Cummings to Serve as RAIN’s Interim Executive Director

Caroline Cummings has been appointed by RAIN’s board of directors to serve as Interim Executive Director. Marc Manley, who joined Oregon RAIN in December 2016, has transitioned out of his role as Executive Director to focus full-time on his duties as the Managing Director of Willamette Valley Capital, a new seed fund that supports the growth of early-stage companies in Oregon. Manley oversaw the expansion of RAIN’s rural entrepreneurship programs and helped raise $1.4 million for the organization during his tenure, including $1 million from the Oregon State Legislature.

Cummings has served as RAIN’s Venture Catalyst since July 2015. She’s passionate about entrepreneurship and building ecosystems that support a thriving innovation economy. Cummings is an entrepreneur and an angel investor. She helped launch the Willamette Angels Conference ten years ago and has invested in six Oregon-based startups. She has raised close to $1M in angel capital for her prior two technology startups and knows what it’s like to experience startup failures and successes. Cummings currently serves on the Oregon Economic Development Association’s board of directors.

“We are grateful to Marc for his contributions to Oregon RAIN and the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Sabrina Parsons, Chairman of the Oregon RAIN’s Board of Directors. “Caroline was a clear choice to step-in and lead RAIN as we work on what’s next for the organization.”