APRIL/MAY 2015

FOR BUSINESS
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 2
USA $3.95
CANADA $6.95

EdTech
Evolution

How combining education and technology

can create a new cluster for innovation
The Eugene Area Chamber Of Commerce: CelebratingPromotingInforming Business

Publisher & EDItOR

THIS ISSUE

David Hauser, CCE

Content editor
Matt Hollander

Eugene Chamber
Executive Committee

A PR IL/M AY 2015

Craig Wanichek
Chair
President & CEO,
Summit Bank

10

With Eugenes investment and

professional leadership in technology
and research, industry leaders are
championing the concept of a Eugene EdTech
cluster, which would accelerate the pace of
innovation in learning science and technologies
by bringing together education, research and
commercial partners.
Pictured (from left to right), Cognitopia Cofounder Matt Fanelli; Saavsus, Inc. Managing
Director Paul Berger; Oregon Research Institute
Science Director Carol Metzler; and IRIS
Educational Media Chief Operating Officer Adam
Wendt

Nigel Francisco
Chair-elect
CFO, Ninkasi Brewing
Company LLC

APril/mAY 2015

Cover story

FOR BUSINESS
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 2
USA $3.95
CANADA $6.95

Sheryl Balthrop
Past Chair
Partner, Gaydos,
Churnside & Balthrop
PC

EdTech
Evolution

Photo by David Loveall

How combining education and technology

can create a new cluster for innovation

Features
$PAC-089_EugeneChamber_OpenBiz_7.375x4.8126_AprMay2015.indd 1

2/25/15 11:27 AM

Potential.
We see it in Eugene. And in the industries that do
business herefrom forest products to not-for-profit
and manufacturing, to name just a few.

For more than a century weve helped organizations

reduce risk, gain efficiencies, and find room for growth.
How can we help you prosper?

8
17

The eugene AreA ChAmber Of COmmerCe: CelebrATingPrOmOTinginfOrming business

Two businesses answer questions that

give insight into their companies.

What you probably didnt

know about Eugenes
EdTech cluster.

Cathy Worthington
Treasurer
Licensed Tax
Consultant,
Worthington Business
Services

Advertising
Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce
541.484.1314

Design/Layout
Asbury Design
541.344.1633
www.asburydesign.net

Printing

Columns/Departments

Chamber @ Work
What the Eugene Chamber is doing to
support and promote businesses in the
Eugene area.

Shelton Turnbull
541.687.1214

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce
1401 Willamette St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541.484.1314

20
26

18

Business News
Promotions, new hires, and new
members

A look at the
new Innovation
Hub coming to
downtown Eugene.

Last Call
Dave Hauser on
innovation and economic
prosperity.

Royal Mortier
of Mortier

Engineering.
Page 8

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16 Harrang Long Gary Rudnick PC

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Hershner Hunter LLP
28 Kernutt Stokes
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2
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The Register-Guard
Summit Bank
Summit Bank SBA Division
University of Oregon

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CHAMBER@WORK
Wanichek installed
as Chamber Chair

READY
OR NOT:
HEALTHCARE

REFORM

IS HERE
Amanda Walkup

Jeff Kirtner

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & HEALTH CARE

The Affordable Care Act isnt just about picking a new insurance plan. Nor is it business as usual or a simple
benefits choice. Its a whole new series of employment laws and tax code changes that include penalties,
compliance requirements and reporting. And its here now.

Craig Wanichek, President and CEO of

Summit Bank, serves as Chair of the Board of
the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce and
was officially installed
as part of Eugene
Chambers annual
Celebration of Business
in February.
Craig is a graduate
of the University of
Oregon with a bachelors degree in Economics.
He has over 15 years of banking experience
during which he managed significant business
relationships with family owned-businesses in
the Willamette Valley. He currently serves on
the boards of Associated Oregon Industries and
Cascade Health Solutions.
In his role as Chair, Wanichek presides over an
elected Board of Directors who together govern
the work of the Chamber. The Board meets
monthly to act on policy recommendations
made by Chamber committees and staff,
reviews current initiatives, oversees and directs
the financial standing of the organization and
generally establishes and guides the strategic
direction of the organization.

Monthly YPN events offer

networking opportunities
The Chamber Young Professionals Network gathered at IDX
Brokers new downtown headquarters. Each month, the Chamber
provides young professionals with programming specially targeted
to meet their needs for networking, professional and personal
development, and community awareness.

YPN event attendees Peter Billups (Eugene Emeralds),

Bryson Womack (IDX Broker), Sean Dunn (Directors
Mortgage) and Mary ONeil (Eugene Chamber) enjoy the
new digs at IDX Broker.

Business After Hours celebrates Bach Festival

Health care reform will impact nearly every employer in some way. How it impacts you and your business
depends on your circumstances and how well you plan right now. Thats why Hershner Hunter has assembled
an advisory team with the right information and expertise to help you understand, decide, communicate,
and manage the impact to both your business and your best asset: your employees.
Make the choice to be prepared. Call today to schedule an appointment or to find out about one of our
upcoming seminars. 541-686-8511 | hershnerhunter.com
More than 400 business leaders attended the Bach Festival-themed event.

The March Business After

Hours featured a celebration of
Bachs 330th birthday hosted
by The Oregon Bach Festival and
Essig Entertainment.
More than 400 business
leaders enjoyed an outstanding
evening of business connections,
food, fun and a preview of the
2015 Oregon Bach Festival.
Business After Hours is one of
more than 100 networking and
business building opportunities
the Eugene Chamber sponsors
for members annually.

