OEF Becomes OEN as Scope and Mission Expand New Name and Logo Symbolize Group’s Success Supporting Growing Companies Throughout the State
January 8, 2007, Portland, Ore. --
The Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum (OEF), the organization that helps growing companies to succeed, is changing its name to better reflect its own growth and success. OEF will become the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN). The name change is the culmination of several recent developments for the non-profit corporation. In late 2006, OEF announced that it received three major grants to expand its work throughout the state; more than $300,000 was committed to OEF from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department (OECDD), and the Meyer Memorial Trust (MMT).
"OEN will build on the organization's heritage of success in improving the flow of ideas, services and capital to entrepreneurs across the state - and it will help ensure that home-grown Oregon businesses have the opportunity to succeed in the global economy," said Bob Repine, director of Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. "Oregon is truly fortunate to have such a visionary organization to help seed business growth and create jobs for Oregonians."
OEF began in 1991 as a chapter of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) Enterprise Forum with fewer then 100 members. Today, OEF counts nearly 3,000 members.
“Our scale and influence significantly expanded since those early days, and we wanted to define a name that better reflected our 1 scope,” said Linda Weston, President and Executive Director of the organization. “When it began, OEF was known for a few signature events focused in the Portland metropolitan area. Today, we hold more than 100 events annually, designed to educate, mentor and connect entrepreneurs to ideas, expertise and capital they need to grow their business.”
ID Branding, a full service branding agency located in Portland, Oregon, created the new logo. "We worked very closely with the OEN team to understand the depth of their vision," said Doug Lowell, Executive Creative Director at ID Branding.
"They needed a logo that embodied the fiery spirit of entrepreneurialism and the human connections that are the heart of OEN's purpose. It was a wonderful process that led to a powerful new visual identity."
The new identity can be seen at www.oen.org/about/oen.
About OEFFounded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and improving the business climate for emerging, growth-oriented companies statewide. The organization has nearly 3,000 members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about the OEN, visit www.oen.org/about/oen . Coming soon the url will change to
www.oen.org.
About ID Branding
Founded in 1979, Portland, Ore.-based ID Branding is a full-service branding agency, specializing in creating integrated, strategy driven branding programs for regional and national clients, including Kodak, Microsoft, H.B. Fuller, SAIF and TriMet. Using four key disciplines “ strategy, identity, management and experience “ ID Branding helps clients build resonant, compelling brands that turn customers into devoted fans. For more information visit
www.idbranding.com