Luke Kanies

Puppet Labs

Luke Kanies formed Puppet Labs in 2005 in order to produce better operations tools and change how systems are managed. 

The Puppet Labs software helps system administrators automate and manage computers and the software that makes them work. 

Puppet Labs’ software is used by tens of thousands of the world’s companies manage millions of machines and devices. Bank of America, Cisco, NYSE, and salesforce.com rely on Puppet’s software to make their own software faster, be more productive, and gain insight into infrastructure configurations and operation.

Monica Enand

Zapproved

Monica Enand is the founder, CEO, and President of Zapproved Inc., which develops cloud-hosted software for corporate legal departments.  

Zapproved’s flagship product, Legal Hold Pro, is widely used by Fortune 500 and Global 2000 corporations and has earned recognition as the 2014 Best of the National Law Journal and the 2013 and 2014 Best of Legal Times. Zapproved was recognized in the 2014 Inc. 500 as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States.

Jill Nelson

Ruby Receptionists

Jill Nelson founded Ruby Receptionists in 2003. The company is a team of "virtual receptionists" who provide a friendly, human voice to small businesses and professionals throughout North America. 

Ruby Receptionists uses proprietary technology, and your calls can be customized any way you’d like- have your messages instantly emailed or texted to you, or set whatever custom program that you’d like. 

Ruby Receptionists has been a top-3 Best Small Company to Work for in the U.S. for three years running (Source: FORTUNE Magazine and Great Place to Work Institute) and has ranked as one of Oregon's fastest growing companies for seven consecutive years (Source: Portland Business Journal)

Skip Newberry

Tech Association of Oregon

Skip Newberry is the president of The Technology Association of Oregon, the only Oregon-based trade association dedicated solely to “supporting the success of our state's software and technology Industries.”

The vision of the company is to “create a world-class and inclusive innovation economy in Oregon and SW Washington.” This is achieved by helping the region's technology and tech-enabled industries to grow through programs and initiatives that focus on industry promotion, advocacy, professional networks, and talent development. 

Sam Blackman

Elemental

Sam Blackman is the CEO of Elemental Technologies, which creates video solutions for multiscreen content delivery. 

Founded in 2006, the company pioneered the use of software-based video processing to distribute video over IP networks. Elemental’s innovations have made it possible to deliver high quality video via the cloud, as well as through other means. 

Elemental’s technology has allowed for pay TV operators, content programmers, and broadcasters to bring video to “any screen at anytime – all at once.” 

Irving Levin

Fluffco

Irving Levin describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur.” he also serves as Chairman of Genesis Financial Solutions, a consumer lending business. He divides his time between Genesis, investing in and mentoring small independent companies, and a variety of non-profit activities.

Through his investment vehicle Fluffco LLC, he is an active “angel investor” with direct investments in a large number of entrepreneurial companies. 

Levin also is the Chairman of Digital Divide Data, a social enterprise in the IT industry which recruits, trains and hires hundreds of impoverished young people in Cambodia, Laos and Kenya. 
FLUFFCO COMPANIES

Lynnor Stevenson

Design Medix

Lynnor Stevenson is the Chief Executive Officer of Design Medix, which develops drugs to combat resistance in multiple diseases, including malaria.   

Stevenson is a successful entrepreneur with thirty years experience in the formation and growth of bioscience companies. 

Justin Yuen

FMYI

Justin Yuen is founder and President of FMYI [For MY Innovation], an online software company that “combines the look and feel of social networking with workflow tools (project management, contact tracking/CRM, sharing resources such as files, links, calendar events, and more), free support, and a commitment to sustainability.” Some of their clients include Sony, Aflac, Fox, HBO, Hyatt, Disney, Office Depot, Scholastic, and Macy's.

The company also offers Grouptrail, a free group messaging service “with tools to get things done.”

Andy Baio

XOXO Festival

Andy Baio is the co-founder of the XOXO Festival, a former CTO of Kickstarter, founder of Upcoming.org, and author of the Waxy.org blog.

In early 2012, Baio and Andy McMillan co-founded the XOXO Festival, an annual arts and technology conference which celebrates independent artists and technologists. 

Baio is known for his stance against censorship on the internet, where he will host or link to controversial content on his blog.

Amber Case

Geoloqi

Amber Case is the co-founder of Geoloqi - “a private, real-time mobile and web platform for securely sharing location data, with features such as Geonotes, proximal notification, and sharing real-time GPS maps with friends.” 

Geoloqi was sold to ESRI in 2012, and Case is now writing a book, “Calm Technology: Designing interfaces for the next generation of things.”