Advantage Accelerator

Allen is the CEO of the Alley Group, is widely recognized as one of the leading technology investors in Oregon, and has run for Treasurer and Governor of Oregon.

Ernie Bootsma is a shareholder in Buchalter’s Portland Office (formerly Ater Wynne LLP), where he represents start-ups and growth stage businesses, in the areas of company formation, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property (copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and licensing). 

Brent is widely recognized as a leading practitioner in the areas of corporate and securities law, having served as chair of the Business Law Section of the Oregon State Bar. 

Tory Campbell is the OSU Alumni Association, Senior Associate Executive Director of Experience. Mr. Campbell is also a College of Business instructor in Innovation X, OSU’s Center of Excellence for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His wide range of experience includes serving as Director of economic development at Prosper Portland, leading congregations as a pastor, and operating a successful family business, Felton & Mary’s Artisan Foods.

Rich is co-founder and CEO of Valliscor - a pharma-focused, chemical manufacturing company specializing in fluoroalkylation.  Rich is also Faculty Lead for Innovation Excellence and Professor of Chemistry at Oregon State University. He was a graduate of the first class of the OSU Advantage Accelerator

Nicholas Fowler owns Orion Ventures, LLC and is CEO of Northwest Medical Isotopes, LLC, a startup assuring a domestic supply of critical medical isotopes.  Mr. Fowler is a high technology industry veteran, serial entrepreneur, and active seed stage venture investor.

Rita is currently the CEO of Onboard Dynamics, an ARPA-E awardee and startup company resulting from technology originally conceived at Oregon State University – Cascades.

Chair, Board of Advisors

Mary Hull is a corporate and securities partner at Stoel Rives LLP and is chair of the firm’s Technology Ventures Group.  Mary represents technology and consumer companies from formation through private financings and mergers and acquisitions. She also represents investors in venture capital financings.

Caroline works for Rogue Venture Partners where her primary responsibilities include deal sourcing and screening, due diligence, community engagement, and helping portfolio companies. Caroline also works with various accelerators locally and on behalf of the U.S. Embassy: Xxcelerate, InventOR, TiE Oregon, Portland State Business Accelerator, OSU Advantage Accelerator, Female Founders Alliance, TiE India Global AIRSWEE, and Five One Labs Iraq.

Melissa is a Regional Development Officer with the Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon) and a member of the Governor’s Regional Solutions Team. She has degrees from Oregon State University in Environmental Economics and Policy and Marine Resource Management where she focused on fisheries economies and economic impact of tourism and recreation. She is a connector to resources and works directly with businesses of all sizes, all sectors and all stages to assist growth and longevity.

Skip Newberry is President and CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon. A former economic development policy advisor, entrepreneur and lawyer, Skip is passionate about working with tech startup founders and helping them to scale their businesses.