Collaborative EDO

🔥 Have a business idea you’re ready to bring to life?

PubTalks is coming to the newly renovated Smitty’s in City of Veneta, Oregon for a FREE evening devoted to turning big ideas into real businesses!

Join us to:

🤝 Connect with local entrepreneurs and business resources
🌶️ Hear a founder pitch from Shannon Baldwin of House of Ember
💡 Get practical guidance on the legal, financial and strategic decisions involved in starting and growing a business.

Peter Thorsson of Palo Alto Software and the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business will moderate an all-star panel featuring:

☕ Dr. Clare Fowler, odr.com and Cup of Joe
⚖️ Ben Kearney, ARNOLD GALLAGHER PC
❤️ DeAnna Townsend, Mid Lane Cares
📊 Nate West, CPA, Jones & Roth CPAs and Business Advisors

Whether you have a business idea, a growing side hustle or questions about your next step, this conversation is for you.

📅 Tuesday, September 29
⏰ 4:00 to 6:00 PM
📍 Smitty’s in Veneta
🎟️ Details and registration: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/collaborativeedo/2381876

Know someone who should be in the room? Tag them below or share this post with your network!

Thank you to our friends and partners!

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Lane Workforce Partnership, Lane Small Business Development Center, City of Veneta, Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network, Cascades West Innovation Hub, SCORE Mentors



*PubTalks is a registered trademark of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

🌟 This is what investing in Lane County’s future looks like.

Collaborative EDO was thrilled to get a sneak peek at the new Eugene Youth HUB, a welcoming space where young people can find career and education guidance, essential resources, and a community ready to support them.

Strong workforce development begins long before someone submits their first job application. It starts by ensuring young people have the stability, tools, connections, and encouragement they need to imagine what is possible and take their next step.

Congratulations to Connected Lane County, Ophelia's Place, A Family For Every Child, and the many partners bringing this incredible resource to life. We cannot wait to see the Youth HUB’s impact across our community!

🎉 Grand opening: Saturday, September 26
📍 44 West 7th Avenue, Eugene

☕ TOMORROW: Coffee, connections, and fresh ideas are brewing!

Startup Coffee Meetup is back from summer break and settling into a brand-new home at the Lane Community College SBDC Downtown Campus.

Whether you’re building a business, exploring an idea, supporting local founders, or simply looking to connect with Eugene’s entrepreneurial community, pull up a chair and join us.

📅 Thursday, September 10
⏰ 9:00–10:00 AM
📍 Lane Community College SBDC Downtown Campus - 101 W 10th Ave, Eugene

FREE to attend, NO registration required!

Bring your questions, and your ideas. We’ll bring the community. See you tomorrow!



Lane Workforce Partnership, Lane Small Business Development Center, Cascades West Innovation Hub

This is what investing in the future of our regional economy looks like. 👏

When students have access to modern CTE spaces, hands-on learning, and clear pathways into local careers, everyone benefits. Stronger students. Stronger employers. Stronger communities.

We’re excited to see this investment taking shape in Creswell and the opportunities it will create for the next generation of Lane County’s workforce.

A BIG WIN FOR FLORENCE!

🏠 What happens when housing and childcare move forward together? The City of Florence, Oregon just gave us a great example.

Collaborative EDO was proud to celebrate the ribbon cutting for Elm Park Apartments and the Elm Park Early Learning Center in Florence.

This project brings 32 affordable homes to the community alongside an early learning center with space for nearly 80 children, helping address two of the biggest challenges facing working families and employers across our region.

Because economic development is about more than attracting businesses.

It is about making sure people can live, work, raise families and build a future in the communities they call home.

Projects like Elm Park strengthen the foundation that makes economic growth possible by expanding access to housing, childcare and opportunity all in one place.

👏 Congratulations to the many partners who helped turn this vision into reality. We were thrilled to be there to celebrate this important investment in Florence’s future.



PIVOT Architecture, Business Oregon, Head Start, Siuslaw Vision, Banner Bank, The Ford Family Foundation, PeaceHealth, Housing & Community Services (OHCS), Lane Workforce Partnership

📣SAVE THE DATE: Make It Official
A Veneta PubTalk on Business Formation

Have a business idea? Building something new? Curious what it really takes to turn an idea into an official venture? 🚀

Join us for an evening of networking, bold local pitches, practical business formation insights, great food, and even better connections.

📅 Tuesday, September 29
⏰ 4:00 to 6:00 PM
📍 The new Smitty’s in Veneta
🎟️ FREE to attend

🎤 Hear pitches from local entrepreneurs, then dive into a conversation about launching a business with moderator Peter Thorsson of Palo Alto Software, and University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business.

💡The panel will feature attorney Ben Kearney of ARNOLD GALLAGHER PC , Nate West, CPA of Jones & Roth CPAs and Business Advisors, and local founders ready to share what you should know before making it official.

🤝 Come for the ideas and stay for the connections.
🍔 Explore Smitty’s new food trucks.
🍻 Grab a drink at the bar.
✨ Meet local founders, business leaders, and people who can help move your next idea forward

Fresh ideas. Local founders. Real connections. Save the date, registration coming soon! 👀

Lane Small Business Development Center, Cascades West Innovation Hub, Lane Workforce Partnership, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network, SCORE Mentors, City of Veneta, WorkSource Lane



*PubTalks are a registered trademark of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

This throwback looks back at one of the many partnership wins from the past year.
Bridge Lane brought the community together in a big way at the Florence Events Center.

With 50 plus resource providers and hiring employers in the room, the energy was focused, collaborative, and all about creating real pathways to opportunity across the region. Hosted by Collaborative Economic Development Oregon, the event connected job seekers with employers ready to hire, while also surrounding attendees with the support services needed to succeed, from training and education to housing, transportation, and beyond. It was a powerful example of what happens when partners align around shared goals. Events like Bridge Lane continue to show the strength of regional collaboration and the impact of meeting people where they are.

Healthcare decisions made today will shape access, affordability, and our workforce for years to come.

That is why we are bringing healthcare providers, employers, community leaders, elected officials, and Lane County residents together for the **Future of Healthcare Forum**.

This interactive evening will explore some of the biggest issues affecting healthcare in our region, including:

🩺 HR1 and its potential impact on funding, OHP, workforce, and community health
🩺 CareFirst and Corporate Practice of Medicine
🩺 Access, affordability, administrative burdens, and provider operations
🩺 The economic impact of a healthcare system under pressure

This is your opportunity to hear directly from local experts, ask questions, and help ensure Lane County’s experiences and priorities are part of the conversation heading into Oregon’s 2027 legislative session.

📅 Tuesday, August 4
🕠 5:30–8:00 PM
📍 McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, Rogue Room
🍽️ Food and beverages provided by Trillium Community Health Plan

Healthcare affects every family, employer, and community. **Your voice belongs in the room.**

Seats are limited & Registration is required!
REGISTER TODAY! >>> https://buytickets.at/collaborativeedo/2270170



Lane Workforce Partnership , Lane County Medical Society , McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center