What you should know about the Central Oregon Innovation Hub…
Central Oregon is booming. Because of its reputation for outdoor amenities, good jobs, and a high quality of life, the region has the fastest growing population in the state and one of the fastest in the country. What used to be a timber and tourism region is teeming with traded sector businesses. Software, biotech, energy, food and beverage, and outdoor gear innovators call the region home. Innovators and entrepreneurs can be more successful when they can efficiently implement effective practices to start and grow their businesses. As a result, more of the great ideas generated by our region’s innovators will become successful traded sector businesses, generating well-paying jobs throughout the region.
The vision for the Central Oregon Innovation Hub is to identify all the resources in the region that help entrepreneurs today and to bring them together under one umbrella called the Entrepreneur Resource Network. It includes long‑standing partners such as Bend Outdoor Worx, Cultivate Bend, Opportunity Knocks, SBDC, OSU‑Cascades, OEN, and SCORE. These are organizations that have been instrumental in building and nurturing the region’s entrepreneurial momentum.
Together, we want to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem designed to make it easier for innovators to access capital, technical assistance, education, mentoring, and talent development — regardless of their stage of growth. The goal is simple but transformative: a true one‑stop shop for entrepreneurial support, reduce friction for founders, and accelerate the path from idea to impact.
While this ERN is focused on the Central Oregon region, we can provide support to any entrepreneur around the state and connect them to their own regional innovation hub network.
