The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

The Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC) and the Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) have partnered with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) to bring a vital connection in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship to Southwest Washington. The proven PubTalk© model regularly brings together: entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and members of the community interested in fostering business innovation and growth.

PubTalk©, now held the on third Thursday bi-monthly (except for July, August, and December), combines educational content with networking in a comfortable setting to encourage entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs, an opportunity to discover best practices and tap into the local resource-pool.

The events offer enriching content such as panels of successful entrepreneurs, investors or business experts and “pitch night.” At pitch night, entrepreneurs have an opportunity to present their business to the audience and receive real-time feedback on their products, services, business model, marketing strategy, or other integral business components. The objective is to leverage the strength and experience of the community providing an invaluable and non-threatening learning opportunity.

Directed by the PubTalk© committee, the dedicated team has seen the event grow in appeal and value, and has attracted a rich audience that plays an important role in local economic development.

About the PubTalk© committee:

Comprised of seasoned business professionals representing both the public and private sector, the PubTalk© committee was spearheaded by Lisa Nisenfeld, executive director of SWWDC. The seed was planted when Nisenfeld realized local venture capitalists were big proponents of OEN/PubTalk. Couple this with the large pool of highly-educated and skilled, unemployed engineers and her idea became a reality. “It’s one small way to spur job development in our region,” says Nisenfeld.

Committee members include:

• Bob Bates, Director of Research and Graduate Education, WSUV;
• Richard Biggs, CEO, Atlantric;
• Bill Dudley, Director, Landerholm, Memovich, Lansverk & Whitesides, P.S.;
• Mark Fleischauer, Vice President, JH Kelly;
• Eric Fuller, President, Eric Fuller & Associates;
• Janet Harte, Certified Business Advisor, WSUV Small Business Development Center;
• Betsy Henning, Principal, AHA!;
• Mark Mahan, President, Cogent Solutions;
• Keith McPhun, Director of Manufacturing, nLight Corporation;
• Carlos Gonzalez, SCORE;
• Stan Muir, H.Stanley Muir III PLLC;
• Lisa Nisenfeld, Executive Director, SWWDC; and
• Bonnie Moore, Director of Business Services, SWWDC & CREDC.

Committee staff:

Maria Swanson; Pubtalk Event Coordinator

The group meets the Thursday following each Clark County PubTalk and as needed to discuss current events, strategy and the content/format that will best serve the audience.

Become a Sponsor:

Thank you to the following current and past sponsors for your ongoing support:

• Landerholm, Memovich, Lansverk & Whitesides, P.S.;
• JH Kelly
• Eric Fuller & Associates
• Bullivant Houser Bailey PC
• Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
• Talbot, Korvola & Warwick, LLP
• First Independent Bank, Vancouver
• Rylander Law & Associates
• Blind Onion. Pizza & Pub
• O'Shansky's Pub Vancouver
• English Estate Winery
• Spot Color Studio
• eCameron, Inc.
• Search Engine Academy North West
• Atlantric llc
• TRL Media
• H.Stanley Muir III PLLC
• WideAngle Studios
• Chris Bidleman Photography

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Maria Swanson 678-314-6228 or or mdcswanson@gmail.com

A special thank you also goes out to AHA! and their amazing staff for graciously hosting these events.