Food Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs – Check out OEN’s Angel Food Conference.

After a year-long break, the signature OEN event, Angel Oregon, is BACK! If you’re a food start-up or entrepreneur in Southern Oregon check it out, the competition is open to entrants state-wide.

This year’s event, the Angel Food Conference, will showcase scaling food & beverage companies from Oregon and SW Washington and represents the state’s first fund designed exclusively for Oregon’s valuable food and beverage sector. There will also be a robust three-month educational program leading up to the conference.

Full application details can be found here.

What:

• A four-part, three-month educational program
• A one-day angel conference with investors, industry experts, “Pitch Fest” and food fair
• Visibility and media coverage
• An opportunity to win pro bono professional services
• Concept Stage applicants also get an opportunity to pitch at the May PubTalk
• An opportunity for later-stage companies to win an investment of approximately $100K

Who:

Any entrepreneur – from concept to growth stage – who wants to expand their food & beverage company.

Where:

Educational sessions will be hosted at partner locations and will include ample time for networking. The Angel Food Conference on June 19 will be at The Redd East.

Why:

Because every entrepreneur can use assistance. OEN connects entrepreneurs to every resource they need along their journey including mentors, professional service providers, marketing/sales/co-packing/distribution partners, access to funding, business networking, and more.

Education Sessions:

Exact days and times coming soon.

1. Week of April 22: Pitching + Using GUST Business Tool Software
2. Week of April 29: Product + Brand Development: Tasks leading up to selling your first products
3. Week of May 20: Go to (Local) Markets – Test product/market fit and build sales
4. Week of June 4: Scale Up – You’ve proven locally that people want your product; now you’re ready to scale

June 19: Angel Food Conference and Food Fair

This is it! The big event! There will be a pitch fest where Concept Stage companies compete for prizes and YOU get to pick the winner. Later stage companies will pitch for an investment award of about $100,000. Hear from some of the most successful food & beverage entrepreneurs in Oregon, and meet investors and industry experts. Taste your way around the food fair as you network with all the movers and shakers in the industry.

Investors:

Our goal is to raise $100k in $5k increments. If you are an accredited investor and interested in participating please email Julie Brown at julie@oen.org.