Presenting Sponsors
Ernst & Young’s worldwide Strategic Growth Markets Network is dedicated to serving the changing needs of rapid-growth companies. A global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, E&Y has helped many of the world’s most dynamic and ambitious companies grow into market leaders.
With more than 800 attorneys in 19 offices across the US, China and Taiwan, Perkins Coie counsels clean technology and renewable energy clients ranging in size from formation-stage startups to Fortune 100 companies. We advise clients on a variety of issues involving corporate formation, venture financing, federal grants and loans, intellectual property, project development and financing, and environment and energy regulation, among others.
Pivotal Investments is focused on early-stage venture capital with the goal of delivering superior financial returns through investments in companies, primarily in the Northwest, that will be leaders in the emerging sustainable economy. The sustainable economy is characterized by a dramatic shift in the demand for clean energy, safe water, clean air, “green” materials and sustainable agriculture. The Northwest, with a relevant early-adopter market, strong policy support, enabling technologies, motivated entrepreneurs and access to large markets like California and China, provides a unique investment opportunity in scalable companies targeting the sustainable economy. Pivotal Investments is the first early-stage venture fund in the Northwest to target this opportunity.
Portland Development Commission (PDC), Portland’s economic development and urban renewal agency, is responsible for meeting the job creation and economic growth objectives for the city. PDC focuses its economic development efforts on improving the competitive environment for firms and entrepreneurs in four target clusters – advanced manufacturing, athletic & outdoor, clean tech and software; and is pursuing an aggressive strategy to create one of the world’s most desirable and equitable cities by investing in job creation, innovation and economic opportunity throughout Portland.
Portland General Electric, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a fully integrated electric utility that serves approximately 820,000 customers in Oregon. PGE’s outstanding power reliability and platform of renewable energy have been key factors in the growth and recruitment of high-tech and clean-tech businesses in Oregon. PGE’s renewable power program helps ensure a reliable, sustainable energy future for Oregon, and thanks to our customers it’s the most successful program of its kind in the country.
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon’s flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Supporting Sponsors
For decades the lawyers at Ater Wynne have worked with entrepreneurs in the energy and technology sectors whose innovations anticipated a world that is green. Today we work with these innovators to meet the burgeoning demand for production and distribution of renewable energy and the design and development of clean technology.
Brightworks Sustainability Advisors partners with leading brands, institutions, organizations, and public agencies to create value and innovation by aligning operations with the principles of ecological, social, and economic sustainability. From offices in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and New York, Brightworks offers three lines of advisory and technical consulting services: enterprise sustainability solutions, built environment sustainability solutions, and sustainability education. Outside of North America, the firm’s international work includes client engagements in South America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.brightworks.net.
Brink Communications (formerly Carlson Communications) is a boutique marketing, communications and public relations firm that serves sustainability clients in the non-profit, private and public sectors. The premise of our work is this: do your research, create a strategy based on the art and science of behavior change, and implement effectively. Our focus is turning your effort into real change.
Heidrick & Struggles is a leadership advisory firm providing executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment, talent retention management, executive development, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide.
IBM solutions can help customers reduce costs and systemically minimize energy, water, carbon emissions and waste. IBM is helping customers to become more energy efficient, implement new ways to source, manufacture and distribute goods and services in a more sustainable manner, enable safe and renewable sources of energy and manage resources at a macro level, transforming entire industries. IBM takes a holistic approach to our planet’s challenges that combines our innovative technology, deep business insight, and industry expertise.
The Sustainable Business & Innovation (SB&I) Lab is a strategic investment program to incubate new sustainable business models for Nike. It develops scalable and profitable solutions to the sustainability challenges faced by Nike’s business model, by harnessing the growing global body of innovations around sustainability.
Skanska is one of the world’s leading construction groups. In the U.S., we are a provider of comprehensive construction services and a developer of public-private partnerships. We apply our expertise to everything from small renovations to billion-dollar projects, using a variety of delivery methods.
Stoel Rives LLP enjoys a 100-year tradition of excellence as a leading US law firm. With nearly 400 lawyers practicing across the full spectrum of corporate law and business litigation, and offices in seven states, we provide legal services to clients with local, regional, national and international operations.
UK Trade & Investment helps UK-based companies succeed in increasingly global markets. We also assist international business to invest in our own vibrant, diversified and robust economy.
