High Desert Innovation Week
October 13th - 17th, 2025
Bend, Oregon
Events designed to inspire, connect, and celebrate innovation.
Central Oregon’s growing entrepreneurial community is preparing for the third annual High Desert Innovation Week, taking place from October 13-17, 2025.
This multi-day program brings together local entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors to showcase the region’s startup resources and celebrate its collaborative culture.
Fostering innovation and supporting emerging businesses in the region.
High Desert Innovation Fest
The High Desert Innovation Fest is a unique event where aspiring entrepreneurs from across the Pacific Northwest get the opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas and network with a diverse audience of founders, investors, entrepreneurial organizations, and members of the general public interested in the startup ecosystem. At its core, this event is a chance to bring together the startup and entrepreneurial communities together with industry groups and investors to network across verticals and organizations. As a kickoff to innovation week, the High Desert Innovation Fest showcases Central Oregon as a center of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Cultivate LIVE!
Cultivate LIVE! is back! A growth summit for the natural products packaged goods industry in Central Oregon.Don’t miss this annual event where entrepreneurial talent meets CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry innovation experts! We’re gathering the industry’s brightest minds to present their visionary expertise that is sure to provide inspiration to grow your business.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Hear from an industry leader as they take the main stage to share their visionary insights.
PITCH SLAM: Experience five dynamic Pitch Slams as Cultivate Bend member brands present to a panel of industry judges—competing for an exciting prize package and receiving real-time feedback.
COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE: Interact with Cultivate Bend members and brands at the Community Marketplace where you can sample, taste, and purchase a wide assortment of local natural products.
HAPPY HOUR: A Happy Hour will close out the day making Cultivate LIVE! an unmissable opportunity to network, inspire collaboration, and cultivate growth in Central Oregon’s thriving natural products community!
Inaugural Bend Climate Innovation Fair
Join us for an inspiring evening where climate innovation meets community action!
The Bend Climate Collective presents its inaugural Bend Climate Innovation Fair, as part of the High Desert Innovation Week, spotlighting the groundbreaking climate activism, ideas, and solutions emerging from Central Oregon's vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Discover the inspired people, transformative ideas, and creative businesses being built right here in our backyard. This showcase is being organized for entrepreneurs, inventors, and thought leaders who are positioning Central Oregon as a powerhouse for climate innovation. During the Climate Fair, participants will have the chance to engage directly with the visionaries shaping our sustainable future.
Engagement offerings:
● Climate Innovation Fair: Experience tangible solutions in action through interactive demos, poster sessions, and live presentations from Bend's community of climate professionals and entrepreneurs.
● Ribbon Ceremony: Participate in our signature ribbon ceremony where attendees will vote to celebrate the most creative, bold, and promising ideas or innovations of the evening.
● Speed Networking Sessions: Connect with fellow climate enthusiasts, activists, investors, and collaborators who are actively building Central Oregon's reputation as a climate innovation hub.
● Community Energy: Immerse yourself in the momentum of our growing movement and discover how you can contribute to strengthening the region's climate ecosystem.
BOW BreakOut + BootCamp
BreakOut Pitch Event at Volcanic Theatre | Doors: 5:00pm | Show: 6:00pm – 8:45pm
BOW BootCamp:
BOW, the nation’s first outdoor industry accelerator, kicks off Wednesday with BOW BootCamp—a series of educational sessions designed to equip startups with the knowledge and tools to reach the next level. This year’s program features two focused panels: a Buyers Panel, “How to Get into Retail,” and a Founders’ Panel, “How We Did It.” Both sessions will include in-depth discussions with leading industry experts from well-known brands and retailers, followed by time for Q&A.
BOW’s BreakOut:
The ninth annual BreakOut pitch event, created for the outdoor industry, will feature companies from BOW’s recent cohort. They will take the stage to present their businesses and compete for $20,000 in no-strings-attached cash awards. Companies are split into two categories: BreakIn for early-stage companies and BreakOut for growth-stage companies. Winners in each category will be chosen by audience vote.
BOW Bootcamp + BreakOut
Breakout at Volcanic Theatre Pub | 6:00 pm - 8:45 pm
BOW Bootcamp:
BOW, the nation’s first outdoor industry accelerator, now in its eleventh year of operation, kicks off Wednesday with BOW BootCamp, a series of educational sessions designed to equip startup businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to reach the next level. This year’s sessions will focus on sales, funding, and founders’ stories, featuring in-depth panel discussions with time for Q&A. The panels will include top industry experts from well-known brands, and attendees can sign up for individual sessions or all three.
BOW Breakout:
BOW’s eigth annual BreakOut pitch event, created exclusively for the outdoor industry, will feature four early- and growth-stage companies from BOW’s most recent cohort to present their businesses as they compete for a $10,000 no-strings-attached cash award. The winner will be determined by an audience vote. The entertainment continues with a keynote presentation.
Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
As Central Oregon’s flagship entrepreneurship event, BVC creates an opportunity to connect investors and industry leaders with startups looking to scale. Thursday’s agenda kicks off with conference seminars focused on strengthening startup business foundations across industries. The evening ends with the BVC Networking Reception at Broken Top Club, Central Oregon’s biggest networking event of the year.
Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
Bend Venture Conference is the largest and longest standing angel investment conference in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, a new BVC Growth Fund is raised to invest in the most promising growth stage companies that compete in the annual conference. BVC has served as a catalyst to mobilize capital for participating companies and since its inception, investments and awards to participating startups have totaled over $14 million. Friday’s agenda will feature a keynote presentation, startup pitches by BVC Early and Growth Stage finalists, as well as presentations from industry experts. The two-day event ends with an awards ceremony.
Meet the organizations supporting High Desert Innovation Week
Join us for Innovation Week
We look forward to seeing you in Bend, Oregon in October 2025!
