Five Douglas County Businesses Take the Stage at Pitch Night

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Five Douglas County businesses had just five minutes Thursday night to tell a room full of people what they have built, where they want to take it and why their business deserves a chance to grow.

For the entrepreneurs standing on stage at Backside Brewing Co., those five minutes represented considerably more than a presentation.

They represented years of work.

Earth & Fern Co., Happy Belly Bakery, The Roseburg Plug, Jime's Hotdogs and Photography by Aubre were selected to participate in the Aug. 13 Umpqua GrowthTalks Pitch Night, an entrepreneurial competition designed to put real financial support, business guidance and community attention behind emerging Douglas County businesses.

By the end of the evening, Jime's Hotdogs had taken first place, Earth & Fern Co. finished second, The Roseburg Plug earned third and Happy Belly Bakery was chosen by the crowd as the Audience Favorite.

But understanding the significance of the night requires understanding what Pitch Night actually is.

What Is Pitch Night?

Pitch Night is a program produced by the Umpqua Economic Development Partnership, or UEDP, as part of its work supporting entrepreneurship and economic growth in Douglas County.

It is not simply a contest to see who can give the best speech.

Businesses apply to participate, and selected finalists are given an opportunity to present their existing company and a plan for how they intend to expand it. Organizers describe the format simply: one hour, three judges and five pitches.

Each finalist receives five minutes to pitch their business, followed by another five minutes of questions from the judges.

During that short window, entrepreneurs may need to explain their current operations, target market, revenue projections, marketing strategy, plans for expansion and how additional funding would help move the business forward. Judges then evaluate the businesses and their growth strategies before determining the winners.

That means months or years of building a business have to be distilled into a few convincing minutes.

The money awarded through Pitch Night is not a loan. Umpqua GrowthTalks says there is no repayment requirement for the prize funds, allowing winners to put the money back into developing their businesses.

The Umpqua Economic Development Partnership says the larger purpose is to provide coaching, support and funding to startups and small businesses while strengthening Douglas County's entrepreneurial community. The organization views the ability to start and scale local companies as an important piece of the county's future economic growth.

Pitch Night has been doing that work for several years. According to Umpqua GrowthTalks, events held since the program began in 2019 have generated nearly $100,000 for local entrepreneurs.

Five Local Businesses Take Their Turn

Thursday night's finalists represented very different businesses, but each arrived on stage facing the same challenge: make the case for what they have built and where it could go next.

The five participants were:

• Earth & Fern Co.
• Happy Belly Bakery
• The Roseburg Plug
• Jime's Hotdogs
• Photography by Aubre

There is something especially personal about asking a small business owner to make that pitch.

A business may be visible to customers through a product, a meal, a photograph, a social media post or a booth at a community event. What is much less visible are the hours behind it - figuring out finances, finding customers, adjusting plans, solving problems, taking risks and continuing to show up when success is anything but guaranteed.

Thursday night put some of that usually unseen work on stage.

Each participant had an opportunity to explain not simply what their business does, but what they believe it could become.

Jime's Hotdogs Takes First Place

After all five presentations and questioning by the judges, the results were announced:

• 1st Place: Jime's Hotdogs - $2,500
• 2nd Place: Earth & Fern Co. - $1,000
• 3rd Place: The Roseburg Plug - $500
• Audience Favorite: Happy Belly Bakery - $250 plus crowd contributions

Photography by Aubre completed the group of five finalists selected to pitch.

The awards match the 2026 Pitch Night structure established by Umpqua GrowthTalks, which provides $2,500 for first place, $1,000 for second, $500 for third and $250 plus contributions from the audience for the Audience Favorite.

For Jime's Hotdogs, Thursday's announcement meant walking away with the top prize after putting the business and its plans in front of the judges and community.

For the other participants, the evening brought recognition of its own.

Placing second or third, winning over the audience or simply being selected to stand on that stage meant having a local business taken seriously as something worth developing.

And this year, all five received something that will continue after Pitch Night itself.

All Five Businesses Will Receive Additional Support

Thanks to The Ford Family Foundation, all five participants will also be enrolled at no cost in the Small Business Management program through Umpqua Community College's Small Business Development Center.

That changes the impact of Thursday's event considerably.

Prize money can help purchase equipment, improve marketing, expand capacity or address another immediate need. Business education and guidance can help an owner make better decisions long after that money has been spent.

It also means the evening did not produce only one success story.

All five businesses left with another opportunity to grow.

The support fits the broader mission behind Pitch Night. UEDP says its entrepreneurial development work is intended to provide local startups and small businesses with coaching, resources, support and funding, with the idea that today's small operation could become one of Douglas County's successful homegrown companies in the years ahead.

A Community Investing in Its Own

Thursday's Pitch Night was possible through support from organizations that have invested in the program and the entrepreneurs participating in it.

The 2026 partners include:

• Grant Funder: The Ford Family Foundation
• Title Partner: Con-Vey
• Event Partners: Banner Bank, CCD Business, Columbia Bank, Oregon Pacific Bank and SOWIB - Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board
• Production Partners: Umpqua Community College and Umpqua Small Business Development Center

Organizers also recognized the volunteers who helped make the event possible.

Taken together, those partnerships are part of what makes Pitch Night different from simply handing out awards.

The event creates a place where a small business owner can be surrounded by people and organizations that want local businesses to succeed.

And that matters in a place like Douglas County.

Most small businesses do not begin with a large staff, a major investment round or national attention. They begin with a person deciding to try something.

Sometimes it is a recipe.

Sometimes it is a product.

Sometimes it is a camera, an idea, a food stand or a service someone believes the community needs.

Then that person has to turn the idea into something sustainable.

Pitch Night gives a handful of those people a stage, some resources and, perhaps just as importantly, a room willing to listen.

Another Opportunity Coming in October

Thursday's event may be over, but the next group of Douglas County entrepreneurs already has an opportunity to step forward.

The next Umpqua GrowthTalks Pitch Night is scheduled for Oct. 22 at Backside Brewing Co.

Applications are open through Sept. 10.

For the upcoming event, Umpqua GrowthTalks is seeking early-stage Douglas County businesses that have generally been operating for one to five years and are focused on growth and expansion. Businesses must be registered in Oregon and located in Douglas County, meet minimum revenue requirements and satisfy the program's other eligibility rules.

More information and the application are available at umpquagrowthtalks.com.

Thursday night ultimately had four award categories, but there were five businesses worth applauding.

Jime's Hotdogs, Earth & Fern Co., The Roseburg Plug, Happy Belly Bakery and Photography by Aubre each walked onto the stage carrying something they had already put substantial work into building.

Pitch Night gave them five minutes to tell that story.

Douglas County gave them a room willing to hear it.

And for a growing local business, sometimes having the community see what you are trying to build is an important step toward building what comes next.