Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC)

-Connect to and cleanse data from spreadsheets, data warehouses, cloud applications, and more

-Easily join data from multiple sources, and repair the process on demand using new data

-Perform preditive, statistical, and spatial analytics using an intuitive user interface, without writing code

Join us for a 1-day Digital First Responder class! A great way to train your IT staff in fundamental incident response and digital forensic preservation, and ramp up new incident responders quickly and cost-effectively. Includes an Incident Response tabletop exercise plus three hands-on labs, in which you will create a forensic image, preserve volatile memory, and capture network traffic.

Tuition: $495 (Register by May 31 for the Early Bird $50 Discount!)

Instructor: Karen Sprenger, COO of LMG Security

NOVITAS DATA will be sponsor the venue at the MAC in Downtown Portland

FORTINET will sponsor the cocktail party afterward.

Please join us for a two-part series of events on June 18th and August 5th as we explore the growing trend of using social media in a service setting. “How SOCIAL is Your Service”will cover in Part I, “The Risks and Rewards,”and in -- Part II, “Best Practices to Adopt and Worst Practices to Avoid.” Part I: How SOCIAL is Your Service Risks and rewards of using social media as a service medium There’s a lot of buzz around using social media to add a value to your service strategy, but it is not risk free. Did you know that in some cases "connecting" with a client on a social media site can destroy the confidential nature of your customer base? Are your web-based customer contacts trade secrets? How much risk are you willing to take as an organization? Are you even aware of the risks? What are the rewards? We have a panel of experts presenting information on the use of social media specific to services in a unique way and invite you to participate in this event. Panelists:

Jean Ohman Back, Attorney, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt- As a member of Schwabe’s Litigation Section and the Labor and Employment practice group, Jean advises employers about state and federal employment laws. Jean will discuss the legal risks for employers based on employee use of social media and how to mitigate risks when employees are not trained to understand the guidelines of what's appropriate. She will also share examples of where employees have misfired and what employers have done to manage damage control and avoid future risks.

Jeremy Solly, Social Media Manager, Cambia Health Solutions – As an experienced marketing strategist with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for utilizing innovative technology, Jeremy has spent his 7 years in online content curation, web development, email marketing, SEO, key account sales, social media strategy, and marketing and public relations for both the B2C and B2B industries. Jeremy will discuss why it’s important to give your customers the choice to use social as a vehicle to engage with your service department, even in industries with tight regulations and controls on data, such as the health care industry.

Adam Mertz, Sr. Director, Product Marketing, Jive Software - Adam has worked with hundreds of companies as they plan and implement social strategies. Adam leads Jive's go-to-market plans for the JiveX customer and partner community platform, and also works analysts focused on social for prospect, customer, partner and employee uses. Adam will discuss the enormous rewards that can come from changing the way companies engage customers. Adam will provide examples of companies effectively turning their customers into an extension of their support team, and in the process achieving double-digit percentage improvements in 3 key areas: 1) Lower support calls and cases 2) Higher customer satisfaction 3) Accelerated new and repeat sales

Details for Part I: How SOCIAL is Your Service – Risks and rewards of using social medial as a service medium When: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM Where: The Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR 97205 Cost: $35 Members, $55 Nonmembers

Series Sponsor:

Don’t forget to register for Part II: How SOCIAL is Your Service – Pros, cons, tips and tricks for setting up a successful social service strategy.

The landscape for compensation and corporate governance has been changing at a dramatic pace of the past several years, driven by a combination of greater public attention to governance practices over compensation combined with significant new regulations and increased calls for accountability from both boards management alike. Our panel will discuss some of the key trends that are critical for public companies as they navigate this rapidly changing landscape, and for private companies contemplating an IPO in their future.

Topics will include: Impact of recent "say on pay” results and how it is shaping decisions for public companies as well as those companies looking to go public Best practices in executive cash compensation and performance based equity design that will enable corporations to align compensation to business results and shareholder interests ISS and Glass Lewis major policy updates covering realizable pay and peer group selection methodology SEC policy and governance news including the implementation of Dodd-Frank, CEO to worker pay ratios and pay for performance disclosures An update on what is required to include in your proxy CD&A

Panelists: Tracy Bean, Partner, Mercer David Knopping, Partner, Radford Brit Wittman, CCP, CECP, Director of Executive Compensation, Intel Corporation Moderator: Aliza Scott, Vice President of Human Resources & Organizational Development, Tripwire, Inc.

