EDCO - Economic Development for Central Oregon

08/28/2026

Member Spotlight: Access to capital can make all the difference when a business is ready to grow. Celtic Capital has spent more than 40 years helping small and mid sized businesses secure flexible financing when traditional lending may not be the right fit. Their asset based lending solutions provide working capital for companies navigating growth, expansion or more complex financial situations.

As an EDCO member, Celtic Capital brings valuable financial expertise to the Central Oregon business community. Access to the right capital helps businesses pursue opportunities, invest in their operation, and create jobs, making financing partners like Celtic Capital an important part of a thriving regional economy.

08/26/2026

**What happens when a company says, “We need more space”?**

For a growing Central Oregon business, expansion can involve a lot more than finding an empty building.

EDCO works with companies to understand what they need, then helps connect the dots around things like available sites, infrastructure, workforce, financing and local resources.

We also work with communities and property owners to understand what’s available and where future development makes sense.

It’s one of the less visible parts of our work, but helping an existing Central Oregon company make its next move can mean more investment, more jobs and a stronger local economy.

08/21/2026

Member Spotlight: White Summers Caffee & James brings a distinctly entrepreneurial perspective to the practice of law. The boutique firm works with founders, scaling companies, investors, and established businesses, providing legal counsel alongside the strategic guidance needed to navigate growth and complex transactions. With an international network and teams across the U.S. and Europe, they help innovative companies tackle challenges that extend well beyond traditional legal work.

As an EDCO member, White Summers adds valuable expertise to Central Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, supporting the businesses and founders helping shape our region’s future.

08/19/2026

Sometimes our job is to know who to call.

A business trying to expand may need a workforce partner. A company looking for a new location may need help understanding available sites. An entrepreneur may be looking for funding. A manufacturer may need to navigate a challenge that doesn’t fit neatly into one agency or program.

EDCO works across that network every day.

We connect businesses with the people, organizations and resources that can help them move forward, whether that means making an introduction, finding information or getting the right people around the table.

We don’t have to provide every answer. We need to know where to find it.

08/14/2026

Member Spotlight: SheShatters is tackling one of the biggest challenges facing today’s workforce: burnout. Founded by Hannah Austin, the organization helps professionals, teams and leaders build resilience and create healthier, more sustainable ways of working. Through speaking, education, and resources like the Burn Brightly Podcast and her book *Hello, Head, Meet Heart*, Hannah brings practical ideas to a conversation that matters for businesses of every size.

As an EDCO member, SheShatters brings an important perspective to our business community. Supporting the people behind our organizations helps create stronger workplaces and a healthier, more sustainable economy in Central Oregon.

08/13/2026

Tickets are officially on sale for the 23rd Annual Bend Venture Conference!

Join entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and innovators from across the country in Bend on October 15 and 16 for two days of big ideas, bold pitches and meaningful connections.

This is where Central Oregon’s startup community comes together, and you’ll want to be in the room.

Get your tickets now and be part of BVC 2026.

08/07/2026

Member Spotlight: Water is one of Central Oregon's most valuable resources, and Deep Green Technologies is helping communities use it more wisely. The company develops intelligent irrigation solutions that help builders, property owners and communities maintain healthy landscapes while dramatically reducing water use. By combining engineering with practical landscape expertise, Deep Green Technologies is creating smarter infrastructure that supports long term resilience across the West. As an EDCO member, they're advancing innovation that benefits both our economy and our environment.

08/06/2026

What if the future of housing could be built differently?

Sisters based Boxkill is exploring that question through advanced manufacturing. Founded by Paul Rawlins and Andrew Schar, the company is developing compact modular homes built from precision engineered metal components designed to simplify construction and create more efficient housing options.

The company recently completed its first 230 square foot prototype, marking an important milestone as it moves its vision from concept into reality.

Boxkill is also part of a larger story in Sisters. Co-founder Paul Rawlins previously worked in business development at Laird Superfood, and today the company is developing its housing solutions from the former Laird facility.

EDCO has supported Boxkill's growth by helping connect the founders with investors, regional partners and community leaders as the company navigates the path from prototype to production.

The company recently opened its doors during EDCO's Made in Sisters Tour, giving the community a firsthand look at how local manufacturing innovation is being applied to one of today's biggest challenges.

08/03/2026

The road to the Bend Venture Conference starts here.

Join us at September's Central Oregon PubTalk as 10 promising Early Stage companies take the stage to pitch live for a chance to advance to the 2026 Bend Venture Conference and one will walk away with a $5,000 cash prize from Washington Trust Bank. It is an opportunity to see Oregon's next generation of entrepreneurs before they reach the BVC stage and to help decide who moves on.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, investor, business leader or simply curious about the region's innovation community, this is one of the most exciting PubTalks of the year.

Come connect with founders, hear fresh ideas and be part of the journey from first pitch to the Pacific Northwest's largest angel investment conference.

Register today and join us on September 24 at Worthy Brewing.

08/03/2026

Thank you for having our CEO, Jon Stark, on the show. We appreciate the opportunity to share the story of economic development in Central Oregon. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Listen to our interview with EDCO - Economic Development for Central Oregon CEO Jon Stark to learn what economic development looks like in one of Oregon's fastest growing regions. And learn how Prineville's focus on data centers helped turn the city's economy around.

https://redcircle.com/shows/c08bb6a3-8baf-4b88-b30d-f1fc9e957196/ep/e9ee8883-2a9a-41ef-81ef-b2881eac15c4