Ducks Disrupt: Silver Linings Pitchbook

What to Expect

Guided by entrepreneurship expert Andrew Nelson, the three-day boot camp will cover

Entrepreneurship and innovation
Start-up venture fundamentals
Go-to-market strategy
How to pitch a business plan.

By the end of the kickoff weekend, participants will have formed teams and will be ready to continue developing their concepts in the weeks to come.

During the first three weeks of March, team members will work together to expand and revise their initial concepts. Teams will receive coaching and feedback from mentors with clinical, business, engineering, and finance backgrounds.

Who Should Participate?

Any and all professionals and current graduate students who want to grow and refine their entrepreneurial skills in a supportive yet challenging environment. Prior experience with entrepreneurship is welcome but not required. We are looking for problem-solvers who will bring fresh perspectives to the challenges of the current day.

Andrew Nelson

Andrew Nelson

Event facilitator Andrew Nelson is of the world’s leading experts on technology entrepreneurship, with research highlighted in The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and on National Public Radio, among other outlets.

An award-winning educator, Nelson leads undergraduate, MBA, PhD, and executive MBA courses in entrepreneurship and in organization theory. With colleagues at Stanford University and UC Davis, he also is the author of Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise (McGraw-Hill), now in its 5th edition in multiple translations and used in entrepreneurship courses worldwide.

Nelson's research explores the development and commercialization of technological innovations. His ongoing projects focus on the fields of music synthesis, information technology, green (sustainable) chemistry, and biotechnology.

At the Lundquist College of Business, Nelson is the Randall C. Papé Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the academic director of the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship, and an associate professor of management. He also serves as the University of Oregon's associate vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation.

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Emily Darchuk

Emily Darchuk

Wheyward Spirit founder and CEO Emily Darchuk forged her career as a food scientist in the natural food and dairy industry.

While working with dairies she observed firsthand the problem of whey waste impacting small communities. What she saw motivated her to do something about it.

As a scientist she knew she could convert whey into alcohol. However, as a consumer who cares about flavor and the impact of her purchases, she wanted to make something unique for all those who care about the origin of their food.

Darchuk perfected the company's spirit through hundreds of hours of trials, carefully crafting the recipe while she mastered the distillation process hands on.

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Jim Mark

Jim Mark

Jim Mark is the third generation CEO in the Melvin Mark company legacy. He oversees all activity and provides leadership to all employees under the Melvin Mark Companies umbrella. Although he has been spearheading company operations since 2000, Mark's background in the commercial real estate industry spans most of his life.

Today, Jim’s mission is to continue to grow Melvin Mark Companies in a way that creates a positive impact on the Portland area. He is consistently looking to the future and believes that as the commercial real estate industry changes, the company should change with it. Jim continues to inspire and guide those around him by upholding the values that have made the Melvin Mark Companies a success over four generations.

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Mohan Nair

Mohan Nair

Mohan Nair is the chief executive of Emerge, Inc. and also holds New Zealand's prestigious Edmund Hillary Fellowship.

In his previous role as senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Cambia Health Solutions, Nair guided the organizations Innovation Force as it inspired ideas from a variety of sources, selecting execution-focused concepts and starting them on the path to new businesses or concepts.

Before joining Cambia Health Solutions, Nair founded venture and consulting firms ABC Technologies and ProTools Inc., serving as president of each firm until its profitable sale. He has been an adjunct professor of business at Kellogg School of Management and authored the books Essentials of Balanced Scorecard, Activity-Based Information Systems: An Executive's Guide to Implementation, and Strategic Business Transformation (Wiley & Sons).

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Kate Winkler

Kate Winkler

Kate Winkler is the CEO of Ruby, the leading provider of live, virtual receptionist and chat services, serving more than 10,000 customers. She brings more 25 years of experience in technology, telecom, and finance, and has helped more 75 companies build and capture more than $4 billion in enterprise value.

Before joining Ruby, she served as the managing director of the technology group at Piper Jaffray. Her previous roles include director of the technology, media and telecom group at Houlihan Lokey, and CEO roles at both Jentro and Centerpost Communications, Inc. Prior to that, she served as CFO and COO for BEZ Systems.

