OEN Entrepreneurship Awards Nomination Process
→ Submit nominations in all six award categories using the Nomination Button by Monday, August 5th.
→ Each company nominated must complete a Verification Form by August 19th to be considered for an award.
→ A diverse judging panel will review nominations and select finalists for each category. Finalists will be announced on Friday, September 20th. The final round of judging will include live interviews. Finalists will also be invited to a live reception and asked to provide design assets to feature in the OEN Awards show.
→ Winners will be announced live at the Oregon Entrepreneurship Awards on November 6th.
Categories
- Early (pre-revenue), Development ($1 – $2.5M) and Growth ($2.M+) Stage Awards* that encompass a variety of criteria including financial achievement, traction, team and social impact.
- Entrepreneurial Achievement* recognizes a founder or co-founding team who have led their company to success while demonstrating outstanding leadership.
- Community Catalyst recognizes an individual or community organization that creates opportunities for connection, education and services in support of founders and entrepreneurs.
- Trailblazer will be awarded to an individual company that has demonstrated creativity, originality, and entrepreneurial spirit in its pursuit of new ideas and innovative solutions. Successfully paving a new way in existing markets, or creating new ones, through their strategies, products, services or approaches in their industries.
* Note: Eligible nominees must be for-profit companies, based in Oregon or SW Washington, and incorporated no earlier than 2014.
Award Criteria
Nominees will be notified and asked to submit data on the following criteria in a Verification Form, due by August 19, 2023. A diverse panel of judges for each award will use the data provided to evaluate nominees for each award.
- Financial Achievement: Revenue growth last two years. 2024 revenue projections. Performance relative to sector/stage benchmarks. Equity funding/monetization events (not required).
- Traction/Product-Market Fit: Customer growth last 24 months. Total users/size of audience. Publicly available product/service reviews or other customer feedback. Significant media coverage.
- Social Impact: Intrinsic impact of company. Business model meaningfully addresses social and/or environmental issues. Community engagement – volunteerism, sponsorship, donations.
- Leadership: Sector expertise/credibility. Race/gender diversity of team. Employee satisfaction/workplace culture. Inspiring example of leadership.
Timeline
- August 5th – Nominations Close
- August 19th – Nominee Verification Forms Due
- September 20th: Finalists Announced
- Nov 6th: Oregon Entrepreneurship Awards
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