2023 Angel Oregon Technology

AOTech, the premier PNW technology investment program hosted by Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), is BACK! 

AOTech kicks off April 13th with a four-week investment-readiness education series, featuring local founders who have successfully scaled technology companies, which benefits technology startups at any stage of development.

You’ll learn:

• Key pathways to scaling a technology startup
• Lessons learned in building a technology company from experienced local founders
• How to create a case for investment to local and out of state investors
• What investors in the sector really want, and how to engage them successfully

At the end of the education program, those companies that are indeed investment-ready can apply to be considered for an equity angel investment of up to $200,000, to be presented at the live AOTech Finale in June.

AOTech Entrepreneur Registration – $95 OEN Members; $125 Non-Members, includes:

• Four core educational workshops featuring successful technology founders
• Live AOTech Mixer with mentors and investors in Portland
• Pitch practice opportunities and feedback from mentors and investors
• Opportunity to apply for up to $200K equity investment 
• Ticket to the AOTech Finale in June in Portland

KEY DATES: 

April 4th: Non Technical Founders SaaS Workshop from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM open to all non-technical founders regardless of stage.

April 6th: Entrepreneur Info Session from 8:30-9:15 AM via Zoom REGISTER HERE

April 13th: Investment Routes for your Tech Startup
This 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. Beyond traditional venture capital, there is a funding landscape that includes federal and state opportunities as well as financing options that will be discussed. Featuring: Leon Wolf, VertueLab; Thomas Schnell, Business Oregon

April 20th: Surviving Technical Due Diligence
This session will foster a conversation about the technical due diligence process, what topics will be addressed, which documents you’ll have to produce, and how to prepare mentally for such an exercise. Featuring: Ryan Comingdeer, Investor; Deepthi Madhava, Oregon Venture Fund

April 27: Building a Diverse & Versatile Team
This session will discuss team structure, from finding a co-founder to building out your c-suite, and how it evolves at different stages in your company’s journey. The speakers will touch on how to curate talent that fits properly in an ideal tech startup team structure and expand with your company’s growth. Featuring: Marquita Jaramillo, The BFM Fund; Kabir Bhatia, Investor

May 4th: Pitch Perfect: The Dos and Don’ts of Investor Pitching
This session will focus on what not to do, such as getting too detailed on the tech. And will also cover what to absolutely include in your pitch such as tailoring it to your audience and other tips for the perfect pitch! Featuring: Sce Pike, ADT; John Harkness, Rewire Neuro

May 5th: Practice Pitch 

May 10th: Fast Pitch
During these fastpitch sessions, AOTech entrepreneurs will give a 3-5 minute pitch introducing their company to local investors.

THANK YOU SPONSORS

Co-Founder Connection

This event is full and we are no longer taking online registration and there is no walk-in registration.

2023 Angel Oregon Life & Bioscience Grand Finale + Innovation Showcase

Get in on the ground floor of Oregon’s emerging bioscience sector. Four startups will vie for a potential $300K equity investment, to be announced at the AOBIO Grand Finale + Innovation Showcase on May 17th, 3-7pm at Amaterra Winery in Portland. Tickets on sale now.

Prioritizing the Mental Health of Entrepreneurs

While many view entrepreneurship as a dream career, starting a venture from scratch can be risky, exhilarating, exhausting — sometimes all at the same time. As an entrepreneur, you are constantly under pressure to perform, meet deadlines and deliver results – which can ultimately take a toll on your mental health.

According to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health, 72% of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues compared to just 48% of non entrepreneurs. These findings underscore the need for more support, and more importantly, tackling the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face when it comes to their mental health – asking for help.

Join Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) for a frank conversation with regional entrepreneurs about steps you can take to be proactive in your mental health journey, and what resources and support systems are available to help during difficult times.

________________________________________________________________

FEATURING

Moderator
Reggie Wideman
Founder  I  One Minute for Mental Health

Kasey Jones
Managing Director I  Virtual, Inc.

Ryan Schwartz
CEO & Founder  I  Mental Health Match

Ryan Schwartz is a believer in the power of therapy, which is why he founded Mental Health Match, the world’s largest therapist-matching platform. Ryan is also co-founder of TherapistsDAO, a therapist community building the first large-scale clinic completely owned, governed, and designed by therapists. Prior to founding Mental Health Match, he was a communications strategist who used words and stories to bring people together and create social change.

