyst. “This continues to show the strong local investor support for both the Conference and our current startup ecosystem. BVC continues to connect Central Oregon entrepreneurs to a broader, national audience.”

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
Now in its 16th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past five years, more than $10 million has been invested in 38 companies as a result of the conference. This year, nearly 600 entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders attended the multi-day conference on October 17-18, in Bend, Oregon. bendvc.com

About Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)
EDCO is a non-profit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders, whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by recruiting new employers to move to the region; helping entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses; and working with businesses that are already here to grow their operations. edcoinfo.com

2019 BVC Semi-Finalists for Growth Stage and Impact

EDCO ANNOUNCES THE SEMI-FINALISTS IN THE GROWTH STAGE AND IMPACT CATEGORIES; ONE STEP CLOSER TO PRESENTING AT THE 2019 BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE


BEND, OR – September 12, 2019 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced the Semi-Finalists advancing in the Growth Stage and Impact Categories for the 16th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) on Thursday, October 17 – Friday, October 18, 2019.

The below semi-finalists have to make it through one more cut before presenting on the historic Tower Theatre stage in Downtown Bend. Last year, companies in the Growth Stage Category won prizes ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, while the Impact Category winner walked away with $100,000. Semi-Finalists in the Early Stage competition will be announced early next week.

In alphabetical order, the 10 Growth Stage semi-finalists are:

  1. Belmont (Portland, OR.) – Providing break rooms with coffee, simplified draft beverages and fully-managed pantry service using proprietary technology.
  2. Broken Top Candle Company (Bend, OR) – Create hand-poured sustainable and conscious products using renewable and recyclable materials.
  3. Candid Wholesale (Portland, OR) – A suite of enterprise-grade tools for SME wholesalers, providing a SaaS platform where buyers can make orders and manage relationships.
  4. ClearOPS, Inc. (New York, NY) – Provides vendor response management for data privacy and security operations.
  5. New Leaf Precision Ag (Portland, OR) – A standardized, data-driven framework that helps growers grow more, waste less and maintain consistency.
  6. Observa (Seattle, WA) – An AI platform bringing ecommerce-style analytics to brick-and-mortar retail.
  7. Rupie (Bend, OR) – An AI-driven, community-focused talent-gig matching platform for building video games.
  8. SendSmart (Portland, OR) – Automates web lead follow up on multiple communication channels, connecting salespeople with leads once they’ve responded.
  9. ThingLogix (Belmont, CA) – Provides companies with the expertise and tools to design, build, deploy, and manage serverless and IoT Applications on the cloud.
  10. Walker Tracker (Portland, OR) – A SaaS platform that partners with companies and organizations to build wellness into their culture and make healthy behaviors fun and accessible.

In alphabetical order, the six Impact Stage semi-finalists are:

  1. Beta Hatch (Seattle, WA) – Farming for the future by industrializing insects.
  2. BrainChild Technologies (Bend, OR) – Accessible hearing tests for infants.
  3. Meli Wraps (Bend, OR) – Creators of reusable beeswax wraps for food storage.
  4. Riff Cold Brewed (Bend, OR) – Upcycling coffee byproduct into an all-natural energy drink.
  5. Sana Packaging (Denver, CO) – Designer and developer of cannabis packaging using sustainable materials.
  6. Sironix Renewables (Seattle, WA) – Maker of high-performance, eco-friendly ingredients for cleaning products.

Hosted by Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), this year’s BVC will once again feature three competition categories: Growth Stage, Early Stage and Impact, bringing together over 600 entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders to Bend, Oregon.

Ticket Sales
Tickets to the 16th Annual Bend Venture Conference are on sale now and are available here.

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
Now in its 16th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past five years, more than $10 million has been invested in 38 companies as a result of the conference. This year, over 600 entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders are expected to attend the multi-day conference on October 17-18, in Bend, Oregon. bendvc.com

About Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)
EDCO is a non-profit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders, whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by recruiting new employers to move to the region; helping entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses; and working with businesses that are already here to grow their operations. edcoinfo.com

BEND, OR – September 12, 2019 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced the Semi-Finalists advancing in the Growth Stage and Impact Categories for the 16th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) on Thursday, October 17 – Friday, October 18, 2019.

The below semi-finalists have to make it through one more cut before presenting on the historic Tower Theatre stage in Downtown Bend. Last year, companies in the Growth Stage Category won prizes ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, while the Impact Category winner walked away with $100,000. Semi-Finalists in the Early Stage competition will be announced early next week.

In alphabetical order, the 10 Growth Stage semi-finalists are:

  1. Belmont (Portland, OR.) – Providing break rooms with coffee, simplified draft beverages and fully-managed pantry service using proprietary technology.
  2. Broken Top Candle Company (Bend, OR) – Create hand-poured sustainable and conscious products using renewable and recyclable materials.
  3. Candid Wholesale (Portland, OR) – A suite of enterprise-grade tools for SME wholesalers, providing a SaaS platform where buyers can make orders and manage relationships.
  4. ClearOPS, Inc. (New York, NY) – Provides vendor response management for data privacy and security operations.
  5. New Leaf Precision Ag (Portland, OR) – A standardized, data-driven framework that helps growers grow more, waste less and maintain consistency.
  6. Observa (Seattle, WA) – An AI platform bringing ecommerce-style analytics to brick-and-mortar retail.
  7. Rupie (Bend, OR) – An AI-driven, community-focused talent-gig matching platform for building video games.
  8. SendSmart (Portland, OR) – Automates web lead follow up on multiple communication channels, connecting salespeople with leads once they’ve responded.
  9. ThingLogix (Belmont, CA) – Provides companies with the expertise and tools to design, build, deploy, and manage serverless and IoT Applications on the cloud.
  10. Walker Tracker (Portland, OR) – A SaaS platform that partners with companies and organizations to build wellness into their culture and make healthy behaviors fun and accessible.

