(Photo above: Will Warne | Photo by AndyTullisPhoto)
Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW), Central Oregon’s outdoor industry accelerator, announced the three outdoor companies selected for their upcoming cohort (Cohort 5). The companies are KidRunner of Bend, the world’s only high performance, multi-terrain kid jogger; Orange Screw of Bingen, Washington, an innovative and convenient ground anchor made of 100 percent recycled materials and Rugged Thread of Bend, a repair facility for technical outdoor and adventure clothing and gear.
“The mix of the companies seems well matched in our fifth cohort, as far as the level of sophistication each entrepreneur brings into the program. By having two consumer product companies and one B2B service provider, they will be able to leverage off each other from their learnings,” said Eric Meade, BOW co-founder.
The three outdoor companies will participate in BOW’s unique and comprehensive mentorship program. Using a process of discovery meetings, analyzation and curriculum building, BOW determines the company needs and provides guidance from the experienced and committed founders and extended mentor group. The Accelerator supports these companies by aligning them with additional resources needed to succeed, including legal assistance, financial planning, logistics, sales, marketing and product development.
Joining the founding mentors for the 2018 Cohort is Andy Boyd. Boyd recently transplanted to Bend from Boulder, Colorado, on a hunch; he and his wife believed that Central Oregon would be a better fit for their family and he states it was the “Best. Decision. Ever.” Boyd spent the majority of his career with Agility Recovery until 2015 when the company was sold to a private equity firm. He is now an active angel investor and Board Chair for Opportunity Knocks. He also serves as a Board Advisor for Huckabuy and Focus4Media and an advisor to Dreihaus Private Equity as well as being an active mentor for two accelerators; Techstars and Unreasonable Group.
Other standout companies in Bend that have been part of BOW’s past cohorts include Cairn, Robert Axle Project, SnoPlanks and Zealios. In total BOW has mentored 11 outdoor companies since it launched the program in 2014.
bendoutdoorworx.com