Anthony Ware
Founder & Principal Researcher  I  Founder Mental Wealth

Anthony Ware is a Mental Wealth Strategist and Principal at AWare Catalysts. He is the lead researcher, author, and publisher of The Founder Mental Wealth Report. During his 10+ years as a serial entrepreneur, Anthony has successfully launched 5 companies in multiple industries. Anthony has shared his insights and frameworks on mental wealth as a speaker, moderator, and panelist for audiences in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The diverse intersections of Anthony’s life experiences have helped him develop a deep level of empathy and grace. Anthony’s mission is to help historically excluded entrepreneurs and professionals build mental wealth, trust themselves, and make better decisions for their lives and businesses.

Social Entrepreneurship: Experiences from Around the World

In 2006, Professor Muhmmad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize for empowering millions of people to lift themselves out of poverty in Bangladesh. He defines a Social-Business (or social entrepreneurship) as a “non-dividend company created to solve a human problem”. Since then social entrepreneurship has impacted the lives of tens of millions of people around the world, and has been replicated at large companies like Intel, Toyota, Uniqlo, BASF, and many others.

Are you interested in making a positive impact on society while running a successful business? Do you want to learn from experts on the field who have successfully merged purpose and profit? If so, we invite you to our upcoming virtual entrepreneurship event.

Participants will learn more about how to use sustainable business models to make impact directly from experts and entrepreneurs who have been working on the field enabling a positive transformation in our world.

They will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of social entrepreneurship models to create positive long lasting impact in our communities and the environment. You’ll learn where to start, how to grow your impact, what kind of model is best for you and your company, as well as best practices applied in different parts of the world.

FEATURING

Moderator

Andrés Parraguirre
Founder, Foundation for the Global Benefit

Andrés Parraguirre, Founder and Director of Operations at the Foundation for the Global Benefit, believes that everyone can contribute to making the world a better place. In the last 10 years as a changemaker, his projects and initiatives have supported more than 5,000 people, mostly in Mexico, and Asia-Pacific. Serving in diverse trainings, workshops, conferences, consulting, and advising roles, Andrés is avid to support leaders to achieve their most desired visions for social good. He has focused on social innovation capacity building in all sectors with a focus on entrepreneurial development, personal leadership development, sustainable development, people-centered design, and liberating structures. In a nutshell: how to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals indicators through Yunus Social Businesses. In addition, he has started and committed different projects, and participated in different programs worldwide, in Mexico, Chile, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and now Vietnam. Andrés has held leadership positions in the private, academic, and non-profit sectors; and he is also affiliated with more than 10 international networks and communities in the context of sustainability, development, and social empowerment. Now in Mexico, he is dedicated to applying what he has learned and contributing to his country to work with the problems of inequality and poverty that we currently face.

Panel

Dr. Ashir Ahmed
Director, Social Technology Lab,  Kyushu University, Japan and Executive Director, Social Business Academia Network, Japan Chapter

Dr. Ashir Ahmed is an associate professor at the faculty of information science and electrical engineering at Kyushu University in Japan. His research focuses on developing frugal technologies to achieve social goals, and he has established the Global Communication Center (GCC) within Grameen Communications in Bangladesh to pursue this mission. Dr. Ahmed’s research team at Kyushu University has developed numerous national and international projects, including GramHealth, a $300 portable clinic for unreached people, GramCar, a ride-sharing model for rural and urban female communities, GramAgri, an ICT-based farming and marketing platform, and GramClean, a sustainable community cleaning initiative. Dr. Ahmed is a core contributor to the Yunus and Shiiki Social Business Research Center at Kyushu University, where he promotes social businesses to Japanese organizations, and has assisted in creating a number of social businesses, such as Grameen Euglena and Grameen SunPower. He is also the founder and CTO of SocialTechJapan, a social business company that develops and deploys technologies to solve social issues. In addition, he has organized an international conference on “Healthcare, SDGs and Social Business” since 2017. Dr. Ahmed received his Ph.D. from Tohoku University in 1999 and has worked with Avaya Labs (formerly Bell Labs) and NTT Communications, in Japan. He has authored two books on ICT and social business in Japanese and co-authored over 100 scientific papers. Dr. Ahmed is a popular speaker at international events on digital health, ICTD, social business, reverse innovation, and post-SDGs. He has received numerous national and international awards since childhood and enjoys cooking, writing books on ICT for development and social business, and performing as an MC for cultural shows.

