(Photo above: (L to R) Mathew Smith (Tribe Pilot), Will Warne (Kidrunner), James Wilson (Pedaling Innovations), Kim Kinney (Rugged Thread) Melissa Mutterspaugh (Mountain Mels) | courtesy of BOW)
Win at Venture Out Festival
Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) announced the winners of the Venture Out Festival, the first and only venture event focused solely on the outdoor industry, held at the Tower Theatre in Bend.
Tribe Pilot, an adventure planning tool, won the $2,500 the Digital Ascent Award in the technology-based recreation category and KidRunner, a high-performance, multi-terrain kid jogger, won the $10,000 Breakout Award in the early stage category. The $5,000 Ready to Roll award in the growth stage category went to Pedaling Innovations who has engineered a breakthrough in bike pedal technology. An additional $75,000 growth stage award, presented by Business Oregon through their Small Business Expansion Program went to Rugged Thread, a business who specializes in repairs for technical outdoor and adventure clothing and gear. Additionally, Mountain Mels, a line of herbal first aid products, picked up $25,000 from Business Oregon in the same program.
A full house of outdoor enthusiasts attended the Venture Out event, part of the growing outdoor entrepreneurial movement in Bend. The festival commenced with a performance by Ross Winsor, a professional mountain bike trials rider, held on stage just inside the theatre. Music by Alarm 58 filled the theatre during the networking hour.
During the event, founders from BOW cohort companies including Cairn, Robert Axle Project and Zealios helped emcee the award categories. Audience votes determined the winners of the Digital Ascent and Breakout Award categories. The Ready to Roll award recipient was chosen by a panel of judges, including BOW mentors and past cohort companies.
