What if the fastest way to build an outdoor economy isn’t recruiting big brands, but lighting a spark at home? We sit down with Oregon Outdoor Alliance founders Van Schoessler and Gary Bracelin to tell the origin story of OOA—how a few picnic-table meetups and a shop-floor gathering at Pine Mountain turned into a statewide network that connects founders, talent, and support organizations across Oregon.

We dig into why early efforts to poach headquarters from other states fell flat and how flipping the strategy—serve the locals first—created real momentum. From the first 75-person meetup to chapters in Portland, Hood River, Southern Oregon, and the Willamette Valley, OOA became the connective tissue for an eight-billion-dollar outdoor sector. Along the way, we explore the launch of BOW (Bend Outdoor Worx), the accelerator built to go deep with a select group of startups on sales strategy, channel building, supply chain, finance, and operations.

You’ll hear practical, human stories of connection and shared passion for the outdoor industry—and we share founder-focused advice on rounding out the business beyond product, contracting for weaknesses, and using the region’s resources like EDCO, SBDC, Business Oregon, OOA, and BOW.

If you crave the old trade-show serendipity, this is how to rebuild it locally. Show up, ask for help, and offer it. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves the outdoor industry, and leave a review telling us the one connection that changed your path.