Clark County PubTalk has settled into a high-energy groove as the focal point for local entrepreneurial creativity, and next week’s networking event should be no exception.
The year’s final PubTalk is scheduled for Tuesday — a break from the usual routine of Wednesday sessions. The focus will be on business pitches from four local entrepreneurs based in Southwest Washington and Portland, including three companies specializing in software and mobile apps.
Each entrepreneur will make a seven-minute pitch, followed by questions from the audience. But instead of the usual PubTalk format in which presentations are followed by a critique from a panel of expert judges, the audience will have an opportunity to invest play money in the company of their choice. The entrepreneur that raises the most money by the end of the night will receive a gift basket.
The companies making pitches are:
• Knowledge Vault, of Ridgefield, which offers a private social network for sharing, teaching and learning.
• Irrigation Accessories Co., of Vancouver, a provider of innovative irrigation solutions.
• Mobile Warrior, of Vancouver, developer of mobile apps for trucking and transportation.
• Dwellingo, of Portland, a developer of real estate software.
PubTalk is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Fort Vancouver Artillery Barracks, 600 E. Hatheway Road. Cost is $20 in advance and $30 at the door. Registration is available through one of the event sponsors, the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Center.
PubTalk events typically are held five times a year. In the three years of its existence, PubTalk has given exposure to 35 startups, and nine of those have received some funding through the program, according to the Columbia River Economic Development Council.
That organization has established a goal in its five-year capital campaign of providing capital for four emerging companies each year, said Bonnie Moore, the council’s director of business services. The CREDC also is working to build strong connections between entrepreneurs and funders, she said.