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Shari Dunn

Shari Dunn

The CEO and principal of ITBOM Consulting, Shari Dunn is an attorney and former news anchor with executive-level non-profit experience and high-level communication skill. She has represented victims of domestic violence as an attorney, lobbied the federal government, and run a national foundation with a multi-million dollar portfolio.

Dunn's career has included legal and legal-related work, including training and providing program services for a national membership organization made up of attorneys. She then funded that system, providing more than $5 million in grants and overseeing program evaluations for organizations that provide legal services. As a non-profit executive, she has developed national collaborations on advocacy and funding projects.

In 2019, Portland Business Journal recognized Dunn as one of its 25 Women of Influence for that year. In 2018, Dunn was honored as one of Portland Business Journal's Executives of the Year for her work as the executive director of the non-profit Dress for Success.

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Jordan Papé

Jordan Papé

Jordan Papé is CEO of The Papé Group. The fourth generation Papé to lead the organization, he manages a diverse portfolio of capital equipment dealership brands with coverage from Mexico to Alaska. His focus is to utilize the company's unique array of manufacturing relationships to deliver upon the company’s 80-year customer commitment: “Papé Keeps You Moving.”

Active in business and community affairs, Papé serves as a director for OneH2, formed to produce and distribute hydrogen as a clean fuel source. Papé also serves as an executive director for Oregon Business Council, a director for Oregon Business and Industry, and sits on Governor Brown’s Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Implementation Committee.

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Rick Richard

Rick Richard

Rick Richard is the founder and CEO of StaffUpApp, a white-label mobile app to enhance the candidate experience for staffing and recruiting firms. He is also the founder of Groove Development, a mobile app development company.

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Linda Weston

Linda Weston

Linda Weston has more than thirty years of senior leadership in tourism, professional sports, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She’s advised dozens of organizations, from nonprofits to early-stage companies, on operations, strategy, and leadership.

Beginning in 1999, Linda served as the president and executive director of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), which provides education, support, and access to capital for early-stage companies. It is the premier entrepreneurship organization in the Northwest, presenting more than 60 programs annually. During her 17 years of leadership, OEN served more than 55,000 participants in Oregon and SW Washington.

Prior to leading OEN, Linda started and served as the GM of the Portland Power women’s professional basketball team. Although the American Basketball League ultimately failed, the Power was its most successful franchise, leading the League in ticket revenue. She came to the Power from 18 years in destination marketing, the last 10 as CEO of the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon.

In 2002 and 2005, Linda was selected as one of 25 outstanding Women in Business by the Portland Business Journal. In 2005, she was one of three national finalists for the Supporter of Entrepreneurship award presented by the Kauffman Foundation, in conjunction with Ernst & Young’s national Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. In 2007, NW Women’s Journal recognized her as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” in the Northwest. In 2015 she was selected by the Portland Business Journal as co-winner of “Advocate of the Year” in their Small Business and Innovation Awards program. In 2016, OEN presented Linda the OEN Lifetime Achievement Award.

In January, 2017, Linda launched Rapporto, a consulting practice helping organizations to improve their governance, strategy, and fundraising, paving the way to solutions for their challenges.

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John Hull

John Hull

John Hull has nearly 30 years of industry experience, including more than ten years of venture capital and corporate strategic investment experience. Most recently, Hull was the first partner within Nike's Sustainable Business and Innovation (SB&I) Lab, Nike's strategic investment program enabling and accelerating Nike's growth through sustainability.

Prior to Nike, Hull was a managing director at OVP Venture Partners where he sourced and managed investments in early-stage, high-tech startups for OVP fund VI ($185M) and OVP fund VII ($250M). Before OVP, Hull was the director of the Intel Communications Fund (ICF), a $500M strategic investment fund. Hull led the ICF from its inception to maturity as Intel Capital's largest strategic fund initiative. During his tenure, the ICF invested in over 125 venture-backed companies based in seventeen countries throughout the world and had several companies achieve profitable initial public offerings and acquisitions. Hull also served as Intel Capital's Marketing Director from 2003-2004. Hull became a member of Intel Capital in 1999, after holding senior operational, finance, and treasury positions within Intel Corporation.

