The Oregon Technology Business Center has tapped its long-time director of strategic partnerships as its new executive director.
Jim McCreight who has been a director at the OTBC since 2014, is taking over the top position from Steve Morris, who is retiring. Morris has been executive director of the group for 16 years. Morris plans to stay on as a part-time entrepreneur-in-residence.
Additionally, the group has named Julie Brown as its director of operations. Brown is a familiar face around the Oregon startup ecosystem. She spent 17 years at Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, most recently as director of operations.
In an email, McCreight noted that the group is “excited to move ahead with new programs and projects as we hopefully move out of the Covid office environment.”
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the group has moved programs virtual, but the office space is available for companies when needed for meetings.
OTBC is a business incubator, sponsored by the city of Beaverton, that provides mentoring and other support. The group also runs the Beaverton Startup Challenge, which offers capital, office space and mentoring to cohorts of startups.
The 2022 Beaverton Startup Challenge is currently selecting its companies. Final decisions on the next class of five startups will take place in December, according to the group.
The OTBC and the startup challenge have invested more than $750,000 in dozens of companies that have gone on to raise more than $80 million in added funding. Past startup challenge companies include apparel maker Goumi Kids, materials company Liquid Wire and travel startup TrovaTrip.