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

CHAMBER@WORK
Forecast stresses need for capable workforce
Director of Business Oregon, Sean
Robbins, said the state is emphasizing a
grow your own strategy at Economic
Forecast 2015, produced by the Eugene
Area Chamber of Commerce. That
strategy includes helping local startups
get off the ground and helping businesses
already here expand.
More than 500 business leaders
participated in the event, which was
sponsored by Oregon Community Credit
Union and EWEB. The program featured
a focus on state and regional economic
development efforts and insights from
Oregon's leading economists on the future
of the regional and national economy.
A panel of five economists predicted
moderate growth for the upcoming year of
2 percent for Lane County. Their primary
concern is the timing and magnitude of
the Federal Reserve raising interest rates.
Panelists warned employers that to
attract skilled employees, wages will need
to increase. Other issues that were cited
as holding the region back were a lack of
available buildings for industry needs and
lack of an available world-class business
park.

Lets build business in

Eugene and Springfield.

Starting with yours.

Come talk to your local business lending experts.

The Register-Guard panel of five economists predicted moderate growth.

Chamber program supports manufacturing sector

Manufacturers interacting with high
school students in the advanced
metals class toured Willamette High
Schools career technical education
shops in March. Manufacturing
leaders toured Willamettes
automotive, metal, and woods
shops; interacted with students;
and were able communicate with
teachers and administrators what
they need in a future workforce.
The tour was part of the Chambers
Focus on Manufacturing program
designed to provide insights,
resources and networks aimed
at supporting/sustaining
manufacturing businesses in the
region.

6 OP EN FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Theres nothing we love more than helping you do what you

Whether its funding a new idea, a new piece of equipment

love. Thats why our bankers treat your business goals as if

or a new building, or just finding better ways to manage

they were their own. And we take pride in understanding not

your cash flow, you can consider our business lending

just your business, but also whats unique about doing

experts an extension of your team. Give us a call. Wed

business here in Eugene and Springfield.

love to help.

541.617-3500 | botc.com | Visit us in Eugene & Springfield

Four questions

FOUR QUESTIONS

We asked two local businesses to respond to questions

that give insight into their companies and their predictions for 2015.

Located three hours from Eugene and

near sunny Klamath Falls in Southern
Oregon, the Running Y is a golf and fullservice vacation resort. The Running Y
Ranch features Oregons only signature
Arnold Palmer-designed golf course which
has the ultimate compliment from Arnold
Palmer as one of his favorite Sweet 16
courses. Travel Oregon has recognized the
Running Y Ranch Golf course as one of the
top golf resorts in Oregon with their Seven
Gems of Oregon Campaign. Lisa Galloway
lives and works on this beautiful property
and is uniquely qualified as Director of Sales
to promote this Eugene Chamber member.

Mortier
Engineering
Royal Mortier is young and busy. As

Engineering VP and Project Manager at

Mortier Engineering, he represents the third
generation of Mortiers in the business. He
took an unusual path, studying to be a personal trainer at Lane Community College
before earning his engineering degree at
Oregon State University. While studying
at Oregon State, he had plenty of job offers,
which all disappeared by the time he graduated. The economys downturn meant his own
family company was not able to hire him. He
was able to find work with the Army Corps of
Engineers. Hes finally back home and with
the employee-owned business his grandfather, Emile (Mort) Mortier, began and
where his father, David Mortier, is the current
President and CEO. Mortier Engineering is
known for a wide variety of projects, including structural/failure investigations, forensic
engineering, specialized inspections and fire/
water damage assessments.

What is your best customer story?

We have a group of physicians who

came over from Grants Pass for an annual
retreat they hold. They move around from
resort to resort annually and bring spouses
and kids, so it is also a vacation. They raved
about the accommodations, our different
lodging options, the food, the fun. They
have wine shipped in. When they departed,
they left our staff all of their left over wine
as a thank you gift. We received a wonderful email informing us that at their board
meeting they decided to come back for a
second year, which is a huge compliment.

Do you have a best customer story?

Our best stories I relate to my own life.

What would I want? Anytime we can get
out to a project and find a fast and efficient
solution, it is a success. We dont do typical engineering work. We work a lot with
insurance companies on damaged buildings, or unlivable homes. We prioritize the
projects when a home is not livable because
a tree, which was once a gorgeous part of
their property, has now crushed the roof,
or a business cannot be operated because a
vehicle has smashed through the walls. Our
job is like solving riddles, and it is a great
success when we can.
Can you tell us something about
Mortier Engineering not well known?

We follow a teaming opportunity. This

The Running
Y Ranch

What do Oregonians need to know

about the Running Y?

We are under new ownership and management. CLV Properties (commercial real
estate investor Bill Lynch runs CLV, which

The Running Y Ranch near Klamath Falls features beautiful views and
Oregons only signature Arnold Palmer-designed golf course.

also owns Valley River Inn) purchased us

in September (2014), and we are managed
by CoHo Services. Our new owners are
true visionaries. We will make some major
improvements to our 3600 acres with an
82-room lodge, 35 vacation rental properties, including chalets and golf villas. We are
pet friendly in some of our rentals.
Our golf facilities will add a track-man
simulator, which measures several swing
components via computer. There are miles
of paved trails here for running and biking;
an 18-hole putting course, both indoor
and outdoor pools; a day spa; a new village
including a salon, dress shop, grocery and
liquor store; and bike rental. Internationally
renowned physician, Dr. Murad is having a
book signing here in April and an Inclusive
Health Retreat in September.
Why partner with the Eugene
Chamber of Commerce?