Can smart wrist bands, digital shoes or intelligent sweat pants make us healthier? Do our smart phones hold the power to enable our physicians to provide improved treatment and drive better health outcomes? Patient engagement is all the rage, but quantified patients are using fitness devices and apps to collect and interpret extensive data to make better health decisions in growing numbers, and the technology community is there to meet the growing demand for new and smarter tools.

Join TAO and HIMSS Oregon for a pre-panel expo that will feature cutting edge personal fitness devices and health and fitness apps from companies like Nike, Fitbit and Athletepath that are driving the quantified self. Then hear from leaders that are helping to define the way devices and apps can go beyond fitness to address our biggest healthcare challenges.

Is the quantified self the next healthcare revolution?

Panelists:

• Dr. Margie Morris, Clinical Psychologist and Senior Researcher, Intel
• Christian Reed, Co-Founder, Athletepath
• Ben Chodor, Co-Founder, Happtique
• Bill Arzt, Chief Operations Officer and Co-Founder, GoRecess

Moderator:

• Jim Moon, Chief Technology Officer at Sotera Wireless

For more Information and to Register Click here

In today’s increasingly digital and connected world, every organization is constantly exposed to cyber and data security risks. The threat landscape is becoming more complex, and defense strategies that worked 10 years ago are no longer adequate. Join this expert panel as they share an innovative new approach to data security, explain the new risks that have emerged over the last decade, and offer practical advice for an effective defense strategy.

What Will You Learn?

• How the cyber threat landscape has change over the last 10 years and the implications for your defense strategy
• Fundamentals and best practices for a strong data security program
• Why it’s dangerous to think of cyber threats as "external”
• Why data security is no longer just an IT issue
• The new generation of data security tools
• Who the new players are in cyber crimes
• Developments in cyber risk insurance

Panelists:

• Charles Jennings, CEO, Swan Island Networks
• David Childers, CIPP, OCEG Fellow, CEO of Compli
• W. Wyatt Starnes, former VP and CTO, Cyber Harris Corporation
• Joe Shallenburger, Esq., General Counsel and Chief Patent Counsel, Cascade Microtech, Inc.

Moderator:

• JoAnn Kohl, Attorney at Lane Powell PC

Who Should Attend?

• Specialists in technology
• Compliance
• Risk management
• Legal
• IT

For more Information and to Register, Click here

Over the past few years, we have seen an explosion of acquisitions, investments, and corporate expansions in the Greater Portland Region. The arrival of new companies and entrepreneurs is continuing to make the region an attractive destination for tech professionals but demand for top talent continues to increase. As a region and as an industry, what can we do to improve our ability to recruit top talent and companies to the area?

On the evening of June 4, we invite you to join other technology company CEOs and CFOs as Erin Flynn, Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at Portland State University moderates a discussion on the recruitment of talent and companies to the region. Special guests include Patrick Quinton, Executive Director of the Portland Development Commission, Sean Robbins, CEO of Greater Portland Inc. and Aliza Scott, VP of Human Resources and Organizational Development at Tripwire, Inc.

Topics will include:

• Review of current efforts and identification of gaps
• Prioritization of most critical issues regarding the recruitment of talent and companies
• Discussion of regional marketing strategies, including best practices from other regions
• Action items for private, public, and nonprofit sectors

For more Information and to Register, Click here

Treating the three categories of IP (trademark, copyright, and design patent) as individual strategies is one way of protecting your IP however these same three categories can be used synergistically to create a cohesive IP policy that will provide greater protection overall.

Learn from Craig Morris, Managing Attorney for Trademark Outreach United States Patent and Trademark Office as he kicks off the Trademark, Copyright, and Design Patent Boot Camp on February 14th. Craig will give a general overview identifying the differences between the three categories as well as domain names and business registrations. He will discuss the basic process and strategy for protecting each, review basic considerations for each, and discuss how they should be used collectively for maximum protection.

Additional Topics: •To register or not to register •How to enforce? •Importance of selecting a strong mark, that is, both federally registrable and legally protectable •Whether an attorney should be used when doing the initial search •Potential grounds for the USPTO to refuse registration •What may happen if another trademark owner believes it has stronger rights •How to avoid scams perpetrated by companies the request fees for services not required by the USPTO

Concluding Craig Morris’s overview there will be three breakout sessions which will focus on how each category applies to one product, i.e. iPod, Nike shoes, Coke bottle, etc. The outcome of the sessions is to demonstrate how a design patent can and should be linked to trademark and copyright.

