Blue Mountain Invests Local
Melissa Freeman
February 2025
Based in Walla Walla, Blue Mountain Community Foundation (BMCF) serves as a philanthropic backbone for the southeastern counties of Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla in Washington and Umatilla County in Oregon. Since 1984, BMCF encourages and facilitates private giving and grantmaking for the public good. Last year, BMCF awarded nearly $7,000,000 in grants to nonprofits throughout the region and nearly $1,000,000 in scholarships to local students. BMCF donors include community leaders such as Mark Sherry, a third-generation wheat farmer who is the past chair of the BMCF Board and current chair of the Investment Committee. Today, BMCF is managing over $100M in assets.
The OVF team got acquainted with BMCF President & CEO, Kol Medina, when he attended a gathering hosted by OVF for community leaders in Walla Walla last summer. He was intrigued with OVF’s model that allows investors the ability to support the region’s tech economy through local investment while also benefitting from an 18-year track record of outsized returns. He introduced OVF to his Board of Directors last Fall, and this month, OVF is proud to welcome the Blue Mountain Community Foundation as a new investment partner in the fund.
OVF invests in top notch early-stage growth companies that have a presence in Oregon or Southern Washington. Through this investing partnership, BMCF and OVF hope to increase awareness of the world class innovation and entrepreneurial activity happening up and down the Columbia River.
Click on this link to check out the good work of the Blue Mountain Community Foundation and please welcome their team to OVF!
OVF is in its 18th year of backing startups with a presence in Oregon and Southern Washington. The OVF XVII and 2025 Funds are currently open to accredited investors. Please contact Melissa Freeman, Director of Capital Raising and Investor Relations, 503-539-8021 or Melissa@oregonventurefund.com for more information.