Down in Klamath Falls, we make a

point to partner with Chambers and network at expos from Northern California
up to Washington. We work with an
outfitting company (ROE Outfitters) and

find that the Chamber is a great way to tell

folks what we offer. We will soon (coming
in July) have a mile-long zip line, and we
offer fishing, white water rafting, and want
to highlight our great resort. We have duck
hunting on the property, paddle boarding,
kayaking. The Chamber Expo is an excellent opportunity to get the word out. We
want folks to know that they can take one
of the top ten most scenic train rides on
the West Coast from Eugene to Klamath,
which by the way, has 300 days of sunshine
per year. In the summer, there are docents
on the train.
What do you predict given the current
economic situation in Oregon?

Last year was our best ever. This year is

trending to be even better. There are houses
under construction in Klamath. Real Estate
is moving again. Kingsley Field expanded
which brought in 80 families and they
are contracted for at least two years. The
salaries range from $45,000- $125,000. We
are a Holiday Inn Resort, which gives us a
global exposure. We are moving in a positive direction!

Mortier Engineering Vice President Royal Mortier says his job is like solving riddles.

teaming is a business approach we model

after one used by Jerrys Home Improvement Stores. The work we pursue is not
only unique for engineering firms, but an
opportunity for us to team up with other
businesses and work together.
Why partner with the Eugene
Chamber of Commerce?

There was not an opportunity for me

at Mortier (Engineering) when I entered

8 OP EN FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

the job market so I worked with the Corps

on some individual and some really large
projects from Reno to Napa. When I came
to Mortier, I felt there was significant value
to be added by being involved in the community. How you use any tool is important
to success, and this tool (the Eugene Chamber) connects us to people around us; makes
us part of the community.
For me, the Chamber is part of my
Continued on page 9

Continued from page 8

personal growth mission, which for others

might be going to church, the gym, support
groups, Toast Masters (which Royal also
attends), whatever. So I connected with
Cedric (Rudd, Director of Sales for the
Eugene Chamber). The Chamber allows
for cross connection, finding available support and networking, and brings together

great like-minded people who really want

to see themselves and other businesses
succeed.
Given the current economy, what do
you predict for Mortier Engineering?

We are growing a lot. We have new clients and are pursuing new avenues. We are
expanding our team. We employ more than
a dozen now but will grow our subsidiary

companies and in Eugene. Once your reach

a certain level, some folks get lost in the
shadows. We would rather open another
office elsewhere than become huge. We
are trying to increase our overall offerings
in Florence, and we might grow to Bend,
Portland, Medford, or Ashland. We have
been employee owned since 1991, so there is
significant stake in it for everyone.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

COVER STORY

EdTech
evolution

Industry leaders are championing

an education/technology cluster in Eugene
to drive entrepreneurship and innovation

I
1 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

From left to right, Paul

Berger, Managing Director,
Saavsus, Inc.; Adam Wendt,
Chief Operating Officer of
IRIS Educational Media;
Carol Metzler, Ph.D., Senior
Scientist and Science
Director at ORI; Tom
Keating, Business Partner
at Cognitopia; Matt Fanelli,
J.D./MBA, Co-founder,
Cognitopia

by MAtt HOLLANDER
PHOTO BY DAVID LOVEALL

f the conceived Eugene EdTech cluster were a painting, it would undoubtedly be a stipple. Thousands of individuals representing dozens
of organizations are currently striving to find the most effective uses
for technology in learning settings. But as a single dot on the canvas,
it can be hard to see the picture for what it is: a landscape of infinite
opportunity.
For some time, Eugene has been widely regarded as a hub of higher
learning and groundbreaking research. Pillar organizations including the University of Oregon, Oregon Research Institute (ORI) and Oregon Social Learning
Center (OSLC) have attracted industry-leading talent and procured upwards of
$150 million in federal grants in 2014.
In recent years, Eugene has also developed a reputation as a nerve center for
entrepreneurship and innovation. The startup-friendly environment has stimulated
growth of emerging technology and media industries. According to the Technology Association of Oregon, the Eugene area is home to more than 200 tech or
tech-enabled companies.
Given the amount of resources, including investment and professional leadership in technology and research, its no wonder industry leaders are championing
the concept of a Eugene EdTech cluster, which would accelerate the pace of
innovation in learning science and technologies by bringing together education,
research and commercial partners. With greater collaboration between existing
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

11

COVER STORY
organizations, and branding of their success,
many feel that a consortium could become
greater than the sum of its parts.
All the pieces are right here in this community, said Adam Wendt, Chief Operating
Officer of IRIS Educational Media, which
produces personal and professional development courses for parents and educators. One
of the unique things Eugene has to offer is the
opportunity for organizations who approach
the same problem from different angles to
come together and produce a product thats
better suited for the marketplace.
A brief history of the cluster

The origins of todays landscape can be

traced back to the 1960s, when a group of
clinical psychologists from the University of
Oregon formed ORI to study child development and parent training methods.

Two decades later, scientists Jerry Patterson and John Reid used work started at
ORI as the foundation for a new organization, OSLC, whose work centered on solving
antisocial behavior in children.