Small Group Breakout Sessions Design Patents Session: Leads: Katie Maksym, Nike and Brenna Leggard, Lane Powell LLP •How best to cover a product design with a design patent •What strategies can be employed to broaden and maintain coverage through small design iterations? •Strategies for extending coverage for functional features through the use of decorative features •Aspects of the design patent process that can tie in trademark or copyrights and how this can provide enhanced coverage of the product

Trademark Session: Leads: Jay Rafter, Stoel Rives LLP and Nate Moceri, Stoel Rives LLP •How best to integrate trademark into the actual product design •Can the design itself be a trademark? •Explanation of product configuration trade dress •What strategies can be employed to broaden coverage and maintain coverage over time? •Aspects of trademark that can tie in design or copyrights and how this can provide enhanced coverage of the product

Copyright Session: Leads: Jay Smith-Hill, Lane Powell LLP •Now that you have a design and trademark, how do you tell the world about it? •How can the use of copyrights extend the reach of a design over multiple media outlets (website, marcom, YouTube videos, etc.)? •Aspects of copyright that can tie in design or trademark and how this can provide enhanced coverage of the product

Who should attend?

• Engineers new to the IP System
• Engineering managers
• Marketing professionals
• Managers having IP responsibility
• Small business owners and entrepreneurs

Event Details: When: Thursday, February 14, 2013 Time: 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. - Networking and Breakfast 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Program, break-sessions and Q&A Where: TBD, Portland, OR Cost: $75 Members | $150 Nonmembers

Supporting Sponsor:
OTBC

The use of mobile technology is transforming the delivery of healthcare in the US and abroad. Join this diverse panel of m-health experts who will share trends they are observing in major healthcare markets ranging from Asia, to North America and Europe.

Discussion Topics Will Include: •Results of recent ethnographic and other market studies and impact on clinicians and coordinated care •Unique challenges and opportunities presented by mobile technologies •A sneak peak at the clinical environment of the future on a mobile device •Emerging trends

Panelists: •Rick Cnossen, Director, Worldwide Health Information Technology, Intel - Rick leads all of Intel's m-health initiatives •Cameron Ough, Director of Consumer Health IT Innovation, Cigna •Patrick Hennessy, Director Business Development West, Wavefront - a Canadian Center of Excellence focusing in mobile innovation

Event Details: When: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 Time: 7:30 - 9:00 AM Where: Multnomah Athletic Club, Portland OR Cost: $25 Members, $45 Non-Members Register: TAO 503-228-5452

Series Sponsor: Comcast Business Class

Event Sponsor International Trade Canada

IMC Oregon SW Washington Chapter General Meeting January 15, 2013, 7am - 9am

Alex Worten, Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Business Management

What you don't know about social media can hurt you

We know Social Media but do we understand where it will take us in the future? January’s presentation by MBA candidates from Willamette University’s Atkinson School of Business will give you an understanding of the trends in Social Media and how it will influence our client’s decision making in the future.

This presentation will provide a look at social media from a different point of view Join us for a stimulating presentation and opportunity to interact with the consultants of the future.

Agenda:

7:00am Registration & networking
7:30am Open & Breakfast
7:50am Announcments
8:00am Program
8:50am Wrap up
9:00am Dismiss

Members $30, Guests $40, At door $40 No refunds.

Operations Forum: M&A Series Part II

Part II of TAO’s M&A Series focuses on the buy-side of M&A transactions, with an emphasis on larger, private equity-backed software companies that have recently completed mergers or acquired smaller companies.

Moderator: Nitin Khanna, CEO, MergerTech

Panelists: · Ben Ertischek, CFO, Coaxis/Viewpoint · Steve Marsh, CEO, Smarsh · Navex Global (formerly EthicsPoint)

Click Here for more information and to Register.

About the Program: Last fall Moody’s lowered its economic outlook for 2012 citing political wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling and debt crisis in Europe. Unemployment and underemployment continue to plague the economy and impact capital markets. Yet, some trends are turning positive. What is the outlook for 2012 how does it influence corporate spending and appetite for capital markets?

