Woody Tasch, the founder and chairman of Slow Money, a nonprofit micro-financing organization, will be speaking about micro financing and food entrepreneurship next Thursday, Feb. 21, at 12:30 p.m. in Southern Oregon University’s Music Recital Hall.
Tasch, the former chairman of the Investor’s Circle, a network of over 200 angel investors and venture capitalists, founded Slow Money in 2008 to generate new sources of capital for farmers and local food cooperatives. The organization has since grown to be the largest micro-financing organization of its kind for small and medium sized farmers.
The event will be coordinated by Southern Oregon Aquaponics, an organization started by SOU students after their business model placing third in a statewide competition last year. Aquaponics is the combination of fish farming and hydroponic farming, where hundreds of fish or crustaceans live in a 2,500 to 5,000 gallon pond. As the water gets dirty, it is siphoned off to another bed where it fertilizes plants. The business idea took third in last year’s Oregon Social Business Challenge, netting three SOU students a $2,000 prize.
“Students could learn a lot from Woody about micro financing, food entrepreneurship, and how to make ones dreams come true for an ethical socially conscious business model,” said Jeffrey Jensen, an SOU student and member of the aquaponics team.
Tasch will be giving the keynote address between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. next Thursday, followed by a question and answer session until 2:30 p.m. Jensen added that SOU’s Hospitality Club will be selling soup, refreshments, and drinks as well. Entry is free with an SOU student ID, otherwise $10.