COVER STORY
ORI subsequently had to morph into a
smaller organization.
However, temporary pains led to longterm gains. The institutions developed niches
independent of each other and experienced
significant growth. Combined, ORI and
OSLC now provide 400 local positions, including 61 research scientists.
Between 2011 and 2012, both organizations underwent leadership changes: Rick
Varnum became the chief operation officer
of OSLC, and Byron Glidden and Carol
Metzler, Ph.D., were promoted to lead ORI.
Varnum said while they still compete for a lot
of the same talent and support, they regularly
share results of their work and insights on the
funding climate.
It was also around this time that Paul
Berger launched the Education and Research
Cluster through the Eugene Area Chamber
of Commerce, which promotes dissemination
and commercialization of regionally developed, research-based programs.
Berger, who has worked in high-tech and
knowledge-based businesses for 25 years, said

that strong business models became critical

when the amount of federal support shrank
during the Great Recession.
Fortunately by that point, there was a
wealth of media and technology companies,
such as IRIS, that were motivated to help
translate research that would otherwise sit on
shelves into every-day products.
Wendt said that one of the keys to melding research and technology is finding a
common language, and that Berger has been
instrumental in facilitating these conversations through the clusters monthly meetings.
Branding the sector

Recently, IRIS worked with ORI to design, produce and test Two Families Now, a
parenting class delivered online. The central
aim of the project was to create a low-cost,
parent-training program uniquely tailored
to meet the needs of parents going through
divorce transitions.
Wendt said that IRIS has always been fast
on the heels of innovation, whether that was
the transition from VHS to DVD, or from

Invested In
your success
When it came to helping Don and
Anne DeZarn of Pacific Headwear
and Promotions expand their business,
Summit Bank made sure they were
covered from head to toe.

DVD to online platforms. However, early

experiences taught him that accessibility is
the most important factor, and its often some
time before education and research catches up
with the technology.
We know that our ability to keep up
with technology is essential for continued
success, said Metzler, Senior Scientist and
Science Director at ORI, especially for those
of us who are interested in using technology
to deliver interventions or collect data. The
challenge is that research, by its nature, can be
very methodical.
Metzler, who has spent the past 25 years
with ORI, is currently working on a project
to test whether online delivery of parenting
intervention is as effective as staff-delivered
versions.

When working within the local community, as she will for this study, Metzler
said she can feel the support for research and
willingness to participate. She said that is an
underlying strength of conducting research in
the Eugene area.

Behavioral science has been a part of

the local identity for a long time, she said.

We know that our ability

to keep up with technology
is essential for continued
success, especially for those
of us who are interested in
using technology to deliver
interventions or collect
data.
Carol Metzler, Ph.D.
Science Director at ORI

Weve often thought of ourselves as a cottage

industry, but recently weve been absorbed
into the larger EdTech cluster; and its really
exciting to think about the possibilities for
research that come with having a critical mass
of local resources.

The Education Research Cluster is currently on hiatus from its meetings. Although

they served their original purpose of getting

people to talk to one another, Berger said that
defining the sector and its focus was a challenge. The leadership team is in the process
setting a new course, and Berger said that one
goal is to improve the movement of resources
from the University to local businesses. To
that end, he said the monthly meetings could
turn into a more a formal space for industry
people to connect with researchers on projects
and new grant opportunities.
What will move this sector forward
is successful commercialization, said
Berger, Managing Director of Saavsus, Inc.,
a publisher of research and evidence-based
programs from the Oregon region. As more
and more examples of that occur, success will
attract success. There is a huge need to build a
brand around Eugene as a place for publishing and producing products.
Introducing an entrepreneurial edge

If research institutions and media companies represent the first and second waves of
Eugenes EdTech cluster, then companies like
Cognitopia are part of a third generation.
Cognitopia develops technology-based

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1 2 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5
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9/5/14 2:51 PM

COVER STORY
Youre not creating
value in the marketplace
if youre just convincing
three people on a grant
committee that your idea
is worth something. Its
hard but, ultimately,
much more valuable to do
that with a few thousand
customers in the actual
market.
Matt Fanelli, J.D./MBA
Cognitopia, Co-founder

tools to assist individuals with cognitive disabilities, operating on a hybrid of grant funding and business modeling.

Co-founder Matt Fanelli, J.D./MBA,

explained that Cognitopia, which was first
established by Tom Keating, Ph.D., in 2003,
evolved from the traditional research and
development model in response to the financial market crash. When the company went
without funding for a couple years, Keating
recognized the need for a model that was less
affected by fluctuations in federal support.
I think that companies that do really well
are going to be the those who are using grants
and research as a means to an end, rather than
an end unto itself, said Fanelli. People dont
get into this line of work for a quick buck; they
want to affect positive change, and it isnt easy
to do that in the grant world because you dont
have much control of distributing the research
to market.

Cognitopia is currently developing two

products: Goal Guide, an application designed
to help those with cognitive disabilities become more empowered by creating and tracking personal, academic and vocational goals;
and ScanDo!, an app that teaches through
video modeling opportunities by scanning an
assigned bar or QR code.
Fanelli said that testing these products
with actual prospective customers makes it
more likely that they will eventually reach the
market.

Thank you for making 40 years of dreams possible.

Eugene-area EdTech Players

Avant Assessment
www.avantassessment.com

Northwest Media
www.northwestmedia.com

CBT Nuggets
www.cbtnuggets.com

NoteWorthy Learning
www.noteworthylearning.com

Cognitopia
www.cognitopia.com

ORBIS
www.orbiscascade.org

Concentric Sky
www.concentricsky.com

Oregon Career Information System

www.oregoncis.uoregon.edu

Deschutes Research
www.deschutesresearch.com

Oregon Research Institute

www.ori.org

Double S Instructional Systems

www.doublesinstructional.com

Oregon Social Learning Center

www.oslc.org

Educational Community Supports

Pacific Northwest Publishers

www.pacificnwpublish.com

Emberex
www.emberex.com
EPIC
www.epiconline.org
Eugene Health and Performance
Foundation
www.healthandperformance.org

Parenting Now
www.Parentingnow.org
Personal Technologies
www.personaltechnologies.com
Saavsus, Inc
www.saavsus.com