Sebastían Salinas Claro
Founder & Executive Director, Emprediem Latam and Founder, Balloon Latam

Through his entrepreneurship project, Balloon, Sebastián Salinas is forming agents of change in rural communities, youth, businesses, and the public sector—it supports local entrepreneurs from rural areas while forming young university students with a commitment to society. By creating links with regional governments, businesses, and people he has managed to consolidate his project and made it economically sustainable and lasting through time.

Dr. Faiz Shah
President, Yunus Thailand Foundation and Executive Director, Yunus Center AIT

Dr. Faiz Shah is executive director of the Yunus Center at the Asian Institute of Technology (YCA) and founding president of the Yunus Thailand Foundation (YT). With affiliation to the AIT School of Business, Policy and Development, he chairs the steering committee of AIT’s Yunus Masters in Social Business & Entrepreneurship, co-directs the Professional Masters in ESG at AIT, and as Professor in the School of Business and Social Sciences at Albukhary International University, stewards emerging Social Business initiatives. Dr. Shah is a visiting professor at the College of Innovation at Thammasat University, and the Faculty of Management at Kasetsart University. 

In a 40-year international change management and capacity-building career, Dr. Shah has worked in academia, business, government, and the UN system. He has overseen more than 400 development projects and mentored over 5,000 grassroots changemakers in diverse communities from Afghanistan to Timor Leste. He is recognized in the sporting goods industry for pioneering a socially responsible business model for the world’s largest soccer ball industry.  Dr. Shah has published on enterprise-led development and social innovation in pro-poor technologies, His recent publication is the authorized Urdu edition of “The Three Zeros” by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Dr. Mai Thai
Director, Social Business Creation, HEC Montreal, Canada

Associate Professor Mai Thi Thanh Thai is the founder and Director of Social Business Creation that uses gamification to teach university students social entrepreneurship and social business models that use market mechanisms to solve social issues. At HEC Montreal, she teaches social entrepreneurship, new venture creation, strategies in emerging markets, and qualitative methods. Her research focuses on the link between entrepreneurship and its socioeconomic, cultural, and political contexts. She was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2020, during which the journal experienced unprecedented growth in terms of full-text downloads, manuscript submissions, and journal rankings. She has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed prestigious journals, contributed several book chapters, edited two books, and made presentations at numerous academic conferences. She is a lifetime member of the Beta Gamma Sigma AACSB-Honor Society. Mai Thai has won many local and international awards for her performance and commitment in her different roles as a researcher, teacher, and entrepreneur throughout her career. 

Yaniz Valadez
Founder, The Economy of Pope Francesco, Monterrey Chapter
Founder, Experiential Innovation Consulting
Founder IDASE (I Design as a Social Entrepreneur)
Coordinator, Yunus Center, UDEM, Mexico. 

Yanniz Valadez Cortés, is an industrial designer, creative innovator and social entrepreneur. Born at Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. She is a creative, doer, passionate of economical, sustainable and social impact. On the past ten years she has work on the development of social impact projects. Founder of the social enterprise IDASE “I Design as a Social Entrepreneur” that conducts a program of experiential learning for young students of low income schools through design workshops, leadership, empowerment and social responsibility to strengthen the sense of ownership with the students to their schools. A creative innovator consultant where design tools help improve engagement on enterprises and social enterprises through disruptive innovation strategies. Coordinates the Yunus Innovation Pathway Center at the University of Monterrey seeking to create and impulse social businesses, following the philosophy of Professor Yunus, to alleviate poverty through the creation of social businesses. Committed to her community to improve social change through creativity and leadership skills.

Brenda Villegaz
Head, Youth & Children, Ashoka Mexico, and Central America 

​​Brenda leads the Children and Youth initiative for Ashoka Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, she is Co-founder and Director of Conciencias Unidas A.C. and is part of the global youth network “Global Changemakers”. She has a degree in Marketing and a Master’s in Educational Innovation for Sustainability. Brenda has represented the voice of youth in different organizations and movements at national and international events, she is a facilitator of learning experiences to promote change-making and her dream is a world where we have more spaces of hope that allow us to recognize ourselves and act as changemakers.

OEN June PubTalk: The Non-Dilutive Funding Landscape

Details

Location: Fresh Consulting, 811 SE Stark St #300 Portland, (the venue does not offer on-site parking. There is ample street parking)

Time: 5:15 – 7:30pm

Hashtag: #OENPubTalk

Cost: $15 for OEN members; $25 for non-members. *Sorry, no refunds.* 

Featured Vendors

• Bobafy will have their Bobamatic on hand serving up delicious Boba Tea for the crowd!
• Gâteaux will be sharing samples of their delicious cakes. Try the Almond Torte, Chocolate or Sour Cream Coffee Cake (or all three)!
• The Pub Under the Stairs will be featuring Acrobat Pinot Gris, Joe Dobbes Pinot Noir, and assortment of Laurelwood Brewing beers, and Quady North Rose.

