(Photo above: (L-R): Katy Bryce of the Robert Axle Project, Gary Bracelin/BOW, Beaver Theodosakis, Chris Kratsch from the Robert Axle Project)
Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW), Central Oregon’s outdoor industry accelerator, granted the first BOW Breakout Award presented by Trigen Investments and sponsored by HydroFlask, The Bridge, White Summers Law, Price Fronk & Co, the Harrelson Group, Bank of the Cascades and Credo Investments, in the amount of $10,000 to the Robert Axle Project, at the Oregon Outdoor Alliance meeting, held on October 14.
The BOW Breakout Award was created as part of BOW’s mission to help start-up outdoor companies succeed and thrive in Bend, and as a way to further showcase the outdoor industry cluster in Central Oregon leading up to the Bend Venture Conference. The BOW Breakout Award was available to companies based in Central Oregon, who were post revenue and producing or curating an outdoor consumer product.
The Robert Axle Project, thru-axle adapter solution for bike trailers, along with SnoPlanks, handcrafted bamboo snowboards and skis and Zealios Skin Care, performance personal care products for endurance athletes, were the three semifinalists selected to share their company story and vision to the record breaking crowd of 240 + at the Oregon Outdoor Alliance (OOA) gathering last Wednesday night. When the votes were tallied it was the Robert Axle Project narrowly edging out SnoPlanks and taking home the BOW Breakout $10,000.00 Award presented by Trigen Investments.
Following the BOW Breakout Award presentations, Beaver Theodosakis, founder of Prana and a branding expert with an exceptional track record of building successful companies in the outdoor lifestyle spaces including Life’s a Beach, Bad Boy Club, and Spy Optics, inspired the audience by sharing his vast experience and his keys to building a sustainable brand.
“It was an exceptional night for the outdoor community in Bend,” said Gary Bracelin, co-founder of Bend Outdoor Worx “We appreciate the sponsors that came together to help make this award possible and Beaver Theodosakis for both presenting the award and for being the evening’s keynote speaker.”
bendoutdoorworx.com
The Robert Axle Project: robertaxleproject.com
About BOW
After assessing common needs from outdoor industry businesses, Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) was initially conceived in 2013 by Gary Bracelin, a long-time Bend resident and outdoor industry expert. BOW was officially launched in April 2014, when additional industry experts Eric Meade, Justin Rae, and Will Blount joined Bracelin. The founders represent various skill sets and a multitude of experience with successful organizations. In August of 2015, outdoor professional Miki Keller joined the group. BOW also has a deep pool of extended mentors that lend their expertise periodically, as well as Winter Summers Law, and Price Fronk & Co, LLP. For additional information on BOW, contact Gary Bracelin, gbracelin@gmail.com