InSilico
www.insilicodesigns.com

Score 4 Reading, LLC

www.score4reading.com

Intervision
www.intervisionmedia.com

Spotkin
www.spotkin.com

IRIS Educational Media

www.irised.com

Thinkersmith
www.thinkersmith.org

ISTE
www.iste.org

Thought Cycle
www.thoughtcycle.net

National Institute for Direct

Instruction
www.nifdi.org

Did we miss somebody? Wed like to

hear from you.
businessnews@eugenechamber.com

Youre not creating value in the marketplace if youre just convincing three people
on a grant committee that your idea is worth
something. Its hard but, ultimately, much
more valuable to do that with a few thousand
customers in the actual market, he said.
Fanelli, who is a participant in the Regional
Accelerator Innovation Network, a government-funded accelerator program, added that
the growing entrepreneurial community offers
numerous examples of how to do this.

Were starting to examine EdTech from

a business perspective. Grant funding may
be a piece to the business, or part of your
competitive advantage, but its not an ongoing
business; youre not serving customers, he

1 4 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

said. And those who want improve the lives

of people have to change how theyre doing it.
Taking it all in

Stepping back from the canvas of Eugenes

EdTech cluster, one cant help but admire the
potential, for it features researchers, teachers,
developers and content creators. And best of
all, they are starting glean that perspective for
themselves.
Its still pretty new to think of us as a
cluster, said Metzler. I feel like were just now
getting a sense of our landscape as a set of organizations and how we support and connect
with each other. I think it would behoove us to
continue to develop those relationships.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Thanks, Southern Willamette Valley! For four decades, your generous support of The Oregon Community
Foundation has benefited thousands of people in your own communities. Thank you also to the 257 volunteers whose
hard work and dedication made it happen. We look forward to the next 40 years of helping you create charitable
funds that directly support your region. For more information, call us at 541.431.7099 or visit www.oregoncf.org.

4O
Y E A R S

COVER STORY

Facts about Eugenes EdTech cluster

Our region has strong
concentration of EdTech
companies compared with
similar-sized regions

Our Deep
Oregon Roots

Help Businesses Prosper

We have been helping

Oregon businesses
meet todays challenges
and tomorrows
opportunities
for over 50 years.

EdTech, or education technology, is an

emerging sector that blends educational and
learning outcomes with innovative technology
applications. In 2010 the Eugene Chamber
identified the EdTech cluster as a regionally
specialized industry due to the concentration
of video game companies, social science research organizations, and academic computer
science departments. The EdTech cluster
continues as a strong economic driver for our
region. In fact:
EdTech is an important traded sector and
source of outside income for the region.

n A directory of the Eugene-area

EdTech companies.
Page 14

A variety of private, non-profit research

centers brings hundreds of millions of federal
grant dollars into the region every year.
Between 2010 and 2013, software publishing employment grew by 47% from 1,271
to 1,869 employees.
In 2012, Eugene-Springfield software
publishers paid over $104 million in wages.
Employment in software publishing is
growing faster in the Eugene-Springfield
region than in Oregon or the nation.
Eugene-Springfields workforce has a
specialization in software publishing. An
employee in Eugene-Springfield is 6.2 times
more likely to work for a software publisher

than an employee across the nation.

Eugene-Springfield also has a high concentration of social sciences and humanities
research. An employee in Eugene-Springfield
is 6.5 times more likely to work in social
sciences or humanities research than an employee across the nation.
In 2012, social sciences and humanities
research in Eugene-Springfield paid over $18
million in wages.
As the data shows, Eugene-Springfields
education and training research organizations
coupled with the regions exceptional software
publishers creates a thriving EdTech cluster
for the region. The region boasts a strong
concentration of these industries creating
a unique presence of the EdTech cluster in
comparison to other regions in similar size,
or even greater scale. The EdTech cluster will
continue to be a strong economic driver for
the region.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

DREAM BIG

harrang.com

Together, well map a course

that can take you where you want to go

800.315.4172
info@harrang.com

871 Country Club Road in Eugene

PORTLAND EUGENE SALEM

541.683.2900

CarterandCarter.com

Securities are offered through Raymond JameS Financial SeRviceS, inc.

member FinRa/SiPc.

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

17

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EUGENE

Innovation hub comes to downtown

The University of Oregon Board of
Trustees recently agreed to accept a Gift of
Real Property from the city of Eugene for a
downtown building that will house the greater
Eugene area implementation of the Regional
Accelerator & Innovation Network (RAIN)
and other University innovation activities.
RAIN is a state and local partnership of
governments, higher education, the business
community and entrepreneurs designed to
advance the formation and growth of techbased startups regionally. RAIN Eugene,
a partnership of the University, the Eugene
Area Chamber of Commerce and local
government, operates the RAIN Eugene
Accelerator and associated RAIN Eugene
programs.
The vote by the Board of Trustees, which
is required by Board policy, paves the way
for the transfer of a building at 942 Olive
St. to the University of Oregon. On Feb. 9,
the Eugene City Council voted to transfer

ownership of the city-owned building to the

University for $1.
Located adjacent to the downtown campus of Lane Community College, the building will provide 12,800 square feet of flexible
space for training, education and support of
entrepreneurs from the University and the
community. Envisioned as an entrepreneurial
hub, the building will become home to the
RAIN Eugene Accelerator and house complementary UO activities that predominantly
support commercialization of universitybased or university-assisted research. These
include the Tyler Invention Greenhouse, a
program sponsored by the Alice C. Tyler Perpetual Trust, and UO Department of Product
Designs Downtown Innovation Launch Lab.
The RAIN Eugene accelerator is an intensive 12-week program focusing on mentored
support of the three most important components of a new business; people, product and
plan. The Tyler Invention Greenhouse seeks