In alphabetical order, the six Impact Stage semi-finalists are:

  1. Beta Hatch (Seattle, WA) – Farming for the future by industrializing insects.
  2. BrainChild Technologies (Bend, OR) – Accessible hearing tests for infants.
  3. Meli Wraps (Bend, OR) – Creators of reusable beeswax wraps for food storage.
  4. Riff Cold Brewed (Bend, OR) – Upcycling coffee byproduct into an all-natural energy drink.
  5. Sana Packaging (Denver, CO) – Designer and developer of cannabis packaging using sustainable materials.
  6. Sironix Renewables (Seattle, WA) – Maker of high-performance, eco-friendly ingredients for cleaning products.

Hosted by Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), this year’s BVC will once again feature three competition categories: Growth Stage, Early Stage and Impact, bringing together over 600 entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders to Bend, Oregon.

Ticket Sales
Tickets to the 16th Annual Bend Venture Conference are on sale now and are available here.

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
Now in its 16th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past five years, more than $10 million has been invested in 38 companies as a result of the conference. This year, over 600 entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders are expected to attend the multi-day conference on October 17-18, in Bend, Oregon. bendvc.com

About Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)
EDCO is a non-profit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders, whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by recruiting new employers to move to the region; helping entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses; and working with businesses that are already here to grow their operations. edcoinfo.com

Start: LeadMethod Immersed in Bend

August 20, 2019 – In 2013 LeadMethod Founder & CEO Justin Johnson moved from Seattle to Bend. Unsure how to immerse himself in the business community, he reached out to EDCO for resources that allowed him to connect with many local leaders, influencers and mentors.

One local resource he connected with was the Bend Venture Conference, and in 2017 LeadMethod walked away from the annual angel investing event with over $485,000 in funding. The winners of the largest Angel Conference in the West kicked their growth into high gear. The money raised from BVC allowed LeadMethod to increase its staff by 50% and move into a new 5,000 square foot office space, giving them both the manpower and room to scale the business while also adding the ability to test new and innovative ideas.

LeadMethod, a creator of the first channel revenue optimization software, allows manufacturers and distributors to get more information on the leads provided throughout the entire sales cycle. With 25% of their customers surpassing $1 billion in revenue, they continue to gain industry trust worldwide while expanding their footprint in Bend.

For more info on LeadMethod, visit: https://leadmethod.com/

Amplion Secured Series A Funding

Amplion, the Bend-based biomarker intelligence company secured their Series A funding from Greycroft with participation from existing investors Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund and Imagen Capital Partners. They will use those funds to expand its sales and marketing efforts as well as accelerate product development. Amplion participated in the 2014 Bend Venture Conference and walked away with $400,000 in funding.

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/startup-wants-accelerate-precision-medicine-growing-biological-data-platform/ 

Grow: Laird Superfood Expands in Sisters

Laird Superfood staff outside Sisters facility

August 13, 2019 – In November 2015 Laird Superfood started its operations with just three employees in Sisters, Oregon. Their flagship product, Laird Superfood creamer was making waves across the natural products market thanks in part to the company’s namesake and co-founder, Laird Hamilton. The company creates clean, all-natural superfood products that are sustainably grown and responsibly sourced, including coffee creamers and hydration products.

Today, the company has over 80 employees and a brand new 20,000+ sq. ft. state-of-the-art campus. A recent investment from global co-working giant WeWork (now The We Company) gave the company the capital needed to continue its expansion with innovative growth plans.

What started as an idea would not have been possible in Sisters without help from EDCO. Laird Superfood CEO Paul Hodge had recently moved to the Sisters community and wasn’t convinced manufacturing a globally distributed product would be possible in a city with just 2,700 residents. EDCO quickly aligned city and county leadership, state government and local support to give Laird Superfood the resources needed to launch. From incentives to land selection, workforce and development assistance, EDCO worked closely with the company, providing the necessary help for them to achieve a successful start with roots firmly planted in Sisters.

For more information about Laird Superfood, visit: https://lairdsuperfood.com/

Move: Aquaglide Bounces Over to Bend

August 8, 2019 – Last year Aquaglide, one of the world’s premier inflatable water sport product companies, was in the process of being acquired by outdoor industry powerhouse Kent Watersports through Connelly Skis, one of Kent’s iconic brands. EDCO worked with Aquaglide providing location options, cost comparisons and more, to show Kent Watersports the many benefits of relocating Aquaglide to Bend.

After months of back and forth discussions, Kent Watersports was convinced that the move was a financially responsible decision and great for their employees. One year later Aquaglide now operates its headquarters from Central Oregon, with a team of 10 who were hired locally. For Aquaglide, the lifestyle and ability to attract the top-level talent that Central Oregon provides was the defining factor in relocating to Bend.

For more information on Aquaglide and their products, visit their website: https://www.aquaglide.com/