About Us
“Fostering entrepreneurship has become a core component of economic development in cities and countries around the world.”
— Harvard Business Review
About Us
“Fostering entrepreneurship has become a core component of economic development in cities and countries around the world.”
— Harvard Business Review
About Us
“Fostering entrepreneurship has become a core component of economic development in cities and countries around the world.”
— Harvard Business Review
RAIN’s mission is to partner with communities to catalyze inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems, connect entrepreneurs to resources–including overlooked entrepreneurs–and contribute to the creation of prosperous economies.
Oregon RAIN’s mission is to partner with communities to catalyze entrepreneurial ecosystems, connect entrepreneurs to resources, including overlooked entrepreneurs, and contribute to the creation of prosperous economies.
Our Vision
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Communities everywhere support, value, and celebrate entrepreneurs.
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Regional leaders recognize entrepreneurs are a primary creator of net new jobs.
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Communities of any size have thriving economies.
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A culture of possibilities is embraced.
RAIN (Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network) is a 501(c)(3) global non-profit organization that is run by experienced entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ecosystem-builders. RAIN exists to reduce barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation for underrepresented populations and communities. Since 2014, RAIN has been invited to serve 52 communities in Oregon and Washington, plus 3 cities in Pakistan, to help them build inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and innovation economies. RAIN’s model is investigative, not prescriptive – which means we join-in to existing community activities/conversations, engage local stakeholders, listen, map ecosystem assets, identify and leverage strengths, identify gaps, and spin-up programming that meets the needs of that region’s entrepreneurs.
Our Goals
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Build partner coalitions that advance an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation economy
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Activate entrepreneurial communities by hosting regular educational, advocacy, and networking events
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Monitor regional entrepreneurial ecosystems, identify gaps, and fill them with partners
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Reduce barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation for underserved populations
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Accelerate scalable startups
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Create access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs
RAIN is 501(c)3 non-profit organization and donations to us are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our federal tax ID number is 46-5544340.
RAIN wants everyone to feel welcomed and comfortable at our events.
Please contact us if there are any accommodations that we can make for you that will encourage your participation and we will do our best to meet your needs.
Depending on the event type, these accommodations may include things such as: reserving front row seating, advance copy of slides to be projected, wheelchair access, language translation, childcare needs. We will do our best to accommodate your needs so you can unleash your entrepreneurial spirit!
We pride ourselves on being experienced, networked, and altruistic.
We live and work in the regions we serve. We truly care and want the entrepreneurs we help to succeed.
How We Help
We provide entrepreneurs with access to 4 crucial aspects of building a company:
People
Knowing the right people can make or break your venture.People
We work hard to connect you to cofounders, mentors, industry experts, and stakeholders that can help you succeed.
Programs
Programs help you learn and grow as an entrepreneur.Programs
We match you to training workshops, accelerators, and other educational programs to increase your startup’s chance of success.
Physical Assets
Programs help you learn and grow as an entrepreneur.Physical Assets
We help you find office space, tools, equipment, labs, and other physical resources needed to grow your venture.
Capital
Capital will help you form and grow your new business.Capital
We help you meet our network of angel investors and financial institutions to request the capital needed to grow your startup.