Community Supporters
The Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) brings together Oregon’s significant R&D strengths in the key emerging areas of renewable energy and green building products and services, with the goal of increasing research and accelerating public/private partnerships to transform that research into on-the-ground business opportunities and Oregon jobs. Partners include Oregon universities (OIT, OSU, PSU, and UO), as well as private businesses, government agencies and NGOs.
The mission of the Cleantech Open is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges.
The mission of Climate Solutions is to accelerate practical and profitable solutions to global warming. Working in the Northwest since 1999, Climate Solutions builds long-term relationships across the partisan divide. Climate Solutions’ years of patient organizing and bridge-building have earned vibrant partnerships with an extraordinarily wide array of business, farm, government and civic interests.
The Consulate General of Canada – Seattle covers the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. We assist Canadian companies to grow their export markets in the Pacific Northwest and find potential partners across a spectrum of industries, ranging from innovation through financing and commercialization. Our investment network is available to assist local firms with expansion into Canada; our efforts include building awareness of Canadian capabilities and supports the world’s largest two-way trading partnership.
enterpriseSeattle is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to creating jobs and helping companies to grow and prosper in King County and the Puget sound region. We provide free, confidential, one-on-one consulting services, sponsor training programs, and host conferences on topics of interest. Our award-winning clean energy and technology program has assisted more than 500 companies since its inception in 2006.
As a public/private partnership, Greater Portland Inc. unites forward-thinking leaders in shaping the economic future of our region. Our work positions the region as a global center for high-quality economic growth. Working with public and private sector partners, Greater Portland Inc. focuses its energy and resources into building a world-class retention, expansion and targeted recruitment program.
Northwest Environmental Business Council is the regional trade association representing leading service and technology firms in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska working to protect the natural and built environment. NEBC member companies and organizations cover a wide range of disciplines, including Energy & Efficiency, Environmental Protection & Cleanup, Waste & Recycling, Water & Wastewater, Sustainable Development, and Cross-Sector Solutions.
Northwest Energy Angels, founded in 2006, is the first angel investment group in North America to focus exclusively on the cleantech industry. A non-profit organization, NW Energy Angels helps create successful cleantech companies by connecting promising entrepreneurs with experienced cleantech investors. NW Energy Angels members add value to the companies they invest in and act as a bridge to institutional investors. To date members have invested over $2 million in 16 companies.
Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute is Oregon’s first signature research center. The ONAMI gap fund has assisted in the startup or early stage growth of over 15 Oregon companies, most of which are in or closely related to the clean tech sector. These ONAMI portfolio companies have so far leveraged $16 million in private or federal funding.
The Oregon Environmental Council advances innovative, collaborative solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges for today and future generations. As one of the first statewide environmental organizations in Oregon, OEC works on issues that directly affect people’ health and quality of life, including clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape, and healthy food produced by local farmers.
Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and to improving the business climate for emerging companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about OEN, visit www.oen.org.
Oregon Institute of Technology, “Oregon Tech,” is Oregon’s public, applied science university. Oregon Tech offers rigorous, practical education emphasizing the application of theory to real-world solutions. OIT has its main campuses in Klamath Falls and Portland, and is co-located with partners in Seattle, La Grande and other locations in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech will be consolidating its Portland locations into a larger campus in Wilsonville, opening in September 2012. Oregon Tech is home to the nation’s first bachelor’s degree program in Renewable Energy Engineering, the Oregon Renewable Energy Center and Geo-Heat Center.Visit www.oit.edu.
The Portland Sustainability Institute was founded in 2009 to systematically bring together business, higher education, nonprofit and municipal leaders to drive a set of next generation urban sustainability initiatives for the Portland metro region. The goal – big and game changing ideas that weave together community livability, ecological resiliency, and broad-based prosperity. We believe the results will fuel business and policy innovation, enhance our quality of life, and create cities and neighborhoods that are not just sustainable, but restorative.
Since 2010, Sustainable Business Oregon has been dedicated to covering the news and issues at the intersection of business and sustainability – in Oregon and beyond. Follow along and join the conversation.
Voice for Oregon Innovation and Sustainability (VOIS) supports and activates the sustainable business community through policy advocacy, education and leadership cultivation, to create an equitable and prosperous future.
