No Lemons, please.

Recently, SOREDI made a public presentation, and I was asked whether I thought a particular situation was a lemon. Pondering that for a moment I replied, not at all. However, I quickly also noted the importance and opportunity now to take concrete steps and make course corrections.

This interaction, and many others like it in my tenure with SOREDI, caused me to ponder the moments when I feel soured about a particular outcome. I can either take a negative stance and continue to stew about it or take a proactive approach to ensure it turns out differently the next time around.

Most of us are familiar with a SWOT Analysis. The very nature of a SWOT includes identifying how our strengths might also be weaknesses, and opportunities might also be threats. Or vice versa. We can woefully bemoan the lemons or make lemonade, instead. I am choosing to make lemonade.

In late 2022, SOREDI was one of many agencies that was awarded a “Regional Innovation Hub” planning grant by Business Oregon. SOREDI is the fiscal manager of this grant and contracts with a consultancy, Civic Possible, but the initiative is led by a steering committee of multiple key partners interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. To date there have been multiple interviews with partners and individuals by Civic Possible, design workshops and feedback sessions. The end goal is to craft and submit the next application for grant funding and implement our “Regional Innovation Hub” design.

It all sounds like a grand initiative and a fabulous new shiny structure, perhaps. But what exactly is a hub? To be fair to SOREDI (yes, I am biased), the agency has been in the business of serving startups since its inception in 1987, so I can be a bit soured when another bigger and better initiative rolls out. Lemons!

We have directed many entrepreneurs to other agency partners for complementary services, as well. For example, we refer many individuals with great ideas to our Small Business Development Centers (SBDCS’s) for business plan development, various trainings, workshops and otherwise. We cross-promote events with our local chambers of commerce. And we introduce entrepreneurs to prospective business mentors.

Since 1994, SOREDI has operated a gap financing program for businesses at all levels to assist with capital expansions. Within the last 15 or so years, SOREDI also created Jefferson Grapevine networking events (more recently called Launch Talks) to connect early-stage companies to investors and various service providers. We coordinated Angel Investment Conferences for a few years and interfaced regularly with the local Southern Oregon Angel Investment Network. Conferences did not seem to yield the results which angel investors hoped for, so we discontinued that effort and created the Southern Oregon Startup LLC, which is currently inactive. Lemons!

We have held Pitch Off contests, and for a time employed a Venture Catalyst. With the 5-year update to our One Rogue Valley Strategy, a fresh direction ensued to focus more heavily on business expansions and increased knowledge of our top industries. We’ve had retirements, changes in employees and of course, there was a bit of a squeeze on all things business due to world events which soured many a business dream. Lemons!

Over time various projects related to our startup community have come and gone but innovation and entrepreneurship is still deeply embedded in our strategy: INITIATIVE 2. INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Leverage regional assets to strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Southern Oregon. Read more about this initiative and 4 others in the full One Rogue Valley Strategy here: 2019-11-08-SOREDI-CEDS-FINAL.pdf

Business Oregon anticipates that proposed hubs will include technical assistance, access to capital, networking, talent development, and mentorship. Given SOREDI had been/is still in the mix of most of those components, one might logically and prudently ask – what would be different this time? How might it be funded? Will it be sustainably sweet like a fresh glass of lemonade on a hot summer day and coordinated among all the agencies with a high degree of interdependence and collaboration?

We may have had some starts and stops along the way, and even a few failed attempts to build or participate in a more meaningful effort. Lemons! But alas, I have nothing against lemons really. We learn as we go and we keep trying. To do nothing is to fail.

I have a fresh sense of expectancy around this new focus on building an effective and cohesive outcome-based partnership with all partners on the whole economic development ecosystem – which includes everything from ideation to startup to expansion to long term business longevity and succession planning.

We are truly grateful for this grant from Business Oregon. SOREDI is also indebted to the entire steering committee – our regional assets – for their willingness to engage in the effort and tackle the lemons of our collective past. We are focused on making lemonade now!

Speaking of lemonade, check out this opportunity to sponsor Lemonade Day on August 4 in Grants Pass with the Grants Pass/Josephine County Chamber of Commerce. Lemonade Day is a fun, experiential program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their very own business - a lemonade stand. Lemonade Day 2023 - Aug 4, 2023 (grantspasschamber.org)

Watch for the final Southern Oregon Innovation Hub Planning report to be completed in a few months. If you are one of those who provided insight already thank you! Have a question about the process or want to provide feedback to SOREDI or Civic Possible? Please write me colleen@soredi.org or Jason Schneider, jason@civicpossible.com.

Better yet, let’s meet up for a fresh glass of lemonade.

Cheers!

Colleen Padilla, Executive Director

Notes from Colleen’s Desk, April 20, 2023