Oregon Angel Food and Beverage (OregonAF) is designed to support early-stage food and beverage startups based in Oregon and Southwest Washington by offering investment-readiness education, connectivity within the local food and beverage community, and the opportunity to receive an equity investment from local angel investors.
This program is one in a series of Angel Oregon events facilitated by Oregon Entrepreneurs Network in collaboration with Xcelerate Women.
2024 will feature two three-week investment-readiness education series for food and beverage startups at any stage of development. Cohort 1 launches Wednesdays, March 20th – April 10th and Cohort 2 will be presented Wednesdays, August 21st – September 18th.
PRICING & REGISTRATION
- OregonAF Cohort 1: OEN Member Select ⋅ $100.00
- OregonAF Cohort 1: Non-Member Select ⋅ $150.00
- OregonAF Cohort 2: OEN Member Select ⋅ $100.00
- OregonAF Cohort 2: Non-Member Select ⋅ $150.00
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
Early stage companies ready for dilutive capital investment may apply to this program. The investment opportunity will be open and finalized during Spring cohort.
What is an early stage company eligible to apply for investment through OregonAF?
- Food or Beverage Makers in Oregon or SW Washington
- No CBD products; no food tech or F&B-adjacent
- Minimum of ~$10K/sales each of the last three months
- Leadership team with relevant past experience
- Ready to scale regional/national brand
The application will require a pitch deck and financials. Interested founders should be able to demonstrate traction for a proof of concept in the form of prior funding (via grants, loans, “friends & family”) and have a clear sense of the company’s valuation.
PROGRAM DETAILS
EDUCATION SESSIONS
- OregonAF will host TWO cohorts in 2024 featuring a three-week investment-readiness education series for food and beverage startups at any stage of development.
- Cohort 1: Education Series
Wednesdays, March 20th – April 10th – 8:30 – 10:00 am on Zoom - Cohort 2: Education Series
Wednesdays, August 21st – September 4th – 8:30 – 10:00 am on Zoom
- Cohort 1: Education Series
PITCH PRACTICE
- In-Person Practice Pitch sessions.
- Cohort 1: Pitch Practice
Wednesday, April 17th – 11:00 am – 1:00 pm location TBD.
- Cohort 1: Pitch Practice
- Cohort 2: Pitch Practice
Wednesday, September 18th – 11:00 am – 1:00 pm location TBD.
INVESTMENT MIXER
- OregonAF Investment Mixer will be held in-person on Thursday, June 6th from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.
EDUCATION SESSIONS
All education sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Content portions will be recorded and will be available to all registered participants following the session.
F&B Financial Models and Sales Strategies
Wednesday, March 20th
8:30 – 10:00 am
For food and beverage startups, financial modeling can serve as a compass, guiding entrepreneurs through different scenarios. By accurately simulating financial outcomes, these models enable business owners to make informed decisions, anticipate future challenges, and seize opportunities.
A key component of a company’s financial model is an understanding of all revenue streams. For food and beverage businesses these revenue streams come from selling products to consumers and there are a variety of ways to generate sales from customers. From direct to consumer (DTC) sales to utilizing a broker, how you sell your products directly impacts your financial models.
Session Focus
- Building financial models
- Channel strategies
- eCommerce
- Working with Brokers
- Pricing for success
Presented By: Tonkon Torp
Moderator
Greg Fletcher
Partner
KBF CPA’s
Panelists
Pat Hiley
National Sales Manager
Stoller Wine Group
Erica Mitchell
Chief Financial Officer
Hood River Distillers
Jesus Solis
General Manager
Yoshida Group
Investment Routes for your Food & Beverage Startup
Wednesday, April 3rd
8:30 – 10:00 am
Starting a food and beverage business can be an exciting endeavor, but it also requires significant planning and financing.
In order to finance an idea, entrepreneurs must first understand their target market and the competitive landscape, determine how much capital they need for their venture, and identify potential sources of funding.
This OregonAF session will explore the types of funding available to founders and go deep into navigating funding based on the stage of your business and the developmental phase of your product.
Session Focus:
- Term Sheets
- Trademark IP
- Banks
- Government Grants
- Accelerators & Incubators
- Venture Capital
- Angel Funding
Presented By: Bank of America
Moderator
Art Avitia
Senior Relationship Manager
Bank of America
Panelists
Ben Jacobsen
Founder
Jacobsen Salt Company
Kathryn Kavner
Co-Founder & CEO
Heyday Canning
Aimee Squires
Senior Associate
Amberstone
From Kitchen to Market: Scaling for Food Distribution
Wednesday, April 10th
8:30 – 10:00 am
Scaling up production is a bold move, and not to be taken lightly. Preparing your food and beverage business for growth poses a unique set of challenges and opportunities.
From financing, to technology and automation that meet new demands. Upscaling processes and new packing and distribution models. Scalability is really about capacity – do you have the systems, staff, equipment and mechanization in place to accommodate growth?
This OregonAF session will focus on navigating the path of business growth and how to plan ahead in order to successfully scale up.
Session Focus
- Supply chain
- Packaging
- Manufacturing
- Distribution models
- Production insights
- Food safety
- Trademarks
Presented by: Anderson CFO
Moderator
Harold Anderson
Founder
Anderson CFO
Panelists
Michael Pan
Founder
Pan’s
Jaime Price
Product Manager
Honey Mamas
Marcia Walker
Director – Food Innovation Center
Oregon State University
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
WHY IS OREGONAF IMPORTANT FOR FOUNDERS AND ENTREPRENEURS?
- To build your business: learn how best to finance growth, meet investors, connect with mentors, and solve operational problems
- To build community: connect with fellow founders and investors in the food and beverage sector, learn the stories behind home-grown successes, and grow your network
- To build the local economy: earn investment, find local suppliers, and meet local talent
WHO IS INVOLVED?
- FOUNDERS: Food and beverage founders and founding teams of all kinds – beverages, snacks, confections & chocolates, pantry, etc. – are welcome to register for the education sessions.
- ANGELS: accredited investors invest collectively in a food or beverage company and help grow the regional bioscience sector are welcome.
- MENTORS: specialists of all kinds support founders with their time and talents in packaging, promotional strategy, production, distribution, retail merchandising, online sales, intellectual property, financial modeling, inventory management, or go to market planning.
THANK YOU SPONSORS
