Pivotal Leaders Network Announces Its 2010 Prospective Clean Technology Business Leaders in the Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore., May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Pivotal Investments, along with presenting sponsors Perkins Coie, Ernst & Young, the Portland Development Commission and the University of Oregon, today announced the Pivotal Leaders for 2010 (http://www.pivotal-leaders.com), a community-nominated and peer-selected network of the top prospective clean technology business leaders with ties to the Northwest. More than 600 nominations were received following the launch of Pivotal Leaders in February. The nominees themselves then selected the final 32 Pivotal Leaders: entrepreneurial business leaders who have the talent and business acumen to lead successful clean technology companies in the region over the next three to five years. The Pivotal Leaders Network seeks to stimulate investment and expand resources – both human and financial – to build the sustainable economy in the Northwest.

"We launched Pivotal Leaders with high expectations; the tremendous response from the community and high caliber of nominees demonstrates the rich leadership talent in our region and the community's recognition of the importance of clean technologies to our economy," said Gregg Semler, Managing Director of Pivotal Investments. "The breadth of the response to this program underscores an important, unmet need to cultivate opportunities for these talented leaders to innovate and grow their businesses here, bringing the jobs and economic growth our region needs."

The Pivotal Leaders will have opportunities to collaborate, partner and discuss their innovative ideas through social networking, media and a number of exclusive formal and informal events with their peers and other business leaders. The July kick-off event will take place in Seattle, and the law firm Perkins Coie will host a September event in Seattle and a November event in Portland, providing the Pivotal Leaders with opportunities to connect with other successful entrepreneurs as well as legal and business experts, potential investors, customers and other resources to help them maximize their success.

"We need to encourage innovation and the deployment of capital, both human and financial, as we all work to build the economy that we want here in the Northwest," said Patrick Quinton, Business & Industry Division Manager for the Portland Development Commission. "We see the Pivotal Leaders Network as an opportunity to build vibrant companies by focusing on our strengths and investing in our most important resources, our people."

"In a period of significant change and economic dislocation, there is a tremendous opportunity for new ideas, people, and strategies to shape our economy," said Brent Bullock, partner at Perkins Coie. "We have seen this transition in the past, as we augmented our timber resource-based economy with technology, apparel, and advanced manufacturing. This network of talented leaders builds on our inherent strengths in the region to enhance our competitiveness in the key, emerging clean technologies and market sectors. Perkins Coie is making a significant commitment to clean technologies throughout our firm and this network is an important component of our strategy," he concluded.

"The Pacific Northwest needs to stay on the leading edge of efforts to build a sustainable economy," said Tom Osdoba, Managing Director, Center for Sustainable Business Practices at the University of Oregon. "The Pivotal Leaders network provides a platform for all of us to bring ideas to market faster and more effectively. This focal point is an essential part of our region's strategy for the next generation. For Oregon, we need to move forward aggressively in this area, which means helping to launch the network," Osdoba added.

The 2010 Pivotal Leaders are:

To learn more about the Pivotal Leaders or to become a sponsor, go to http://www.pivotal-leaders.com.

About Pivotal Leaders

Pivotal Leaders is a business network created by the venture capital firm Pivotal Investments, with presenting sponsors Perkins Coie, Ernst & Young, the Portland Development Commission and the University of Oregon and contributing sponsors AterWynne, Iberdrola Renewables, Nike, NW Natural, Portland State University, Stoel Rives, UK Trade & Investment and Weyerhaeuser. Pivotal Leaders was founded to identify and recognize the top prospective business leaders in the Northwest and to support them in furthering the region's leadership potential in the clean technology sector. The idea for Pivotal Leaders emerged as the founders of Pivotal Investments discovered a need not only for investment capital focused on the sustainable economy, but also human capital. Both needs were clearly documented in the Carbon Free Prosperity Report authored by Climate Solutions and Clean Edge. Find out more about this exciting network at www.pivotal-leaders.com.

About Pivotal Investments

Pivotal Investments is a Portland, OR venture capital firm investing in companies, primarily in the Northwest, that are addressing the rapidly growing demand for alternative energy, clean water, green materials, sustainable agriculture and clean air. Pivotal's investment team of investors and experienced entrepreneurs is committed to delivering superior financial returns by building innovative companies that will be leaders in the sustainable economy. For more information, please see www.pivotal-investments.com.

SOURCE Pivotal Leaders