The 2025 State of the Rogue Valley Breakfast Brought Local Business Leaders & Entrepreneurs, Award Recipients, and Community Sponsors Together to Innovate!

Medford, Ore. – February 27, 2025 – The Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc’s (SOREDI) 2025 State of the Rogue Valley Breakfast took place on February 27, 2025, at the Rogue Valley Country Club, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders to celebrate the thriving innovation ecosystem in Southern Oregon.

The event featured inspiring speakers and entrepreneurs sharing their journeys highlighting the power of collaboration, mentorship, and ecosystem support in fostering business growth. With dynamic networking, resource-sharing, and meaningful connections formed, the event reinforced the Rogue Valley’s rise as a hub for entrepreneurship. The morning kicked off with a warm welcome, a moment to honor Bill Thorndike, and recognition of elected officials, SOREDI board, and entrepreneurs.

Guy Tauer engaged attendees with local economic trends and NIC Industries President Brian Hall inspired us with the NIC 20-year White City story of ingenuity and tenacity. Ending the event, Dr. Kim Freeze, Innovation Ecosystem Steward for the Southern Oregon Innovation Hub (SOIH), and Cara Turano, Executive Director of Oregon Entrepreneur’s Network (OEN), took us on the entrepreneur’s journey, showing the importance of a developed ecosystem to guide them.

Each speaker provided invaluable insights into navigating today’s competitive landscape with creativity and resilience.

A key highlight of the event was the return of the Prosper Awards, which were put on hold since 2021. Birthed in 2012, these awards identify businesses and individuals who exemplify Prosperity, Tenacity, Ingenuity, Collaboration, and Inspiration.

The 2025 awardees are:

• Prosperity – Pacific Wall Systems, Phoenix
• Tenacity – Club Northwest, Grants Pass
• Ingenuity – NIC Industries, White City
• Collaboration – CraterWorks MakerSpace, Central Point, and Talent Maker City, Talent
• Inspiration – Sunny Spicer, Executive Director of Oregon Center for Creative Learning

“The energy and innovation in our region are truly inspiring”, said Freeze “Our entrepreneurs are not just building businesses they’re shaping the future of Southern Oregon with their creativity, resilience, and drive!” For more information, contact Dr Kim Freeze at soihsteward@soredi org.

Five local entrepreneurs were featured:

• The Bearded Baker (Grants Pass),
• Buena Gente Golf Apparel (Medford),
• Joey’s Hot Sauce (Talent – each attendee received a bottle),
• The Flying Flatbread (located in the Phoenix Phoodery).

They shared their stories and showed their goods.

The success of the 2025 State of the Rogue Valley Breakfast would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors who share in the commitment to foster entrepreneurship and innovation:

• Event Title Sponsor – Rogue Credit Union
• Entrepreneur Networking Sponsor – Amazon
• Breakfast Buffet Sponsor – Civic*Possible
• Speaker Gifts and Chocolate Truffles – Harry & David

Table Sponsors – Avista, Banner Bank, Boise Cascade, Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe, Energy Trust, Evergreen Federal Bank, First Interstate Bank, Harry & David, Oregon Pacific Bank, Pacific Power, People’s Bank, Rogue Community College, Rentec Direct, Southern Oregon ESD, Southern Oregon Goodwill, Southern Oregon University

Each sponsor’s support helped create an unforgettable morning that celebrated and empowered local businesses, innovators, and future leaders.