About
$32,354
318
The Short Story
We're asking you to join us as we create Built Oregon, a platform designed to celebrate the statewide network of entrepreneurs and innovators building Oregon.
With your help, we can afford to build a website designed to highlight stories of founders and companies through compelling narrative and engaging content -- with a distinct focus on storytelling, both written and interactive. Our events will allow you to experience those stories -- and meet those entrepreneurs -- firsthand.
Built Oregon tells stories. Stories that inspire entrepreneurs. Stories that create connections between business and support organizations. Stories that increase awareness of companies around our state. Stories to be shared beyond our state lines.
With your support, we will be able to tell these uniquely Oregon stories and create a new online home for our collaborative startup ecosystem.
We're doing this because we believe in Oregon entrepreneurs. And we're hoping you'll join us.
Why Built Oregon?
The Oregon story of innovation and entrepreneurship is one of passion, inspiration, perspiration, dedication, and collaboration. It’s one that is focused on craft and attention to detail. Whether that craft involves food, technology, or life sciences. From Ashland to Baker City to Astoria, Oregonians get up every day, looking to seize opportunities; opportunities that drive the state’s economy, and more importantly, our local communities.
These activities, however, go largely unrecognized. These stories are rarely told. And because of that there is a lack of awareness about what is happening in every corner of Oregon. Even when we do see these stories, they tend to be focused primarily on the larger cities and a small segment of industries. But innovation and entrepreneurship are not constrained to areas with a certain population; by a particular demographic; or by a geographic region. These stories span our entire state.
There needs to be another voice to tell these stories. The stories that are happening from Hillsboro to the Wallowas. The stories that span many industries, from medical advances to new types of paddle equipment.The stories of struggles, as well as successes.
Your stories.
Built Oregon will be the platform to feature these stories. To give them the attention and care they deserve. To craft the story of Oregon.
Content Focus
The content within Built Oregon will be focused around three key elements: supporting statewide entrepreneurship, instigating conversations, and connecting regions and companies. We will support, instigate, and connect the people and places of Oregon, across the state and all industries.
Support & Awareness
Innovation is happening throughout Oregon, from next generation drone technology to sustainable ranching to best of class cycling rims.
Built Oregon will support entrepreneurs throughout our state by being a continual voice championing what they are doing, shining a light on individual regions, and revealing the economic impact these entrepreneurs and their companies are having all across Oregon.
Instigate & Inspire
Through our stories and reporting, we will look to be an instigator for the entrepreneurial ecosystem by discussing new ideas and evolving conversations. Our aim is to instigate conversations, discuss statewide economic drivers, and inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs.
Connect & Accelerate
Our state is diverse, from the geographic regions and landscapes to the innovations and trends happening in each area. Through stories and events, Built Oregon aims to better connect a statewide network of entrepreneurs, doers, accelerators, and support organizations in order to accelerate the collaborative economy in Oregon, both online and in person.
Our Brand Promise
Connect and collaborate. Instigate to accelerate. Support and promote.
Those are at the core of Built Oregon’s brand promise.
We also know that that one voice like Built Oregon cannot be the only change agent. Your collective voices and determination will define this collaborative ecosystem. Your local economies will drive the overall state’s ability to accelerate. Your stories will inspire the next wave of doers.
Over a craft beer, Oregon pinot noir, or local coffee, you are building Oregon. Built Oregon will be the vehicle to tell your stories, and we want you to play a part.
What is Built Oregon?
With your help, Built Oregon will begin as a long-form digital magazine, crafted by storytellers around the state. We will publish a variety of stories, across disciplines, on a monthly basis. And we'll highlight Oregon startups and entrepreneurs with short-form stories from week to week.
While the majority of the written content will be freely available, members of Built Oregon will receive premium content, additional video, audio, and photographs, and special invitations to join us for Built Oregon events throughout the state.
What Built Oregon Will Cover
- Startup and entrepreneurship stories in Technology, Consumer Products, Food & Beverage, Digital & Interactive, Bio/Life Science, Sustainability, Education, and Family Business.
- Innovations and the entrepreneurial spirit that is happening within some of Oregon’s most established companies.
- In-depth stories on trends and industries that are changing the game here in Oregon.
- Extended conversations with company founders and disrupters.
- Columns from some of the leading voices in Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Economic insight on how entrepreneurship is effecting economic development in regions throughout the state.
Who We Are
How We Will Use The Funding
Great storytelling is compelling, memorable, and engaging. But in order to publish stories that meet that mark on a consistent basis, we will need to hire exceptional talent, including journalists, writers, photographers, videographers, designers, and other creatives. They deserve to be compensated for their work.
Your support will enable us to successfully launch Built Oregon, publish two issues (November 2014 and December 2014), and give us the head start we need to build our member and sponsor communities. With your backing, we will have the resources we need to rapidly become a self-sustaining project while enabling us to expand beyond publishing stories to providing more opportunities to connect Oregonians.
