2023 Oregon Angel Food Education Series

Oregon Angel Food (OregonAF) is back!

For the fifth year Oregon Entrepreneur Network, in partnership with SEDCOR and Xcelerate Women, 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

VENDOR REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED

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, Maria Pearman, Principal – GHJ; Mike White, Founder & President – Best Damn BBQ Sauce
• 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; Lori Spencer, Principal – Lori Spencer Consulting
• 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; Dan Brazelton, CEO – The Bitter Housewife; Hannah Kullberg, Co-Founder & Director of Business Development – PNW Food & Beverage Group and 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; Amanda Wilson, Founder – VOXAPOD
• 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: Jessica Head, Marketing Director – Golden Spiral Marketing; Angela Lukic, Vice President of Marketing – Honey Mamas; Pallavi Pande, Founder – DTocs; Sally Wilson, Vice President of Marketing – Salt & Straw
• 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: Stephen Caldwell, CEO & Founder – Rösti Stuft Spuds; 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: Genevieve Brazelton, Founder – The Bitter Housewife, McKenzie Phelan, Brand & Marketing Strategy, Good Food Foundation; Shannon Hiller Webb, Principal – Prosparus; Jake Kidrachuck – Partner, Village Family Capital

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.

OregonAF Partners

SEDCOR’s mission is to leverage the strength of its public and private partnerships to successfully retain, grow and attract high value jobs and capital investment, while providing members services to support the region’s businesses success.

Xcelerate is a transformative community that supports Oregon’s women and gender expansive business owners on their journeys to success. Our business advising, peer mentorship, and growth education programs help women increase self-efficacy and overcome internal and external barriers to create economic power, build generational wealth, and positively impact their communities.

Thank You Sponsors