Pacific University invests with OVF
May 2024
Melissa Freeman
This month, OVF received a multi-year investment commitment from Pacific University. Founded in 1849, Pacific University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the Northwest. The only comprehensive university in Washington County, Oregon, Pacific serves more than 3,600 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in the arts and sciences, business, education, health professions and optometry. Pacific University has a long commitment to improving lives through education and service to the larger community.
With campuses in Forest Grove, Hillsboro and Eugene, Pacific University offers 65 fields of undergraduate study and 18 graduate programs through its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Health Professions and Optometry.
In 2013, the university founded a College of Business to further develop the existing undergraduate business degree programs that had been built over 70 years and to add graduate-level business programs. In just over a decade, the College of Business has attracted a talented and diverse faculty to ensure students have excellent business fundamentals and access to real-world experiences to prepare them for careers in the global economy.
Students and faculty from diverse communities are attracted to Pacific University for their inclusive policies and practices. Pacific is a federally designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving institution. This contributes to a unique culture that honors and celebrates multiple traditions and different lifestyles from around the world. For example, Pacific presents the longest-running lū‘au and hō‘ike that is completely led by students in the Northwest, attracting over 2,000 annually. This exposure to a variety of cultures is another critical way of preparing students for success in diverse work environments.
University president Dr. Jenny Coyle expressed her enthusiasm about investing in Oregon Venture Fund and strengthening the university’s relationship with OVF’s extensive startup and investor network.
“Our students are innovative and entrepreneurial. They desire connection with professionals and leaders who have started and grown companies from scratch. We’re excited to strengthen their awareness of early stage investing that is happening here in our region and beyond.”
Coyle is proud of Pacific University’s Berglund Center Boxer Makerspace that is available for students on campus to access 3D printers, 3D scanners, a circuit board printer and more. As an alumna, she deeply values the partnerships that Pacific University has developed with local employers (Intel and others), as well.
OVF is focused on strengthening connections with our region’s higher education institutions to ensure academic research contributes to innovative products and solutions reaching the market. The National Science Foundation ranks Pacific University as the top private research university in the Pacific Northwest for the fourth time in the last five years. The OVF team is looking forward to serving as a go-to resource for the university in commercializing its innovations.
Oregon Venture Fund is on track to invest $100M over the next five years. Accredited investors may contact Melissa Freeman, Melissa@OregonVentureFund.com to learn how to participate. Follow OVF on LinkedIn to learn about the amazing entrepreneurs from this region that we are backing today.