Responding to the changing needs of the entrepreneurship community, the Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) is re-branding its popular PubTalk series under the name Grow Clark County.
When the organization started PubTalk in 2008, it provided networking opportunities and business showcases that gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their ideas, learn from their peers and connect with others in Clark County’s business community. The new program will continue to do just that, but with a fresh perspective and a stronger acknowledgement of the high-tech cluster that is developing in this area.
“PubTalk has been the pre-eminent entrepreneurship programming in our region for the last six years,” said Max Ault, CREDC business development manager. After six successful years, Ault said, “It was time to go back to our entrepreneurship community, ask what they wanted and how we could deliver it, and ensure our programming continued to remain relevant, stimulating, engaging and useful.” From that feedback, the CREDC developed Grow Clark County to improve its programming and meet the needs of its stakeholders.
Grow Clark County kicks off on April 22, with an entrepreneurship and startup showcase at the Vancouver Business Journal’s Business Growth Awards. At this annual event that highlights longtime businesses as well as startups, the Grow Clark County component will, according to Ault, feature “Clark County’s fastest-growing and pioneering businesses.”
Tickets to that event are available online at www.vbjusa.com.
Three more events over the course of the year will do similar work in different settings. June and September will be hosted by GarageGames and Pure Imagination, respectively. These evening programs will include networking and program presentations.
“These programs,” Ault said, “will focus on the growing prevalence on the ‘Internet of Things,’ and building a strong and cohesive high-tech and entrepreneurship cluster in Clark County.”
The program’s November event will be held in conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week.
“Grow Clark County will bring together educators, students and entrepreneurs,” Ault said, “to highlight the strong connection between our education system and enterprise to commercialize technology and build a strong and dynamic workforce pipeline.”
All of the Grow Clark County events will feature company and product tours, networking over food and drink, and interactive presentations.
“We are excited,” Ault said, “to continue offering relevant industry programming and provide opportunities for our most exciting and groundbreaking startups to pitch their products and interact with businesses and resources that can help their business grow and flourish.”
Grow Clark County events will be open to the public and registration will be available on the CREDC website, www.CREDC.org. Information about the April 22 kickoff will be available soon, and information and registration for the June event will be available May 1.
