Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW), Central Oregon’s outdoor industry accelerator, is pleased to announce that former professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce has been selected as the keynote speaker for the Venture Out Festival, October 12 at the Tower Theatre, Bend. BOW revealed the final outdoor companies that will be on stage presenting at Venture Out, and the full roster of local companies sponsoring the event.
Produced by BOW and the Oregon Outdoor Alliance (OOA), the Venture Out Festival is the first venture event solely focused on the outdoor industry, as part of the evening’s entertainment, Kevin Pearce will be the keynote speaker. Pearce, a former top professional snowboarder and an Olympic gold contender, suffered a life altering head injury training for the Vancouver Olympics. He triumphed through adversity and had an astonishing recovery. Pearce went on to establish the Love Your Brain Foundation and is now inspirational speaker nationwide. Segments from his HBO Documentary The Crash Reel will also be shown.
For the two awards being determined at Venture Out, six companies have been chosen to present on stage. Cushcore, innovators of an inner tire suspension system; Tougher, women’s durable and functional work wear and Wedgis, swimwear that fits in a tiny pouch, will pitch for the $10,000 Breakout Award presented by Bend Radio Group and HydroFlask.
Rip Clear, lens protectors for optics; SnoPlanks, handcrafted bamboo snowboards and skis and Zealios, performance personal care products for endurance athletes, will pitch for the $100,000 Ready to Roll investment award presented by Trigen Investments.
Venture Out has seen tremendous support from the local community and BOW is proud to announce the full line up of sponsors for this first time event which are – Trigen Investments, Bend Radio Group, HydroFlask, DrinkTanks, Northline Financial, Bendbroadband, White Summers, U.S. Bank, Hand in Hand Production, Cairn and Black Strap.
Tickets are $10.00 and are on sale at the door and on eventbrite.com. For more information visit bendoutdoorworx.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.
BOW’s Manifesto
We’re dreamers, radicals, achievers, believers and vanguards with a shared belief and a common goal. We’re an independent organization with independent spirit – and we love the outdoors. We embrace the unpredictable nature and the grit it takes to navigate the hurdles and obstacles in our industry. In fact, we enjoy it. We’re fearless, but we value vulnerability. We encourage risk, but we support solid strategy. We’re not even remotely interested in the status quo. We’re interested in lending our expertise, our stories and our respect for the crazy-but-we-love-it volatility of the outdoor industry to help our companies adapt, adjust and achieve. WE’RE HERE TO LEAD OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEURS.
