COVID-19 continues to provide many uncertainties for the future, but what is certain is the continuous work and help Oregon RAIN provides for Grant County.

Oregon RAIN is a nonprofit organization that partners with Oregon communities to catalyze an entrepreneurial ecosystem and connect entrepreneurs to resources and information to create a prosperous community.

RAIN only comes into communities when they are invited, and they were invited by Grant County Economic Development.

After the invitation, the other stakeholders that partnered with the county and their invitation were John Day, Prairie City and Canyon City.

Interviews were held, and Stephanie LeQuieu was chosen to be a rural venture catalyst to represent the community. She began working in February.

“What we do is connect entrepreneurs to resources, whether it’s services that they need like education or training, or people like mentors, or capital,” LeQuieu said. “We help find means for them to gain capital or resources to start their ventures.”

To help people in the county receive resources, LeQuieu researches the local communities and finds out what is already provided. She also meets with city leaders and officials to ask them about the needs in the cities.

She also finds people, or people reach out to her, who are local entrepreneurs with great ideas but who don’t know how get to the next level.

COVID-19 forced a shift to online content and connecting with people through online workshops, conferences and support groups. LeQuieu said her team made the change quickly, and she was impressed with the team.

“We started a workshop series on Monday, and we have been covering a lot of valuable content such as the Payroll Protection Program, the EIDL grant loan program, the CARES act, and we have been able to help navigate people through the pandemic,” LeQuieu said. “We are still helping entrepreneurs and brainstorming of startups of how they can survive at this time.”

Every Monday from 2-3 p.m., RAIN offers a virtual workshop series online through Zoom. This workshop is based on feedback from the local network. Every Friday from 9-10 a.m., RAIN provides an online entrepreneur support group through Zoom. These resources can be found at oregonrain.org.

LeQuieu also provides an additional three online virtual meetings a week where entrepreneurs can ask her questions, and she helps them anyway she can. These are provided on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

While RAIN’s mission is to help build an entrepreneurial ecosystem, local partners have also asked how RAIN can help current local businesses during the pandemic.

“Some of the city leaders have asked what I can do for business retention and expansion, and I think, now more than ever, it is a key component to what needs to be done,” LeQuieu said. “I have been reaching out to local businesses to see if there is anything I can do. A lot of the content we provide in our workshop will apply to existing businesses.”

As of March there have been 15 entrepreneurs that have been identified in the county who have reached out, according to LeQuieu. She added, even in the midst of the pandemic, there is one entrepreneur who she is helping in the process of starting a business.

“Oregon RAIN is helping, it’s working here and we are going to reap the benefits having an organization like this partner with us,” LeQuieu said. “Grant County has some phenomenal talent here. They have wonderful ideas and I have seen a great response. It’s been a wonderful experience so far.”

LeQuieu said she appreciates the opportunity to get to know entrepreneurs on a personal level and one of her main goals is to help and affect positive change.

For more information, call 541-965-1598 or email stephanie@oregonrain.org.