THE 1001 TECH CENTER

Partners for Plugging In
The 1001 Tech Center
Bend, Oregon is a city founded by loggers, ranchers and pioneers. Today, there’s a new kind of pioneer in the high desert, one fueled by the transformative power of technology.

Meet Dino Vendetti, the face and flag-waving evangelist for Bend’s tech movement. He cut his investment teeth in Silicon Valley, but like so many inside and outside the state of Oregon, he was drawn to the beauty and lifestyle offered by the mountains and high desert. But what really inspired Dino was that Oregon’s vibrant tech scene lacked “resident capital”. He saw that most of the capital being invested in Oregon’s tech companies came from outside of the state. Dino decided to move to Bend and go “all in.”

As General Partner at Seven Peaks Ventures and the driving force behind the new 1001 Tech Center building in Bend, Dino is responsible for “backing brilliant entrepreneurs.” His venture capital firm has backed Oregon-grown companies like Opal Labs and CrowdStreet, to name just two. And now, with the opening of the 1001 Tech Center building—part co-working space, part incubator for startups and headquarters to Seven Peaks Ventures—Dino is a landlord and hands-on mentor to scores more.

“There is a deep realization happening here that Bend needs to diversify its economy beyond tourism. The community wants other foundational elements, and tech spawns high-paying jobs.” Bend already changed from a logging town to a resort town. Now the city located along the winding banks of the Deschutes River is fast becoming something more vibrant, and even more desirable.

Portland has become the Silicon Forest. Could Bend become the Silicon High Desert? “I love Portland and do a lot of business in Portland, but Bend is not Portland, and that can be a good thing.” Rich with senior talent who migrated from the Bay Area and the Willamette Valley, Bend has the human capital to become a vital Western city during this century.

Naturally, new industries and growing cities take considerable effort, organization and financial resources to build. Momentum also plays a role. Dino points out that Oregon State University has a new central Oregon campus being built which will be critical to the future. He gets numerous emails every week from tech professionals looking to move to Bend and young adults there who want to be entrepreneurs. As new communities blossom, they require energetic leaders with a strong vision. Dino is this man, and he’s deeply invested both personally and financially in the formation of the new Bend. 

Lewis & Clark Bank shares Dino’s optimism and his vision for Bend and the state’s tech sector. That’s why we gladly partnered with Dino’s firm, when they sought capital to remake an old Forest Service building into a new home for thought leaders. “Other banks couldn’t visualize our goals of what the tech industry could become in Bend. Lewis & Clark Bank could. And that was the bottom line.”
“Other banks couldn’t visualize our goals of what the tech industry could become in Bend. Lewis & Clark Bank could. And that was the bottom line.”
- Dino Vendetti