Climate-focused nonprofit VertueLab is launching a series of programs in both Portland and Seattle that will culminate in its new 45Camp Accelerator, aimed at BIPOC founders working on climate tech.
The first of these programs in Portland is slated for March 8-10 and is called Jumpstart Weekend. The three-day event is designed to help would-be founders get a taste for entrepreneurship and perhaps test an idea with other like-minded folks.
Jumpstart Portland will be at Briq Studio, 209 N.W. Fourth Ave. The weekend is sponsored in part by Prosper Portland. Participants in the program will be able to access $20,000 in grant funding to help build their ideas, said Juan Barraza, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at VertueLab.
To participate in Jumpstart registration is required and it is free online.
The program operating in Seattle is set to take place March 15-17 and is being done in partnership with the business group Tabor 100. The Washington program is expected to have $350,000 in grant money available.
“Jumpstart is an entry point for entrepreneurs to explore what it’s like to launch a business in climate tech,” said Barraza.
People can come with an idea or come in and form an idea from the event. The three-day immersive nature of the event is similar to the popular Startup Weekend events that the community used to see regularly in the 2010s.
However, unlike Startup Weekends this program moves people into a second level of support if their idea has traction at the close of Jumpstart, said Barraza. Twenty ideas are expected to be selected for a pre-accelerator program to further hone the business idea.
By April, 10 ideas will move onto the 10-week 45Camp Accelerator. The program will be virtual and have participants from both Oregon and Washington. The accelerator is designed to help startups get as close as possible to commercialization, said Barraza.
This new accelerator is part of VertueLab’s evolution. The group is supporting climate tech development and doing it with a climate justice and equity lens. Under new President and Executive Director Aina Abiodun, VertueLab is rebuilding after a significant portion of Oregon state funding was pulled.
The group is still operating its Climate Impact investment fund, which received $1.5 million from the state as part of its fundraising for its second fund.