to build upon the UOs strengths in green

chemistry and green nanoscience and encourage green product ideas stemming from basic
research discoveries. The Downtown Innovation Launch Lab is a set of design studios and
design services connecting UOs expertise
and students in product design with entrepreneurs inside and outside of the University.
The city of Eugene and the UO are already
engaged in innovation activities together
through RAIN. RAIN Eugene is currently
housed in a temporary space in the Eugene
Area Chamber of Commerce. The move to
the downtown core will further strengthen
ties between the city and the UO, advance
the formation of new companies in the South
Willamette Valley, and benefit downtown and
the citys overall economy, say city council
members who approved the transfer.
The building will undergo an extensive
rennovation in preparation for a February
2016 opening.

Introducing RG Media Lab

Well help your business succeed online.
For decades The Register-Guard has provided businesses
with Lane Countys most trusted and respected advertising
medium. Now weve created RG Media Lab to help local
businesses who need to build modern, mobile-friendly
websites and improve their digital marketing. Well also
help you create compelling content that converts your
website visitors into customers.

Responsive Website Design

Social Media Management
Email Marketing
Video Production
Secure Hosting Services

Meet our team

!

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

A clear choice
for straighter teeth

Their entire team was delightful to

work with and helped us accomplish our
next steps in the digital world for our
landscape services. They were very good
at helping us articulate our goals and then
brought them to life on the Web and in
social media forums.
Our new website is outstanding; its
user-friendly and easy to view on all screen
types. We are thrilled with the positive
feedback we have received from both our
current clients and new contacts.

541-484-1877
InvisalignEugene.com
995 Willagillespie Road
1 8 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

RG Media Lab Services:

From left to right:

Tyler Mack Director, Deborah Ramirez Sales Manager, Jason Miller Client Services Coordinator,
Melissa Rokaitis Digital Marketing Consultant, Tyler Robinson Web Developer

Ron and Joy Felt

Owners

For a complimentary website analysis for your business, visit rgmedialab.com or call Tyler Mack at 541-338-2291.

BUSINESSNEWS

BUSINESSNEWS
$2.3 billion
added to Oregons
bottom line

Promotions/
New Hires

The Valley River Inn announced the

promotions of the following staff: Devon
Ross, Arthur Steward, and Tina
Rodriguez.

Photos appear left to right from top.

www.valleyriverinn.com

24,500

Luvaas Cobb
promoted Erin A.
Fennerty to partner.

jobs for Oregonians

$42.7
million
income tax generated
for Oregon

$52.1
million
spent by visitors

When it
comes to
economic
footprints,
we have
big feet.

Pacific Benefit
Consultants, Inc.
announced insurance
agent Jeanine
Wallace has received
designations as
Chartered Healthcare Consultant and
Registered Health Underwriter.
www.pbcins.com

Real Estate Agent

Brita Arcuri has
finished 2014 as the
#1 highest producing
broker in RMLS for
Lane County, having
sold $44,558,000 in real estate.
www.britaarcuri.com

Hayden Homes announced former CEO

Hayden Watson has been promoted
to Chairman of the Board. Former
President Dennis Murphy has been
promoted to Chief Executive Officer.
Former Managing Director Steven
Klingman has been promoted to
President.

Moss Adams LLP promoted Stephanie

Gardiepy to Tax Manager where she
will oversee the Technician Team. Alicia
Andrews has received promotion to
Accounting Associate while pursuing
her Bachelors degree in Accounting at
University of Oregon.
www.mossadams.com

Ninkasi Brewing
Company LLC
announced Per
Nielsen as Vice
President of Sales.
www.ninkasibrewing.com

Dr. Carol Marusich

of Lifetime Eye
Care welcomed Dr.
Joy Bodwell as an
Optometric Physician.
Dr. Bodwell joins the
practice with a Bachelor of Science
degree from the University of Central
Florida and a Doctorate in Optometry
from Pacific University.
www.LifetimeEyeCare.net

The Eugene
Symphony
Association has hired
Development Director
Sara Mason.

Dr. Movassaghi of
Movassaghi Plastic
Surgery & Ziba
Medical Spa was
elected as President
of the Northwest
Society of Plastic Surgeons.

eugenesymphony.org

www.drmovassaghi.com

www.hayden-homes.com

uoregon.edu/impact

Tap into Summit Banks

SBA DIVISION.

RE/MAX Integrity
announced Jessie
Bays as Real Estate
Broker to work with
Marti Templeton
as a Buyers Agent
specializing in the Junction City area.

Sandi Thompson, wardrobe consultant,

is now representing two companies: ViVi
Jewelry, the new Cookie Lee and Ruby
Ribbon, womens clothing with a built-in
secret that helps you look svelte.
www.myjockeyp2p.com/sandi

Jeff Unger, Jeff Wimer, Rick Kiege and

Mike Randall.
The Oregon Logging Conference would
announced the 2015-2016 Officers of the 78th
Annual Conference as follows: The following
board officers and staff will serve the OLC
for 2015-2016: President - Jeff Unger, Unger
Logging, Reedsport, First Vice President-Jeff
Wimer, Student Logging Training Program,
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Second
Vice President- Rick Kiege, Kiege Logging
Co., Inc., Prineville, Treasurer- Mike Randall,
Swanson Bros Lumber Co., Noti, and
Conference Manager- Rikki Wellman, Oregon
Logging Conference, Eugene.