Panelist: - Mike Millman, Managing Director, JP Morgan Capital Equity Markets, Technology, Media, and Telecom Equity Sector - Randall Hopkins, Senior Vice President, NASDAQ Capital Markets Open Market Exchange - Joe Morgan, Chief Investment Officer, Silicon Valley Bank Event will be moderated by Jeff DeBoer, Managing Director, University of Oregon, Finance and Securities Analysis Center

Some of the issues to be explored: • The US economy finished 2011 on a strong note. Jobs, spending, confidence, even industrial output all reflected an economy with some momentum. Can it continue in the first half of 2012 and beyond? • What principal themes are guiding market returns in 2012 and beyond? • Are banks lending again? How should companies raise capital? Is the IPO market back? • How should technology investors and companies plan for 2012?

Event Details: When: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Time: 7:30 – 9:30 AM (7:30 Breakfast and Networking, 8:00 AM Program and Q&A) Where: Multnomah Athletic Club, Portland, OR Fees: $35 TechAmerica and SAO Members, $55 Nonmember Technology Companies, $95 Nonmember Service Provider To Register: TechAmerica Oregon, (503) 624-4871

Thank you KPMG for sponsoring!

Generally acknowledged best practices for software development strongly favor co-location, but with mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing, and off-shoring the co-located team is becoming an endangered species. Teams now are commonly project-based and geographically distributed. How can we work effectively with team members in different physical locations?

Learn from key open source leaders that with the help of virtual teams produce some of the highest quality, most widely used software today. Come prepared to speak your mind, share your experience, listen and learn about working in a virtual team. If you are involved anywhere in the software development lifecycle, this event is for you.

What is an Unconference?

An Unconference is the inverse of a conference, in that there’s no predetermined, pre-set schedule, agenda, or speaker lineup. Utilizing the concept of OpenSpace, this unconference is the coming together of participants, with no predetermined agenda or program, to have an open discussion and share insight in a place where experts and beginners are equal. You won't be lectured at, rather you'll leave with a better understanding of a topic and the satisfaction of being heard outside Q&A time.

The OpenSpace methodology is carefully designed to elicit maximum involvement and creativity in a constructive atmosphere. It is also highly flexible so that the content is entirely determined by you -- the participants. This is not to suggest that the conference will not have content or outcomes, for there certainly will be both. Achievement in the meeting will be totally dependent upon individual and collective responsibility to make it happen. The content is what each person shares, and the outcome is what we will all create. The event will be inventive, creative, productive and full of surprises.

Capacity: 160 attendees

Audience: From executives whom are concerned with productivity, quality and cost management to product owners, analysts, developers, designers, and testers all who are attempting to share a single thought and build upon it.

Tickets | Volunteer

Cloud computing has become a big topic in the IT industry. Bolstered by inexpensive, available platforms, tools and support, more and more business are seeing the advantages and moving applications to "cloud” environments. As this transformation takes place, how does it change the way QA / Testing professionals approach verifying and validating that applications meet functional and non-functional requirements? What should QA be looking for in terms of performance, integration and security? What kinds and amount of testing will vendors be looking for before they accept an application into their environment? How much and what kind of testing will the hosting vendor perform before they allow an application to go "live”.

In this event a panel of experts from different companies focusing on cloud applications, will provide their perspectives and discuss questions and views posed by the attendees. This will be an interactive discussion – taking a deep dive into the topic and providing a forum for attendees and speakers to share insights and experiences. The intention is to raise awareness and knowledge and provide attendees an understanding of the key issues and approaches when their company considers moving applications to a cloud-based environment.

Bring your questions and/or experiences and be prepared for a great event.

Meet the Moderator Greg Lueck, Managing Partner, Centerstance

Meet the Presenters Lalli Varadh, Sr. Director, Quality Engineering, Salesforce.com

Rich Bader, President and Chief Executive Officer, EasyStreet Online Services, Inc.

Mike Kellis, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer ClaimVantage, Claim Process Management Software

Mark Gibson, Quality Assurance Engineer, Centerstance

About the Workshop: The twenty first century is a knowledge worker driven era. New methods of managing acquiring, nurturing and retaining talent will be essential for a competitive organization. In this half-day workshop, a series of presenters will bring tools every HR leader should have in their toolkit and executive should hear.