Not yet an OEN member? Join today, and you can get a free pass to a PubTalk!

Can’t Be There In Person?

Check out the pitches and panel via live stream on Zoom starting at 6 pm.

OEN JUNE PUBTALK ZOOM LINK

Moderator

Dave Hansen  | Executive Vice President | Umpqua Bank

Panelists

Dimitry Gershenson | CEO & Founder | Enduring Planet

Dimitry started Enduring Planet building on his 14 years of experience across climate tech, ops, and impact investing. Prior to Enduring Planet, Dimitry led M&A and served as COO for Rango Wireless, an Enduring Ventures portfolio company. Before that, Dimitry built Meta’s Energy Access program, a $15M+ investing initiative that enabled clean energy access for 3M people and unlocked nearly $500M in additional capital in underserved markets like Kenya and India. While at Meta, Dimitry also led the development of multiple predictive ML products in the cleantech space and built corporate accelerator programs for impact startups in India and Puerto Rico.

Sam Posl  |  Territory Manager  |  Camber Road

Caroline Selia I  Senior Content Strategist  I  SMBX

Caroline Selia is the Senior Content Strategist for SMBX. She has 12 years of financial marketing experience on Wall Street most recently at the Quant Strategy Hedge Fund, R.G. Niederhoffer. She began her career working with the Adam Dell Venture Capital Fund. She also has vast digital media experience as a consultant (including social media, content writing, video production, & podcasts) with clients such as Spotify, Fireball Network, and 5 Senses Tasting. ⁠

Thank You Sponsors

Disclaimer

Please be aware that OEN will take photographs and videos in public areas of the event. We may use such media in marketing materials, educational products, and publications. Your image and the sound of your voice may be recorded. That information may be included in our materials if you are identified during the recording or by name. Recordings may be edited, copied, exhibited, published, or distributed. By registering for and attending the event, you agree and consent to our use of your image or recording as described in this paragraph.

2023 Angel Oregon Technology Finale + Innovation Showcase

Get in on the ground floor of Oregon’s emerging technology sector. Four startups will vie for a potential $200K equity investment, to be announced at the AOTech Grand Finale + Innovation Showcase on June 22nd, 3-7pm at Jupiter NEXT in Portland. Tickets on sale now.

2023 Oregon Angel Food Education Series

Oregon Angel Food (OregonAF) is back!

For the fifth year Oregon Entrepreneur Network is bringing together innovators and experts in the food and beverage sector to support PNW makers. If you make a food or beverage product and need to up-level or professionalize your packaging, promotional strategy, production, distribution, retail merchandising, online sales, intellectual property, financial modeling, inventory management, or go to market planning, we’ve got experts to help you.

OregonAF Education Series

This year OregonAF will host an EIGHT WEEK education series featuring experienced food and beverage entrepreneurs and local retailers. Participants will have the opportunity meet peers and a community of local investors, service providers and agencies available to support your success.

The program is a best fit for:

• Food or beverage makers of all kinds, anywhere (mentors and resources focused on the PNW).
• Alcohol and CBD products are accepted, but no food-tech or other F&B-adjacent.
• Ideally post-revenue, with a product created and launched.
• Desire to eventually build a regional/national brand.

OregonAF Education Series – $95 OEN Members; $125 Non-Members; includes:

• Eight core workshops featuring top thought leaders, plus Office Hours and other optional workshops, all conducted via Zoom and recorded.
• Pitch practice opportunities and feedback from mentors and investors.
• In-person OregonAF Mixer with mentors and investors in Portland.
• Option to have a sampling booth, and potentially pitch, at the expanded OregonAF Marketplace on September 23, 2023 at the Agriculture Complex at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.
• Complimentary registration for 2024 OregonAF programming including the opportunity to vie for equity investment.

OregonAF Marketplace

For companies who are interested in showcasing your product, but not participating in educational sessions, we invite you to register for a spot at the OregonAF Marketplace on September 23, 2023 at the Agriculture Complex at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.

This option does NOT include participation in the 2023 educational programs or  complimentary registration in the 2024 OregonAF programming.

OregonAF Marketplace Registration – $75 OEN Members; $100 Non-Members

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE OREGONAF MARKETPLACE HERE

Key Dates

The OregonAF Education Series spans the months of July and August.