Here’s a breakdown of how we’ll spend the $20,000:
- Kickstarter & Amazon (which takes 10%): $2,000
- Editorial (planning, writing, copyediting, proofreading): $10,000
- Design & Production (web development, hosting, graphics, photos): $4,000
- Promotion (video, launch party, backer rewards, advertising, etc): $4,000
The Big "Thank You"s
A core part of this project has been the video you watched at the top of this page. That video was a collaboration among some very talented Oregon companies and people.
Fourpoint Media - They listened to the crazy concept we had for the video -- film 30+ companies from all over Oregon to show the diversity and collaboration that is happening -- and ran with the vision and storytelling from there. Their team traveled around our state with us to take our vision and turn it into a compelling video story about Oregon.
Pinky Gonzales - A true entrepreneur, investor, and passionate advocate for the startup community, Pinky provided the voiceover for the video.
Dan Sandowsky - Dan provided the video script, which drove many of the elements in the video.
Morange Design - The designers of the Built Oregon logo, social media graphics, and splash page.
Sincerely Truman - The folks at Sincerely Truman were kind enough to let us film their space and use their sound room to record the voiceover.
Alia Farah – An active performer and music teacher in Portland, Alia graciously contributed a day of her time to play the “guitar player” role in our video.
In addition to the folks mentioned above, the video featured the following companies and organizations, located throughout the state. We would like to say thanks to all of them...again....for taking the time to play a part.
-
10 Barrel Brewing
- ADX
- Agrarian Ales
- Al's Den
- Alma Chocolate
-
Apple Music
- Bluebird Bakers
- Brammo
-
Brazi Bites
- Breedlove Guitars
- Burley
- Cairn
-
Clear Creek Distillery
-
Fertilab
-
The Flybook
-
Full Sail Brewing
- Green Zebra Grocery
- Hubris Apparel
-
Hydroflask
-
Kelley’s Jelly
-
KitchenCru
-
Masala Pop
- Nossa Familia Coffee
-
OHSU
-
Olympic Provisions
- ONAMI
-
OTRADI
-
Pfriem Brewery
-
Pocket Fuel
-
Point 97
- Radish Underground
-
RAIN Corvallis
- RAIN Eugene
-
Red Wagon Creamery
-
Reed LaPlant Studio
- Republic of Jam
-
Ruffwear
-
Sawyer Paddles
- Shurky Jurky
-
Sincerely Truman
-
SnapLaces
- Street 14 Coffee
Reward Details
Membership
- Access to premium content on Built Oregon
- Member exclusive emails and updates
- Early and discounted access to Built Oregon branded events
- Access to the Built Oregon "Co-Op" (proposed)
- Personal knowledge that you support Oregon's entrepreneurial ecosystem
Hats
So you want to keep truckin' along? We dig it and will send you a nice 6-panel trucker hat with the Built Oregon logo on it. The hats will be embroidered by the local company Portland Apparel.
Oregon Wood Cut
Custom cut and laser engraved with the Built Oregon logo, this wood cut of the state of Oregon will show your dedication to building Built Oregon. Also included with the wood cut is a pin to push into the piece of wood. The wood will be carved by local craftsman, Marc Nicoloudis.
Built Oregon Happy Hour
So what does that exactly mean? Will it be happy? Will it only be an hour? Whoa, whoa, whoa... slow down. We acknowledge you made a serious commitment by pledging $500 so we will not put silly limits on this happy hour. What we can assure you of is that Mitch, Terry, and Rick will hang out with you to talk about your business, the mission and vision for Built Oregon, or anything else that pops up over the course of some drinks. But to answer one of the earlier questions, we can guarantee it will be happy.
The Launch Party
If there's one thing that we know how to do -- well beyond telling incredible stories about entrepreneurship -- is throw a party. This will be a night of stories, networking, mingling, and having a great time with a select group of Built Oregon supporters from our Kickstarter campaign, plus many of the people/companies you saw in the video. I'm sure we'll have a surprise or two up our sleeves too, so this is a party to not be missed.
Risks and challenges
There are many risks in starting any kind of publication. We have structured the Kickstarter campaign around some very achievable goals. These goals will allow us to get Built Oregon up and running and on the path to sustainability.
One of the main risks is the building of a readership that engage on a membership/subscription level, and thus provide a revenue stream that allows the magazine to not only survive, but grow. That said, your participation in a successful Kickstarter campaign ensures we have the ability to produce two issues.
Our digital only focus will allow us to create engaging content with a small and nimble staff. We all strongly believe in paying the copywriters, photographers, videographers, and contributing sources for their creative work with Built Oregon, but we are not going to have a large full time staff out of the gate. We not only want to control the burn rate, and use your generously given funds in the most efficient way, but we also want to be flexible in who is contributing to Built Oregon. We want to engage and hear from the voices all over the state, not just in the larger cities like Portland.
In addition to the nimble staff, we will develop a member platform that will not only provide a consistent revenue stream, but also look to really connect the regions through Built Oregon.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterQuestions about this project? Check out the FAQ
Support
Funding period
- (39 days)