Jeff Althouse

Ashley Horner

Founder Oakshire Brewing

SBA Program Administrator

Contact Ashley today!

ashley.horner@summitbanksba.com
541.684.7500
MEMBER FDIC
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DIVISION

www.oregonloggingconference.com

KDP Insurance, Inc.

welcomed new Vice
President and Chief
Operating Officer Jim
Walton.

Gallic & Johnson

Financial, private lending
group announced new hire
Kyle Blain. Kyle was most
recently the owner of Blain
Insurance Group.
www.gallicfinancial.web-loans.com

Announcements
& Kudos
The Eugene Concert Choir, a 110-voice
masterworks chorus is celebrating its 40th
anniversary! This season at the Hult Center
will feature 3-concerts conducted by Artistic
Director, Diane Retallack.
www.EugeneConcertChoir.org

www.integrityhomesonline.com

2 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

21

BUSINESSNEWS
The Science Factory Childrens
Museum announced weekly live
astronomy shows open to the public
each Saturday through April. Special
guest lectures begin at 1 pm and
allow audience interaction with
expert astronomers as part of the live
programing.

BUSINESSNEWS
Company. This marks the ninth state
where Ninkasi beer is sold.
www.ninkasibrewing.com

www.usbank.com

Killer-Q Guitar and Instrument

Straps, a division of Strapworks
LLC. was named Best in Show in
accessories at the National Association
of Music Merchants. This year-old
Eugene company was recognized for
their Made in America quality at the
largest show in the events history.

The Eugene Symphony Association

celebrated their 50th Anniversary
season with the theme: Celebrating our
past, creating out future. Music Director
& Conductor, Danail Rachev will lead
the season which includes a concert
with cellist Yo-Yo Ma & former music
directors Conductor Laureate Marin
Alsop (1989-1996), Miguel HarthBedoya (1996-2002), and Giancarlo
Guerrero (2002-2009) featuring
three world premieres of works
commissioned by American composers
especially for the Eugene Symphony.

www.killer-q.com

www.eugenesymphony.org

Reynolds Electric, a third generation

family business, celebrated 35 years of
operation in Lane County this March.

Eugene Mindworks, a coworking

community, is in its third phase of
expansion, growing to 11,000 square
feet of collaborative office space that
includes three conference rooms, 27
private offices, a lunch room, and a
community area.

www.sciencefactory.org/exploration-dome

www.reynoldselectric.com

Ninkasi Brewing Company announced

distribution to Utah through a
partnership with General Distributing

U.S. Bancorp-U.S. Bank was

announced as Fortunes Most Admired
Superregional Bank.

Garden Way Retirement

Community was awarded 2015
Best of Senior Living Award by
SeniorAdvisor.com for their year of
top ratings and reviews by residents
and their families.
www.gardenwayretirement.com

Feeney Wireless announced the

availability of Crossroads and
Skyus-E. This software and hardware
combination creates an easy-to-use
IoT (Internet of Things) platform to
effectively and efficiently collect,
monitor, and manage data for daily
business needs.

Eugene Opera
www.eugeneopera.com

Junior League of Eugene

www.jleugene.org

Eugene Wine Cellars, LLC

www.eugenewinecellars.com

Kipsters Gymnastics, Dance &

Fitness
www.kipstersgymnastics.com

GizMobile Northwest
www.gizmobl.com

LANE Monthly
www.lanemonthly.com

Granite Properties LLC

J. Scott Cellars
www.wscottcellars.com

www.feeneywireless.com

New Members
GloryBee announced two new gourmet
products in their honey line: Raw Fair
Trade Coffee Blossom Honey and
Habanero Honey. GloryBee remains a
family-owned natural foods company
producing 100% pure honey.
www.GloryBee.com

www.eugenemindworks.com

WANT A TASTE OF
ENERGY SAVINGS?
BRING US IN.
Whether youre a restaurateur or a major retail operator, upgrading to
energy-efficient equipment can save you money. Energy Trust of Oregon
has the expertise and a network of specially trained contractors to get
the job doneand our cash incentives help make it affordable.

SAVE ENERGY. BRING US IN.

Visit www.energytrust.org/BringUsIn or call 1.866.605.1676.
Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power,
NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas.

When you join the Eugene Area

Chamber of Commerce, you become
part of a vibrant and prosperous
community of creative entrepreneurs,
forward-thinking innovators and
visionary business leaders. Were
pleased to welcome these new
members who have chosen to take
advantage of the Chambers tools,
resources and expansive network to
grow their businesses:

Your local business

banking partner.

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

AG Campus Housing
www.agcampushousing.com
Anjuna Medicine
www.anjunamedicine.com
APEX Professional Development
Network
Bags of Love
www.bagsofloveinc.org
Banner Bank (formerly Siuslaw
Bank)
www.bannerbank.com
Cascade Garden Equipment LLC
www.cascadegardenequipment.com
Cigars on 7th
ECCO Apartments
www.eccoApts.com

With SELCOs local team of business banking pros at your side,

youll be poised to reach new heights. Our commercial lending
team can help with:
Commercial Real Estate Loans
Commercial Term Loans
Commercial Construction Loans

SBA Loans
Business Lines of Credit
Merchant Services

Call, click or visit today.

selco.org / 800-445-4483
925 Harlow Road / Springfield

Environment Testing and Training

Northwest
www.ettnw.com
Essenemgy LLC
Eugene Active 20-30 Foundation/
Active 20-30 Club
www.eugene2030.org

2 2 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

NMLS #402847

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 5

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

23

BUSINESSNEWS
New members
continued from page 23

Rebath by Henderer Design & Build

www.eugenebathroomremodel.com

States Industries, LLC

www.statesind.com

Legal Shield, Independent

Associate
www.brandyrainey.
legalshieldassociate.com

Ryder System, Inc.

