Innovative entrepreneurs and small businesses from rural Benton and Linn counties will present business concepts and deliver product demonstrations at a special event set for Thursday, June 8 in Lebanon.
The REAL Entrepreneurs Showcase will host the free event in partnership with RAIN Catalysts and support from Business Oregon from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Best Western Premier Boulder Falls Inn (505 Mullins Drive, Lebanon).
Communities of REAL (Rural Economic Alliance) include Adair Village, Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Monroe, Philomath, Sweet Home and Tangent.
More information, including a full schedule, and an online RSVP form can be found on the RAIN Catalysts website. Preregistration is encouraged, organizers said.
Guests can enjoy complimentary refreshments, free product samples, networking time and a keynote address by Ellen Yin, podcaster and founder of Cubicle to CEO. Leaders from Business Oregon will speak to recent initiatives aimed to boost entrepreneurship in the region.
Organizers said that the exhibiting companies represent a wide range of industries and all corners of Benton and Linn counties, including makers of fine arts like That Place in the Country from Harrisburg, food manufacturing like Corylus Farms in Lebanon, to health-tech companies like IonBottles of Adair Village.
Yin is a business coach and entrepreneur who helps online coaches and service providers grow their businesses.
The Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN Catalysts) is nonprofit organization established in 2014 to reduce barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation for underrepresented populations and communities.
For those with questions, contact Nate Conroy at nate@raincatalysts.org.