[Central Oregon Pub Talk Upcoming Events] EDCO - Economic Development For Central Oregon

JANUARY 17, 2009

KEYNOTE PRESENTER: GREGG PATTERSON, CEO OF PV POWERED

Join us for the first PubTalk event of 2009. In what promises to be an interesting discussion of the solar industry's regulatory roller coaster and meteoric growth, Patterson will talk about positioning PV Powered as a key player and share "lessons learned."

This PubTalk is a perfect opportunity for startup companies to protect their ideas to launch. Moderator Susan Daly Stearns, a trademark attorney, will lead our panel of experts:

· James A. Ullman, Esq. Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP (franchise attorney)

BMC Choppers, our early stage presenter, has graciously agreed to serve as a case study for our intellectual property panel.

President Greg Rouse of Big Mike Choppers, commonly known as BMC, will share the company's dramatic growth and plans for expansion.

Dudley Slater currently heads Integra Telecom’s executive management team and has extensive experience in acquiring, integrating and managing local and competitive telephone properties. He has completed definitive agreements for over 30 transactions including the most recent acquisition of Eschelon Telecom (formerly UNICOM) here in Bend. Attendees can look forward to many "lessons learned" from his experience in the constantly changing telecom world, hear his point of view on how to build a regional telecom company.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: PETER OZOLIN, CEO OF REMOTE TECHNOLOGIES LLP
Peter Ozolin.jpg

Keynote presenter is Peter Ozolin, CEO of Remote Technologies, LLC, which sells a suite of online subscription-based services for to the quick service restaurant industry. The Beaverton-based company develops services allow an owner to monitor all operations – remotely - from food supplies to work scheduling to security operations. The company just secured $1M from an equity investor, estimates 2008 revenues at $1.1M, and has already sold their services to Subway, Quiznos and Pizza Hut. Earlier Ozolin founded Legal Anywhere Inc., a provider of legal extranet solutions, which sold in 2000 for $27M. Following that, Ozolin founded another legal technology startup, was Chief Knowledge and Technology Officers for a global law firm, and served as VP of Thomson Corporation, overseeing its $25M practice management segment.

EARLY STAGE PRESENTER: SCOTT RATCLIFF, OWNER OF VOLCANO VINEYARDS

Based in Bend, Oregon, Volcano Vineyards is a "micro-winery" owned by Scott and Liz Ratcliff. Volcano's small production and lower overhead allow it to break into the industry without the huge capital outlay for vineyard property and winery equipment. The Ratcliffs chose this approach to enter into commercial wine production after years of home winemaking. Their results are reflected in an increasing number of Gold Medals the couple has earned from vintages crafted from Rogue Valley grapes. Scott will share his passionate belief that “great wines are made in the vineyard" and why he adheres to a European style of well-balanced, food-friendly style of winemaking. He is seeking $250K from an angel to fund a production facility that would support expansion of their value table wines.

MAY 15, 2008

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: SAM CARPENTER, PRESIDENT AND MAJORITY OWNER, CENTRATEL
Sam Carpenter Centratel.jpg

A telecommunications professional, Sam has been a business owner for nearly 25 years and is author of the book Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Working Less and Making More, published by North Sister Publishing, Inc. in April 2008.

Originally from upstate New York, Sam lives in Bend, Oregon with his wife, Linda. He is majority owner and president of Centratel, a telemessaging center serving clients throughout the U.S. and known for high levels of service and quality. He'll share with PubTalk attendees decisions made -- from focusing on a limited number of business sectors to paying substantially higher than average industry wages to documenting all aspects of their clients requirements -- that drive Centratel's success. Sam will also talk about a recent turning point in which he came to understand and apply the old adage "work smarter, not harder."

Sam also founded and operates Kashmir Family Aid, an international charitable organization to aid earthquake victims in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. He and Linda are also in the process of launching an Internet startup site to better connect far flung adults, their children and grandchildren.

EARLY STAGE PRESENTER: DENNIS KINION, MEDSOFT LLC
Founded in 1990, MedSoft provides complete benefits outsource services, including COBRA administration, FMLA, HIPAA, and retirement billing, taking the compliance headache out of HR administration. MedSoft is seeking $250,000 in funding.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DAVE HERSH, CEO, JIVE SOFTWARE
In six short years, Dave has led Jive Software from a small open source project to an Inc. 500 company with 100 percent annual growth rates -- all without raising any outside investment. Previously, Dave held the roles of CFO and product strategist at 4charity. Prior to that, he was a management consultant to Hewlett Packard, focused on HP's Worldwide Information Management Strategy. Dave began his career as a strategy and change management consultant at VIA International in Chicago and London. Dave has gained a reputation for his deep industry knowledge of collaboration, knowledge management and open source, and he is frequently tapped to present at industry events and serve as a media reference. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from DePauw University.

EARLY STAGE PRESENTATION: LLOYD FASSETT, AZTERIA, LLC.
Lloyd Fassett is CEO and co-founder of Azteria, a Bend-based company specializing in national recruiting and career management for the health care industry. Azteria takes an open database approach to common recruiting problems, making it easier for employer and candidate to connect. Fassett and co-founder Jim Smith bring real world experience to their solution with backgrounds in travel nursing, and software development for enterprise supply chain management and the Internet.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: KEITH SHIPMAN, PRESIDENT AND COO, HORIZON BROADCASTING GROUP

Shipman's experience in commercial broadcasting spans thirty years. Since 2003, he's served as President and CEO of Horizon Broadcasting Group, the privately-held company he co-founded in 1999 and built into a successful media company encompassing 12 radio stations in Bend, Boise, and Twin Falls, ID and a minor league baseball team. Shipman's credentials include 13 years at KCPQ (FOX) as the Sports and Public Affairs Director, as well as KOMO and KIRO, two of Seattle’s major AM radio stations. He helped launch the Pacific Northwest's first all-sports radio station (KJR-AM in Seattle), was awarded three regional Emmy Awards, and was selected as Washington State’s Sportscaster of the Year on three occasions. For five years, Shipman served on the board of directors for the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He presently serves on the Professional Advisory Board for the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications at his alma mater, Washington State University and is very involved in in community programs in Central Oregon.