• July 12: Past Winners: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting my Business
  The path to launching a successful food or beverage business isn’t always a smooth one. It’s filled with bumps, forks, and unexpected detours. Learn from food and beverage founders about their experiences and get the advice they wish they had when they launched their products. Featuring: Morgan Lerner, Co-Founder – GoNanas; Greg Murphy, President – Puffworks
• July 19th: What Investors Really Want
  Find out from successful industry entrepreneurs and investors as well as experts what investors are looking for and discuss strategies to access capital and funding to make your startup successful. Featuring: Ricardo Lopez, Oregon Growth Board Director & Investment Strategist – Business Oregon; Deepthi Madhava, Partner – Oregon Venture Fund
• July 26th: Moving from Kitchen to Market: Scaling for Distribution
  Consumers are everywhere and for startups the opportunity to grow in new ways and more rapidly is easier than was previously possible. But when success maxes out production capacity, the business owners faces a new challenge — scaling up food production to keep up with demand. Featuring: John Boyle, Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer – Market of Choice; Hannah Kullberg, Co-Founder & Director of Business Development at Community Co-Pack
• August 2nd: Building a Sales Pipeline from Scratch
  One of the most efficient tools to build a reliable revenue stream is a sales pipeline. Participate in an interactive conversation on creating an effective sales strategy through audience research, driving leads, building engagement, converting sales, and making the process scalable. Featuring: Nikki Guerrero, Founder – Hot Mama Salsa; Emily McIntyre, CEO – Catalyst Trade; Tim Taylor, Co-Founder – SporkBytes
• August 9th: Protecting Your Investment
  In the competitive food and beverage industry, protecting your brand is essential to maintaining a competitive edge. Join a discussion about how intellectual property (IP) protection—trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, design and utility patents and trade secrets—has an important role to play in protecting brands and innovation in the food and beverage industry. Featuring: Parna Mehrbani, Partner – Tonkon Torp
• August 16th: Marketing + eCommerce Strategies
  Marketing plans are an important tool for any business, but they’re especially useful in fast-moving categories such as food and beverages. Customers can be fickle: ensuring your company has a good marketing strategy and ecommerce plan ensures sales are kept on target. Featuring: Angela Lukic, Vice President of Marketing – Honey Mamas
• August 23rd: Mergers & Acquisitions
  In an industry as massive and dynamic as food and beverage, it’s only natural that some businesses look to mergers and acquisitions as a means for growth. Find out what should you know about mergers and acquisitions as a food and beverage startup. Featuring: Jamie Resnick, Business Assurance Senior Manager – Moss Adams; Seth Tibbott, Founder & Chairman – Tofurky
• August 30th: How to Create a Winning Pitch
  How do you create a winning presentation, for a variety of audiences, when you’re selling your food or beverage brand and yourself? What is the story that best sells your product and how do you craft it? This session will help you refine your pitch to make it pitch perfect. Featuring: McKenzie Phelan, Brand & Marketing Strategy, Good Food Foundation; Shannon Hiller Webb, Principal – Prosparus

Additional OregonAF Events & Programs

• September 6th: 4 – 6 pm – OregonAF Entrepreneur Mixer (location TBA)
• September 23rd: 11 am – 4 pm – OregonAF Marketplace at the Agriculture Complex at Chemeketa Community College in Salem.

Thank You Sponsors

2023 Oregon Angel Food Marketplace

Meet Oregon’s best new local food and beverage innovators at the Oregon Angel Food Marketplace at the Chemeketa Community College Agriculture Hub in Salem, Oregon on Saturday, September 23rd from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

The entire venue will be taken over by a Marketplace, so make a day of it to sample, sip and buy from craft food and beverage entrepreneurs from around the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon Angel Food (affectionately known as OregonAF) is an educational program that kicks off in July with eight weeks of virtual workshops for founders. It will culminate on September 23rd with an in-person marketplace and series of 3-minute pitches by food and beverage entrepreneurs.

It’s FREE to attend the Oregon AF Marketplace, but there are also a limited number of $75 Taster’s Tickets, which include a curated bag of samples to take home and two drink tickets.

Additional food and beverages will be available on-site for purchase.

Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Oregon Entrepreneurs Network.

Featured Vendors

For companies who are interested in showcasing your product we invite you to register for a spot at the OregonAF Marketplace on September 23, 2023 at the Agriculture Complex at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.

OregonAF Marketplace Registration

• $75 OEN Members
• $100 Non-Members

Thank You Sponsors