Photo Credit: Joshua Purvis, IG: @j.kendallphotography
Oregon Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN), recipients of the 2016 OEDA Outstanding Collaborative Partnership Award, joined forces with the City of Florence, Lane County and the SBDC at Lane Community College in 2015 to foster development of a local innovation economy. Since then, RAIN has activated the Oregon mid-coast entrepreneurial ecosystem through education and networking events, mentor connections, and facilitating access to capital.
Team Effort
- RAIN spearheaded a joint effort to host the region’s first-ever Startup Weekend, July 13-14, 2018 in Florence. Fifty entrepreneurs and mentors chose to spend a beautiful summer weekend inside working on innovative business solutions — proving that rural communities, especially on the Oregon Coast, are eager to launch startups and participate in the innovation economy.
Community Benefit
- Between October 2015 and April 2018, RAIN-assisted companies from Oregon’s mid-coast region have generated $486,178 in revenue, raised $77,500 in capital, and created 55 jobs.
- RAIN has assisted 61 companies, used 78 mentors and guided 11 entrepreneurs through a 12-week pre-accelerator program.
Click here to download RAIN’s Case Study on Rural Entrepreneurship