www.ryder.com

The Herbal Centre, LLC

www.leafly.com

Sam Evans
www.linkedin.com/in/samevans4

Uber Eugene
www.uber.com

LegalShield, Independent
Associate
www.joinjulianne.com

Silke Communications
www.silkecom.com

Vijay Vasam Adult Foster Home LLC

Lucky Noodle

Starbucks Coffee Company

Campus

McClure Real Properties

www.martinmcclure.bhhsrep.com
Noble Estate Vineyard & Winery
www.nobleestatewinery.com
Nordstrom Rack
shop.nordstrom.com

Starbucks Coffee Company- 18th

& Pearl

THANK YOU

Ward Insurance
www.wardinsurance.net
Wendy Gregory Photography- The
Studio
www.wendygregoryphotography.com
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Starbucks Coffee CompanyBroadway

Starbucks Coffee CompanyOakway

Northwest Community Credit

Union
www.nwcu.com

Starbucks Coffee Company- W. 11th

Ave

Paychex, Inc.
www.paychex.com

Starbucks Coffee CompanyWillamette

www.starbucks.com

Business News covers promotions,

hires, awards, business giving and
business news. Email items to
businessnews@eugenechamber.
com.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING CHAMBER MEMBERS

WHO SUPPORTED THE EUGENE CHAMBERS ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP DINNER, CELEBRATE BUSINESS 2015

PreseNTiNg sPONsOr: Summit Bank

FrieNds OF THe CHAmber TAble sPONsOrs:
Arnold Gallagher PC; Campbell Commercial Real Estate;
Cappelli Miles; Chambers Construction Co.; Eugene Area Radio Stations,
EARS; Eugene Police Employees Association; Evans Elder & Brown, Inc.,
Funk/Levis & Associates, Inc.; G Group, LLC; Gaydos, Churnside &
Balthrop PC; Hershner Hunter LLP; Hilton Eugene; Jones & Roth CPAs &
Business Advisors; KEZI 9; KVAL-TV; Lane Electric Cooperative, Inc.;
Oregon Community Credit Union; Pacific Benefit Consultants, Inc.;
PeaceHealth; PBP Insurance; PIVOT Architecture PC;
Selectemp Employment Services; Siuslaw Bank; Summit Bank;
Trillium Community Health Plan; University of Oregon; Wildish Companies
AddiTiONAl sUPPOrT PrOvided bY: Attic Media, Blue Bus
Creatives, Capitello Wines, Dandelions Flowers and Gifts, Funk/Levis &
Associates, Hilton Eugene & Conference Center, KVAL-TV, Ms. LadyBug
Gift Baskets, Noble Winery and Vineyards, Past Eugene First Citizens,
Sterling Graphics, The Duck Store

2 4 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

LAST CALL BY DAVE HAUSER

5 Airlines/10 Nonstop Destinations/Infinite Connections

Innovation vital to economic prosperity

he success of economic development in our region hinges on a number of

factors, yet among the most promising are efforts supporting innovation. Early-stage businesses
have higher productivity level and faster gains than their more mature competitors, and are more
likely to take risks that lead to new discoveries. They create approximately three million jobs in
the United States each year and employ a higher percentage of scientists, engineers and other
innovators than the labor market on average.

Offering higher-than-average wages

and room for advancement, these companies help their cities attract and retain
young, well-educated workers who are,
in turn, more likely to branch out and
start their own new ventures. For these
reasons and more, the Eugene Chamber
has made support of innovation and
entrepreneurship a key priority.
Eugene Chamber has served as a
partner in the launch of Regional Acceleration Innovation Network (RAIN).
RAIN is a state and local partnership
of governments, higher education, the
business community and entrepreneurs
designed to advance the formation and
growth of tech-based startups regionally.
RAIN Eugene, a partnership of the

university, the Eugene Area Chamber

of Commerce and local government,
operates the RAIN Eugene Accelerator
and associated RAIN Eugene programs.
The RAIN Eugene program will serve
as the foundation for an exciting new
Innovation Hub in downtown Eugene.
(see page 18) The Chamber was among
the leading advocates for the Innovation
Hub.
The Eugene Chamber also helps
connect early- and seed-stage businesses
with angel and venture investors through
as a co-producer of the Willamette
Angel Conference (WAC). Now in its
sixth year, the WAC has helped promising local businesses such as Cascade
Prodrug and Dune Science on their

2 6 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

path to success. Following this years

conference in May, the WAC will have
invested more than $1.5 million in new
ventures in the Willamette Valley while
identifying and connecting dozens of
angel investors.
Supporting entrepreneurship creates
new jobs, investment and a steady stream
of economic energy. After years of commitment and hard work by the Chamber
and many others there is an appreciable
level of momentum throughout the
start-up scene in Eugene/Springfield.
Madison Avenue advertising and
marketing veteran, Bill Blackman said
Great changes may not happen right
away, but with effort even the difficult
may become easy.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

PO Box 1107
Eugene, OR 97440-1107

Prepared
Anticipating the road
ahead with confidence
At Kernutt Stokes, we know that making informed
decisions is critical for financial success. John Mlynczyk,
and the team at Kernutt Stokes, can be your guide. Our
team is prepared to work with you to identify and meet
your specific needs.
Contact Kernutt Stokes to see what possibilities we can
find for your business.

Certified Public Accountants & Consultants

JOHN MLYNCZYK, PARTNER

1600 Executive Parkway, Suite 110, Eugene, Oregon 97401

541.687.1170 | kernuttstokes.com