March 31st – June 30th
Weekly on Wednesdays from 9:00 to 10:30 AM
(Accelerator deadline was Mar 11th, but you’re welcome to join our June 30th Graduation!)
Learn from business finance experts.
Get help from great financial mentors.
Grow and network with supportive peers.
Watch our short program overview video.
The MONEYmaker Financial Accelerator program is designed for wannapreneurs, entrepreneurs, sole-proprietors, and small business owners in Oregon who want to understand, control, and feel confident in understanding and managing their business’s finances.
No prior business finance experience is required. Conversely, it is possible that you maybe know some of the topics that will be presented. Either way, this will be an opportunity for you to learn new skills, brush up on the basics, or assist fellow program attendees in the areas you have experience in.
Our goal is that you leave this program feeling confident and empowered to manage your company’s finances, make data-driven decisions, and increase the value of your business (make more money!) to provide living-wage jobs for yourself and others, and to be able to eventually give back to your communities.
The effects of COVID-19, as well as a multitude of conversations with entrepreneurs and business owners, have shown us a need for more solid financial skills in business. As a result of this strong demand, we are launching this new “MONEYmaker” program.
Learn Essential Skills to Grow Your Startup
Receive 1:1 financial mentorship from financial gurus and business experts.
Learn the techniques finance directors use to make financial decisions.
Learn how to both create and read financial documents and be prepared for future grant and investment opportunities.
Learn how to put together and track a simple financial budget.
Learn about business debt and how to use leverage in scaling your business ventures.
Learn about the basics of cash flow management and what pitfalls to avoid.
Understand pricing, margins, and fixed versus operational costs.
Understand what cash flow is, and how to measure and use it in your decisions.
Learn about financial projections and how to set them for your own business.
All of the above topics + SO MUCH MORE!
Program Information
100% free to attend, but participation in class and surveys is required.
Classes are weekly on Wednesdays, March 31 through June 30. There is no class on Memorial Day week.
Classes begin at 9:00 AM with networking and end at 10:30 AM with Q&A.
Additional optional “mentor hours” will be scheduled with each week’s guest speaker.
Classes will be held online via Zoom. Program attendees are expected to participate in the call.
Please reach out if you need help accessing laptops or equipment for Zoom calls. We may be able to provide some resources for you.
Classes are designed to be light on lectures, and heavy on interaction, group exercises, and practice.
Participants should commit to attending 11 out of the 13 classes, including the first and last classes.
Program Speakers
Ross Kanaga
Financial Innovation Manager
DevNW
Eddie Rosenberg, MBA
CMO
Defunkify
Seth Clark
Owner
Blue Valley Bistro
Marty Parisien
Co-Founder
Singing Dog Vanilla
Sarah Lambert
Owner, Virtual CFO
Riverview Bookkeeping
Raj Vable
Founder
Young Mountain Tea
Peter Thorsson
Director, Biz Dev & Strategic Partnerships
Palo Alto Software
Paula Hayes
President & CEO
Hue Noir Cosmetics
Lynn Meyer
Director of Community Lending
Community Lending Works
Thomas Schnell
Business Finance Officer
Business Oregon
Marceau Michel
Founder
Black Founders Matter Fund
Ron Green
President & CEO
Oregon Pacific Bank
Neil Langlois, CPA
Senior Manager
Jones & Roth CPAs and Business Advisors
Caroline Cummings
CEO
RAIN
Corey Wright
Venture Catalyst
RAIN
Robert Logan
CFO/COO
Hannah, The Pet Society
Cohort Mentors & Facilitators
Jose A Balcázar
Business Advisor
America’s SBDC
Michael Johnston
Director of Customer Success
Qlarity Imaging
Toraj Khavari
IT Consultant & Professor
Linn Benton Community College
Seth Clark
Owner
Blue Valley Bistro
Wendy Ludwig
Business Advisor
America’s SBDC
Ron Green
President & CEO
Oregon Pacific Bank
Program Sponsors
Program Funders
RAIN’s funding comes from the cities of Adair Village, Brownsville, Canyon City, Coburg, Creswell, Florence, Halsey, Harrisburg, John Day, Lebanon, Lowell, Monroe, Oakridge, Philomath, Prairie City, Sweet Home, Veneta, Grant County, Lane County, Linn County, Benton County, Oregon Pacific Bank, Oregon Community Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, The Collins Foundation, The Lemelson Foundation, Business Oregon (CARES Act funds), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).