---
title: 'Smart-ups: OEN Eugene chapter'
date: '2008-03-21T14:33:59-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 269
char_count: 1738
tokens: 350
categories:
  - Eugene
  - Groups
  - OEN
  - Oregon
  - Smartups
tags:
  - OEN
  - Oregon
  - 'smart ups'
  - Smartups
---

# Smart-ups: OEN Eugene chapter

The [Oregon Entrepreneur Network (OEN)](http://www.oen.org/ "Oregon Entrepreneur Network OEN") has announced a new group that has [sprouted out of its fledgling Eugene chapter](http://www.oen.org/blog/?p=212 "Eugene Chapter launches Smartups"): [Smart-ups](http://smartups.homestead.com/index.html "Smartups").

> Smart-ups is a new entrepreneurial support group in the Eugene/Springfield area. We’re a local chapter of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) based in Portland, OR.

The new group will take charge of hosting a series of Pub Talks similar to those the OEN holds in the Portland area on a regular basis.

Caroline Cummings, CEO of [OsoEco](http://www.osoeco.com/ "OsoEco")—whom you may remember f[rom this year’s Angel Oregon](http://siliconflorist.com/2008/03/05/oen-announces-the-winner-of-angel-oregon-and-its-not-a-tech-company/ "Angel Oregon winners")—started the Smart-ups group. She talked to [Eugene’s The Register-Guard about the inspiration behind the group](http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=81144&sid=1&fid=1 "Eugene's Register-Guard on Smartups").

“We know there are entrepreneurs in this community,” Cummings said. “What happens is they end up starting up their own little Yahoo groups, or they meet at coffeehouses, and they don’t realize there’s a lot of support out there, like the chamber, like the university. That’s what Smart-ups is all about — pulling all of these groups together.”

Sounds like a common problem. It will be interesting to see how Eugene goes about solving it. And I’ll be sure to keep track of what they’re doing.

For more information, see [Smart-ups](http://smartups.homestead.com/index.html "Smart-ups").