Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Awards A Cajun Life Substantial Investment Allowing for Exponential Growth
DAMASCUS, OR (July 8th, 2019) — A Cajun Life, an authentically Certified Cajun food brand, was awarded the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) grand investment in the Startup and Development Stage category. The OEN hosts the inaugural Angel Food Conference competition, which was presented June 19 at Portland’s Redd East, summoning Orgeon-based food and beverage entrepreneurs and other category professionals, as well as investors and service providers, to compete for investment from experienced entrepreneurs.
The Angel Food Conference focused on Oregon’s dynamic food & beverage sector and was the culmination of a robust three-month education program tailored to food & beverage entrepreneurs. This sector is a growing part of Oregon’s economy, leveraging Oregon’s agricultural resources and food-loving culture. A Cajun Life began as a part-time food cart in Damascus, Oregon, and then expanded to four restaurant locations before pivoting to a packaged goods line featuring rice and bean dinners, spices and more. Within their new home in Damascus, Oregon, A Cajun Life saw the Angel Food Conference as an opportunity for education and growth.
“We’re incredibly honored to secure the investment for A Cajun Life,” shared Chris Fontenot, Owner and CEO of A Cajun Life. “This opportunity allows us to continue sharing the soul, history and authentic flavor of Cajun foods with foodies around the world. Cajun food has a foundation of love, community and family, and we’re so excited to share A Cajun Life with foodies everywhere.”
“This was our first ever Angel Food Conference and we were excited by the energy in the room,” said Maggie Finnerty, executive director and president of OEN. “We believe in the potential of this sector, the diversity of the entrepreneurs who are developing delicious new products, and the jobs and revenue they will cook up for Oregon. We’re grateful for everyone who helped make Angel Food happen and we can’t wait to taste what happens next.”
The OEN panel discussion was moderated by Jon Maroney, Partner at Oregon Venture Fund, and included panelists McConnell Smith, Senior Associate at VMG Partners, and Jake Kindrachuk, Manager at Village Family Capital. In addition, founders from six established local brands took the stage to share their experiences. They included Christy Goldsby from Honey Mama’s, Shannon Oliver from Red Duck Foods, Ben Jacobsen from Jacobsen Salt, Jaime Danek from Humm Kombucha, Jill Keuhler from Freeland Spirits and Michelle Cairo from Olympia Provisions.
About A Cajun Life
With a vision of bringing authentic Cajun food to the masses, A Cajun Life founder Chris Fontenot set out to create a line of products that brought true Cajun flavor to homes across the country. Made, grown, manufactured and produced in Louisiana, A Cajun Life offers consumers authentic, Certified Cajun foods in retailers nationally. Learn more at acajunlife.com.
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About OEN
OEN, a nonprofit in the State of Oregon, is one of the first and largest organizations dedicated to improving Oregon’s economy by supporting startups from every industry across the state. A member-based organization with a 28-year history, OEN is the heart of Oregon’s entrepreneurial community. OEN helps entrepreneurs start up and scale up by connecting them to the people they need to know, the programs and education they need to grow, and the capital they need to scale. Its mission is to drive innovation, facilitate job creation, and put Oregon on the map as a center for entrepreneurial excellence. Learn more at oen.org.