Session 1 (8:00 – 9:00 a.m.): From Start-Up to High-Growth: Shaping a Culture for Success The shift from a start-up culture has caused many promising companies to stumble. EthicsPoint president and CEO David Childers will present the step-by-step process his company took to consciously reconstruct its corporate culture. This two-year-long project has helped EthicsPoint exceed growth and revenue expectations and position itself for international expansion.

Session 2 (9:00 – 10:00 a.m.) Turning the Job They Have Into the Job They Want For many companies the downturn has stalled growth, which in turn has left employees feeling “stuck” in their jobs. This dissatisfaction can be especially difficult in technology companies where employees are attracted to working fast paced growth and changing environments. Via Skype, Dr. Jane Dutton from University of Michigan will share the Job Crafting Exercise, a low cost, powerful tool that the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship has developed.

Session 3 (10:15 – 11:15 a.m.) Performance Appraisals – The Next Act Few issues in management stir up more controversy than performance appraisal.

There are many reputable sources - researchers, management commentators, psychometricians - who have expressed doubts about the validity and reliability of the performance appraisal process. Some have even suggested that the process is so inherently flawed that it may be impossible to perfect it. At the other extreme, there are many strong advocates of performance appraisal. Some view it as potentially the most crucial aspect of organizational life (Lawrie, 1990). Dr. Steve Hunt will talk about how the performance management process is shifting from an administrative process used to justify pay decisions to a forward focused tool for enabling business execution.

Complete workshop information can be found here: http://www.techamerica.org/talentmanagementworkshop

Details: When: Thursday, September 30, 2010 Time: 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. Where: Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon St., Portland, Ore. Cost: $195 TechAmerica Members, $225 Nonmembers (Group rates available - email [email protected] for details)

Presented by the Software Association of Oregon's Marketing + Sales Forum & Social Media Club PDX

You are invited to join us for an exceptional keynote presentation followed by a Q&A session with a full panel of local collaboration and social media experts.

Agenda 5:30pm Registration opens, networking 6:15pm Program begins (welcome) 6:20pm Keynote with Richard Boly 6:45pm Panel Q&A 7:30pm Program ends

KEYNOTE: Embracing Social Media at the U.S. State Department: If the Oldest Federal Agency Can, Why Can’t You? The State Department is the oldest executive agency in the United States. Cold war secrecy created a need-to-know culture that impeded unofficial information sharing. State’s diplomatic corps is selected for risk aversion and trained to obtain many clearances and authorizations before officially transmitting information internally.

Then the end of the Cold War was followed by the East Africa embassy bombings and 9/11. The paradigm shifted. The lack of information sharing and collaboration meant that puzzle pieces remain scattered and threats were unidentified. In this shift, the State Department’s office of eDiplomacy was born.

Come find out how State Department has embraced lightweight social media tools behind the firewall to move from a need-to-know culture to need-to-share one.

Meet Richard Boly, Director of eDiplomacy, US Department of State Richard Boly is a career U.S. diplomat and currently the Director of the Office of eDiplomacy, an applied technology think tank for the United States Department of State. Previously, he was a National Security Affairs Fellow the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he launched the Global Entrepreneurship Program. He recently served in U.S. Embassy, Rome, where he developed and ran a program to promote entrepreneurship in Italy. Other embassy assignments include the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Paraguay. Richard is the most junior diplomat to win the Cobb Award for commercial diplomacy.

In a prior life, Richard was the first Presidential Management Fellow with the Inter-American Foundation, was a consultant with the Inter-American Development Bank, and founded and ran a shrimp hatchery in coastal Ecuador. He is a graduate of Stanford University and the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD.

Q&A Session Panelists Deb Bryant, GOSCON Director, Oregon State University Open Source Lab Rami Kassab, CEO, Typethink Skip Newberry, Economic Development Policy Advisor, Office of Mayor, City of Portland Stuart Cohen, CEO, Collaborative Software Institute Richard Boly, Director, Office of eDiplomacy at U.S. Department of State

Sponsors: Social Media Club of Portland, tw telecom, Webtrends

Multnomah Athletic Club 1849 SW Salmon St. Portland, OR 97 -

The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), Software Association of Oregon (SAO), Oregon Business Association (OBA) and the Portland Business Alliance are presenting the 2010 Gubernatorial Candidate Forums. Tech America will be a supporting organization for the forums

Oregon’s economy is facing great challenges. The state is struggling with serious budgetary shortfalls and that is exacerbated by an unemployment rate that is hovering above 10 percent. With the recent passage of measures 66 & 67 many Oregonians question what the impact will be for Oregon businesses. Policies that support and encourage business growth and economic development are a top-of-mind priority for many Oregonians. These candidate forums are intended to provide an opportunity for members of the business community to ask the candidates from each party what they would do to help support business and economic growth in Oregon.

The Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate forum will take place on Wednesday, April 7 at Portland General Electric’s auditorium located at 121 SW Salmon St, 2WTC in Portland. It will feature Democratic candidates Bill Bradbury (www.bradburyfororegon.com) and John Kitzhaber, (www.johnkitzhaber.com).

The Republican Gubernatorial Candidate forum will take place on Tuesday, April 27 at 1849 SW Salmon St. in Portland. It will feature Republican candidates Allen Alley (www.allenalley.com and Chris Dudley (www.chrisdudley.com).

Tickets are required for onsite attendees and individual live stream access. Registration is recommended for satellite venues.

The gubernatorial candidate forum will be held prior to the primaries and will be moderated by Laural Porter of KGW News (twitter.com/lauralkgw). Check-in begins at 4:00PM. The program will begin at 4:30 PM and will run to 6:00 PM. Tickets are $20 for members of presenting or supporting organizations and $40 for non-members. We encourage attendees to pre-register online using the link below.

The forums will be streamed live over the web. Individual web stream tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance, but business community members outside of the Portland area may attend a satellite event in their local area at no charge.

For more information about the forums, or to register for either of these events, please go to:

Democratic Candidates Forum: www.sao.org/event/dgp

Republican Candidates Forum: www.sao.org/event/rgp

Follow the discussions on twitter: #pdxGDP & #pdxRGP.

Sponsored by TechAmerica, the Social Networks and the Enterprise Unite event will showcase how technology company leaders and employees are establishing a new set of best practices to mine, measure and apply online social networking in the technology industry. April 1 at 7:30 a.m. at Multonomah Athletic Club. TechAmerica Members $125, nonmembers $175.

When you select an organic Honeycrisp apple from the grocery store, you know what you’re buying. Things start to get murky when choosing a new HD flatscreen television. And when it comes to health care purchasing? To many, it’s a whole new set of rules. During this, the second of a four-part series on health reform elements, we’ll examine what it means to purchase health care.

Models for large public sector purchasers, like the Public Employees’ Benefit Board, exist to facilitate the process and provide a clear set of benefits for a group of employees. What lessons can be learned from this model for other purchaser sectors? The Oregon Health Fund Board plan proposes an insurance exchange—what does this mean for local insurers and how will it affect individuals purchasing a health plan? How can communities, collectively, begin to understand how informed purchasing can improve health and encompass more than health insurance?

Moderator: Seth Garber, MD, Physician Consultant, Mercer Human Resources

Panelists: Barbara Christenson, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Providence Health & Services Lynn-Marie Crider, Public Policy Specialist, SEIU Local 49 Eileen Drake, Vice President, Administration and Legal Affairs, PCC Structurals Inc. Joan Kapowich, Administrator, Public Employees’ Benefit Board and Oregon Educators Benefit Board

Keiretsu Forum Portland/Oregon goes beyond simply funding start-ups. It is a community of private equity investors, business leaders and entrepreneurs. We provide invaluable contacts, serve on boards, and provide strategic alliances to our entrepreneurs. Keiretsu Forum also provides high calibre speakers addressing investment topics. Our members are CEOs, VCs, active private equity investors and serial entrepreneurs.

We enjoy close relationships with VC firms, investment banking institutions, universities, and government institutions. These associations enable what is termed “swarm intelligence” and facilitate access to talent, technology and resources to establish a successful venture.

The Credit Crisis--Causes, Effects & Actions Necessary

The credit crisis started by the housing market mortgage fiasco has now escalated into a financial market crisis and bailout but that has led to a consumer spending drop, which has led to big unemployment announcements, which has led to a further drop in all corporate values and further credit crisis due to loss of investment value and liquidity. It is dramatically effecting companies of all sizes and their ability to get loans and equity, to fund development, to fund growth, to pay bills, and to maintain employment levels.