EARLY STAGE PRESENTER: LARRY SNYDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HIGH DESERT BANK
In fall 2007 Snyder launched the first new bank in Bend in over 30 years. He'll share with the PubTalk audience a two-year journey to create a new bank, from defining its market niche to developing its state charter to capitalizing the institution. Along the way, Snyder made an important business decision to partner with back-end specialist, Capitol Bancorp, which provides critical but transparent services to the new bank. Snyder has been in the banking business for 31 years in three states. Locally, he was business banking team leader for Sterling Savings for six years before starting High Desert Bank. Like Shipman, Snyder is an avid sports fan and highly committed to local community programs like the Boys and Girls Club.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ALLEN ALLEY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND CHAIRMAN OF PIXELWORKS, INC.

Allen Alley has over 30 years of experience in multiple disciplines from engineering to marketing, venture capital and entrepreneurship. In 1997 Alley co-founded Pixelworks, Inc., one of Oregon’s leading technology companies. A provider of video and pixel processing technology, the firm designs and develops "system on chip" semiconductors and software for the flat panel display industry. Alley stepped down as president and CEO of Pixelworks in early 2007 to take on the assignment of Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Kulongoski. In that role, Alley oversees economic development, technology, transportation, workforce training, and energy policy areas. He continues as chairman of the board of directors at Pixelworks and will share with the PubTalk audience "lessons learned" and best practices from Silicon Forest's formative days.

Brad Raether has invented and patented a major improvement on the 300-year old piston engine. As someone who has tinkered with engines all his life, Raether says that not being trained as an engineer by training has helped him think outside the box. His invention -- a crossbar that runs inside a race in the cylinder wall that replaces the traditional piston rod and crnakshaft -- converts linear power into rotary power more efficiently. Applications for the design are broad, ranging from bicycles to automobiles to airplanes. Working from his garage in Redmond, Raether has raised $100,000 from a handful of investors thus far and is building a prototype engine and is seeking additional capital to commercialize applications of the invention.

Paul Hait is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and consultant. A swimmer who overcame a serious back injury and paralysis while at Stanford, Hait went on to win an Olympic Gold Medal after just four and half months of training; the following year he broke all world records in the 100 Meter breaststroke. Hait earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design from Stanford University and worked as an engineering manager at Varian Associates prior to becoming an entrepreneur. Early in his business career, Hait founded Pemmican Beef Jerky, which he sold to General Mills in 1978. The brand is now the third largest selling beef jerky in the world. After a management stint at General Mills, Hait followed his entrepreneurial muse to Central Oregon, where he founded Pyromid Inc,.designed and patented 26 products related to environmental outdoor cooking systems, and built a 30-employee company in Redmond. Today, through Paul Hait Management, LLC he manages American Innovation Enterprises, Inc., a technology funding company created to commercialize the potential of FFACS (Freon Free Air Conditioning System) technology as well as other ventures.

PubTalk also features early stage presenter Chuck Greenwood with the concept, design and prototypes for several s "automotive based human hybrid." The HumanCar originated from street racing of the 1950's in Sacramento CA and Chuck's father holds a stream of patents on the underlying automotive technology. HumanCar aims to create a zero-emission Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) for both urban and suburban environments and is considering manufacturing the vehicles in Central Oregon. Visit www.humancar.com for more information.

Murphy shares insights about Hayden Home’s culture, the company’s growth and “lessons learned” from surviving the ups and downs of residential real estate development throughout the Pacific Northwest.Dennis Murphy Hayden Homes.jpg With annual revenues of $125M, Hayden Homes creates high quality residential communities in Oregon and Washington, building approximately 600 homes a year.

Murphy has been instrumental in the growth and direction of Hayden Homes, serving as President since 1999. A graduate of California State University Chico (CSUC)’s Civil Engineering program and the Harvard Business School, Murphy knew at an early age that he wanted to be involved in engineering, construction and business. He designed his first subdivision when he was 17 years old and by 19, had designed and built his first two houses.

Murphy is active in various professional and charitable organizations. He is Chairman of the Board of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization, serves as a Big Brother, is Finance Officer and a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Murphy is actively involved in managing the Hayden Giving Fund, a non profit organization which benefits individuals and groups in need of funding, and the Hayden Home Grant, similar to Habitat for Humanity.

PubTalk also features early stage presenter Bob Shingler, founder and President of Evo, Inc., a developer of presentation cookware which capitalizes on the emerging trend of social cooking for both commercial and consumer markets. Evo’s product line has gained a strong following in grocery stores and restaurants and is now expanding throughout the hotel, resort, club, and professional food service markets. With 2006 sales at $1.1 million, Evo seeks $500K for inventory to meet sales demand with the goal of being the leader in presentation cooking equipment. Learn about the EVO patented product line at http://evoamerica.blogspot.com/ or http://www.evo-web.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=58.