Cara Turano is the new executive director for the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network.
Turano starts with the founder education and support nonprofit Sept. 1 and will work alongside exiting executive director Amanda Oborne. Turano will fully take over Oct. 1. Oborne announced her departure earlier this year to join Portland private equity fund Ideaship.
Turano is a familiar face to local tech entrepreneurs. She spent more than three years at the Technology Association of Oregon where she held the positions of chief community engagement officer, chief of staff and chief operating officer. For those following on LinkedIn she has been writing about her six-month sabbatical.
“I had the pleasure of working with Amanda and OEN in various capacities supporting entrepreneurship across Oregon and Southwest Washington in the past and truly love the mission, vision and values of OEN,” Turano said in a written statement. “I believe in entrepreneurship as a path to economic prosperity and personal fulfillment. Our community does this by bringing together the individuals and organizations who are committed to a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and I am excited to catalyze those efforts.”
Ashland-based OEN board chair John Williams said the board was impressed with Turano’s community-building efforts at TAO and her energy and excitement about startups when making the selection.
Oborne led OEN through a tumultuous time. She got the group back on solid financial footing and led through the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under her leadership the group revamped and expanded its signature investment conference and educational program. The group now has three vertical events under the Angel Oregon banner focused on tech, bioscience and food and beverage: Angel Oregon Tech (AOTECH), Angel Oregon Life and Biosciences (AOBIO) and Oregon Angel Food (OregonAF), respectively. The public finale for OregonAF 2022 is Sept. 17.
Oborne also launched the Emerge Initiative, a partnership with investor BFM Fund, to award $5,000 to founders of color across the Angel Oregon events.
“We’re grateful to Amanda for having successfully navigated the organization through an incredibly challenging time an are thrilled that she’ll continue supporting local entrepreneurs as an investor,” said Williams in a written statement. “We believe the organization is now well poised to support Cara’s leadership and look forward to expanding OEN’s impact in the coming years.”