Hull has served on the boards of fifteen privately-held, venture-backed companies. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Young Entrepreneurs Business Week, the Oregon Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN), and is a member of the Commercialization Advisory Council of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI). John was a founding board member of the Oregon Chapter of TiE.org, the international entrepreneurial association and previously served on the National Venture Capital Association Corporate Venture Advisory Board (NVCA) .

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Mohan Nair

Mohan Nair

Mohan Nair is the chief executive of Emerge, Inc. and also holds New Zealand's prestigious Edmund Hillary Fellowship.

In his previous role as senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Cambia Health Solutions, Nair guided the organizations Innovation Force as it inspired ideas from a variety of sources, selecting execution-focused concepts and starting them on the path to new businesses or concepts.

Before joining Cambia Health Solutions, Nair founded venture and consulting firms ABC Technologies and ProTools Inc., serving as president of each firm until its profitable sale. He has been an adjunct professor of business at Kellogg School of Management and authored the books Essentials of Balanced Scorecard, Activity-Based Information Systems: An Executive's Guide to Implementation, and Strategic Business Transformation (Wiley & Sons).

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Ann Carney Nelson

Ann Carney Nelson

Ann Carney Nelson has more than 20 years of experience investing in and supporting young and innovative technology companies. Since 2009 she has served as COO at Inpria Corporation, an advanced-materials startup focused on the semiconductor industry. To date, Inpria has raised nearly $80 million and it counts nearly every major semiconductor firm as a strategic investor or partner. As COO she helps define and direct Inpria’s corporate strategy and operations.

Previously, Carney Nelson was senior associate at Menlo Ventures, an early-stage high-technology venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, CA. During her tenure, she was responsible for 18 new investments, representing over $150 million in initial capital, in a wide range of early-stage technology companies in the infrastructure, software, semiconductor and Internet sectors. Her investments included companies such as DriveCam (acq. by GCTR), Librato (acq. by SolarWinds), PowerReviews (acq. by bazaarvoice), and Tablus (acq. by RSA). In addition to her investment activities, Carney Nelson organized and managed the business development programs for the firm’s portfolio.

A graduate of Stanford University, Carney Nelson also is passionate about education. From 2008-2009 she served as interim director of strategy for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, a non-profit which used entrepreneurship education as a framework for teaching work skills and life skills to men nearing release from the Texas state prison system. She currently serves on the board of Ridgeline Montessori School in Eugene.

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Nitin Rai

Nitin Rai

Nitin Rai is the founder and managing director of Elevate Capital, a venture capital fund that includes the Elevate Inclusive Fund, a seed-stage fund that invests in diverse and underserved entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 60 percent of Elevate investments are in women-led companies and 40 percent in African American and LatinX founder/CEO-led startups.

Since 2016, Elevate Capital has invested in more than $7.5 million in 36 startups. These companies have raised follow-on funding of more than $80 million, with a market cap of $200 million and created 350 plus jobs. These companies also report 50 percent of their employees as diverse. Elevate Capital has already had two strong exits, with two of its portfolio companies: Portland-based RFPIO and Garden Bar by Evergreens.

Rai also serves as the chairman of the TiE Global of Board Trustees. In this role, Rai leads the Board of Trustees' mission to help its 60 plus global chapters ensure entrepreneurs become successful through global programs and initiatives. Rai also serves as chair of TiE Global Angels to help entrepreneurs across the globe get funding from TiE charter members.

Since 2007, Rai has been an active angel investor, mentor and is a founding charter member and president of the board of TiE Oregon. Since Rai's involvement, TiE Oregon has grown to a full-fledged angel investment group with a successful mentoring program. It has launched several education and accelerator programs including TYE and TIE XL. TiE Oregon Angels has invested more than $12 million in 52 startups with six exits that returned over 3X in cash to the angels. TiE Oregon ranks in the top five chapters globally and routinely receives recognition for its angel investment, women, and youth programs. Rai has invested in more than 50 startups, both personally and through his fund, since 2011.

Rai is also a successful entrepreneur. He started his career in Silicon Valley as an engineer at two startups. In 1994, he founded First Insight Corporation, a highly successful optometry and ophthalmology electronic health records and practice management software, and revenue cycle management company based in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Pune, India. First Insight is a leader in the eye-care industry with its flagship product MaximEyes.

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