(Emily LaPlume, founder of Saturday Swimwear | Photo courtesy of BOW)
Saturday Swimwear founder Emily LaPlume of Portland, Oregon, took home the $10,000 audience-selected cash award at the 2026 BOW BreakOut Pitch Event on October 14 at Volcanic Theatre Pub in Bend. The annual event brought together outdoor brands, investment companies, industry leaders and outdoor enthusiasts for an evening celebrating entrepreneurship, innovation and the strength of the outdoor community. The event also celebrated the Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) Production Financing Fund, with a total of $975,000 in financing checks awarded to BOW alumni companies Spiral Wax and MODL.
Hosted by BOW, the nation’s first and most experienced outdoor industry accelerator, BreakOut once again drew a packed house, with attendees showing up to hear founders share their stories, pitch their businesses and compete for the no-strings-attached cash award.
LaPlume and Saturday Swimwear joined the four other companies from BOW’s 2026 Cohort on stage: Toast Wear (Bend, Oregon), Fire Science Solutions (Bend, Oregon), Merge4 (Santa Cruz, California) and Pine & Co. (Vancouver, B.C.). Each founder brought a unique vision to the stage, offering a glimpse into the creativity, determination and entrepreneurial spirit shaping the future of the outdoor industry.
Following the pitches, audience members had the opportunity to ask questions before casting their votes to select the winner.
“Winning the BOW BreakOut is an incredible honor and a huge vote of confidence in Saturday Swimwear. My goal wasn’t simply to pitch swimsuits but to pitch the mission behind them: that what we wear should hold us in, never hold us back.” said Emily LaPlume, founder of Saturday Swimwear. “Building alongside my BOW cohort and mentors these past few months showed me how much stronger we are when the outdoor community lifts each other up, and I’m so grateful to be part of it.”
The evening also highlighted BOW’s commitment to helping outdoor brands grow beyond the early stages of business. Through its Production Financing Fund, BOW awarded a $175,000 check to Spiral Wax and an $800,000 check to MODL, providing a combined $975,000 in production financing to the two BOW alumni companies. Alongside Saturday Swimwear’s $10,000 BreakOut award, the event marked a total of $985,000 awarded to outdoor businesses.
“BreakOut is a great reminder of what makes the outdoor industry so special,” said Gary Braceiln, founder of Bend Outdoor Worx. “We had another packed house, with people showing up to support these founders and invest in what’s next for our industry. From the pitches on stage to the production financing awarded to BOW alumni, the evening reflects what can happen when our outdoor community comes together to help businesses move forward.”
The 2026 BOW BreakOut Pitch Event was part of High Desert Innovation Week.
BOW BreakOut is supported by the following sponsors: White Summers Law, OMEP, City of Bend, U.S. Bank, Sorren, Ruffwear, Oregon Community Foundation, Embark Coworking Space, Central Oregon Innovation Hub, OEN, Tokyo Starfish, Relativity Agency, Algofy Outdoors, Focus of the 40 and 10 Barrel Brewing.
bendoutdoorworx.com
