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Adventures in Venture Capital

Enews-thumb-NVCSemifinalists-0416Every spring, a very unique investment competition rolls into Portland, dedicated to giving graduate students an experience of raising venture capital. The New Venture Championship (NVC) is presented annually by the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business, and has evolved into the premiere international entrepreneurial investment competition since it was founded in 1992.

Teams from around the world and the United States present and defend their business plans to a panel of esteemed judges for valuable feedback and a chance to win over $60,000 in cash prizes. the-oregonnvc-nvc2016-competetion-starts-april-7-connectwithsuccess_25726738801_oAll NVC competitors receive cash awards and advice from Northwest business entrepreneurs and executives to help their goals flourish.

There have been some really interesting past winners of the NVC competition; success stories such as KT Tape (an elastic sports and fitness tape designed for muscle, ligament, and tendon pain relief and support), Boston Mountain Biotech (aspiring to be the number one supplier of custom protein purification solutions by 2018), and Ag cerez (who commercialized L’amai, a ‘prebiotic’ syrup that can be used as a sugar replacement in tea, coffee, yogurt, baking, etc.)

The spirit of the competition is to allow companies conceived and developed during the graduate school experience to participate. NVC’s mission is to develop skilled and knowledgeable entrepreneurial leaders who are able to present their ideas in concise and thoughtful ways, be open to construction, and adapt to the ever-changing business environment.

If you would like further information about entering the New Venture Championship, attending or becoming a sponsor, please contact the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship at [email protected] or call (541) 346-3420.

 

 

 

 


Are you a Resident of Wattsmart, Oregon?

WATTSMART_OREGON_SIGN resizedLet us tell you about a beautiful town  in Oregon called Wattsmart. It’s a wonderful place, where everyone uses energy-efficient appliances, all homes are well insulated and hot apple pie shows up at your front door every day.

Well, that might be a stretch, but it doesn’t change the fact that we can all conserve more energy. That’s why Pacific Power has teamed up with Energy Trust of Oregon to offer cash incentives for energy-saving home upgrades. These upgrades will help you stay comfortable, plus save money.

While we can’t all live in Wattsmart, Oregon, Pacific Power is dedicated to ensuring we can  learn to live wattsmart! Visit Pacific Power’s website and you’ll find simple and effective strategies to keep your energy use low:

Updating your lighting – Switching from traditional incandescent light bulbs to ENERGY STAR® qualified bulbs is the easiest and most affordable step you can take to reduce your electricity costs.

Recycling old refrigerators – Refrigerators built before 1993 can use three times more energy than new high-efficiency models. By getting rid of a second fridge in your garage or basement, you can save up to $150 annually.

Weatherization – From insulation to new windows, weatherization helps prevent unwanted air escape or intrusion, controls moisture and keeps pollutants out.

Pacific Power and Energy Trust offer energy efficiency incentives for businesses, too.

Ready to become energy efficient and save more? Take a look at bewattsmart.com to see how you can start conserving energy today.


New Ventures Competition is Back!

NVC-LOGO-2lx9vrnCompetition has a way of bringing out the best in students. That’s why we are very excited that the New Venture Championship is  returning to the University of Oregon!

For those who are unaware, the New Venture Championship (NVC) is presented annually by the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. It is the original six-round business competition for graduate students. NVC has evolved into the premiere international entrepreneurial investment competition since it was founded in 1992. The 16 accepted teams have an opportunity to share their ventures and grow as both entrepreneurs and students.

NVC’s mission is to develop skilled and knowledgeable entrepreneurial leaders who are able to present their ideas in concise and thoughtful ways, be open to construction, and adapt to the ever-changing business environment.

The competition takes place in Portland, Oregon every spring. Teams from around the world and the United States present and defend their business plans to a panel of esteemed judges for valuable feedback and a chance to win over $60,000 in cash prizes. All NVC competitors receive cash awards and advice from Northwest business entrepreneurs and executives to help their goals flourish.

Take a look at the NVC video for an in-depth look at what happens at the competition:


Bike-Based Businesses Unite!

It's Business Time Bike RideOur very own Ken Wetherell, Founder and Co-Owner of Portland Pedal Power, took part in last Wednesday’s Pedalpalooza event, the “It’s Business Time” Bike Ride. Here’s what he had to say about it!

Organized by Jed Lazar of Soup Cycle, the “It’s Business Time” Bike Ride ride included cyclists from over a dozen local bicycle-based businesses, including Taco the Town, Cookie Pedalers, Co-Creative Pruning and Green Steam Carpet Clean. This year’s ride was the first of what is expected to become an annual event.

The ride began at the fire station on the Eastbank Esplanade, right underneath the Hawthorne Bridge. The caravan of regular bikes, tall bikes, cargo bikes and trailer bikes took off from there and stopped at points along the Esplanade, whereby bike-based business owners gave quick introductions to their businesses to the riding crowd. Joel Domreis of Courier Coffee Roasters brought iced coffee for the whole riding group, but unfortunately had a tip over during one of the breaks and ended up donating all the coffee to the Willamette River.  Thanks anyway, Joel!  You rock!

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