why now?

In January 2019, as the EO 3.0 Strategic Plan entered its final year, our global board set us on a path to transform our organization.

Since our beginnings in 1987, EO has grown to over 14,000 members, with 198 chapters in 61 countries. Guided by our members around the world, the ambitions and sense of purpose of our organization have grown as well.

In the past year, the global board and staff have reviewed and redefined EO’s vision, mission, values, and visual identity to support a new five-year strategic plan for a new era.

The work was completed in February 2020 to be rolled out in April at GLC; however, due to the pandemic, the rollout of EO 4.0 was held back to refocus on supporting members through the early months of the crisis.

Today, we’re excited to speak about the EO we are creating for the future.

Our purpose & ambition

Our members are at the heart of all we do.

EO’s purpose is to help entrepreneurs achieve their full potential. Our ambition is to enable transformative growth in our members’ lives.

What does this mean?

As entrepreneurs, we can only go so far alone. EO brings us together with like-minded leaders. We are connected and we are better for knowing one another. Our members thrive and grow because of the connections they make and the relationships they develop. EO creates a space where members can have real conversations and learn from one another by sharing their experiences, successes, and failures. As individuals, as members, we are invested in one another’s growth and success. EO provides the infrastructure and support for our members to grow together.

Our ambition relates to our goal of enabling members to 10X the achievement of their goals in life and business. Members measure their own transformation in different ways. For some, it may be delivering a measurable shift in business performance, while for others it may be a personal transformation. The important thing is that the impact is real and makes a big difference.

our global strategic priorities

EO 4.0 launches four strategic priorities:

1. Focus on getting a deeper understanding of our members & their changing needs. We are shifting our focus from growing EO’s membership to delivering greater value for our members.

2. Personalizing our opportunities, produces & services to help every member reach their goals. Members have diverse goals for their lives and businesses, and a more highly customized organization will provide more avenues for fulfilling member goals.

3. Enhancing our operating model & investing resources in the right places. EO has annual revenues of over US$45 million per year. We have over 500 member volunteers helping to lead the organization in partnership with 130 staff and over 190 chapters, each with their own revenue, staff, and leadership structure. We must continually enhance our operating model to drive more resources to creating member value.

4. Looking outside of EO to understand the evolving needs of emerging entrepreneurs. We must invest in relationships outside of EO to stay relevant and in touch with the wants and needs of emerging entrepreneurs.
   
   

our new brand identity

Why have we created a new brand and visual identity? Since our last brand was launched in 2005, we have been growing and evolving as an organization. Membership has more than doubled, we are present in over 20 more countries and our portfolio of products and services has grown extensively. EO has outgrown its current brand, which positioned it as a sleek and powerful vehicle with the horsepower to accelerate its members past the competition. The tagline initially was “Fueling the Entrepreneurial Engine,” which was accompanied by a logo comprised of an orange tick mark and three dots, representing a speedometer.

In January 2019, the EO Board decided to undertake a rebranding exercise as part of the broader work to transform the organization. The rebrand has been an opportunity to create a logo and a visual identity that better reflects who we are as an organization and what we are about. We worked with a branding agency to develop a logo and visual language that is distinct and distinguishes EO from other similar organizations.

We are excited to launch our new brand. It is fresh, vibrant, and a better reflection of our organization. Our new EO brand is much more than a logo and a visual identity. It is about our members and their EO journey together. It is about interconnection, inclusion, transformation and growth. The logo mark is a dynamic circle – bright rounded shapes that stack up together to form a striking whole. It expresses our community, our values and our mindsets. The rings radiate outward from our members as individuals to the impact we have on the world around us. Our new brand is a symbol that embraces our heritage and the EO we are creating for the future.

Launching a new logo and brand identity is only the beginning. We are focusing on building our brand, not only to raise recognition and awareness, but also to communicate more clearly about who we are and the value that EO offers its members.

eo Portland’s STrategic priorities

The global launch of the EO 4.0 5-Year Strategic Plan underscores how EO Portland continues to lead chapters around the world in bettering our organization’s policies around inclusivity, commitment to the member, and positive impact in the world.

For our fiscal year 2020-21, the EO Portland Board has committed to these actions:

1. We will support our members throughout the COVID-19 crisis — both in business and their personal lives. EO Members will have the resources, network, and inspiration to stay one step ahead of this evolving circumstance. We will support each other with learning and extraordinary care.
   

2. We will invest in entrepreneurs who are underrepresented in our organization. BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs will be more than included here; they’ll be trusted and respected for their experiences. Oregon is stronger when it is led by diverse leaders, and EO Portland is stronger as well.
   

3. We will equip EO Members with tools for Making Their Mark in their businesses and communities. Our core value Make a Mark guides us to leave a legacy of positive change in our world, and this year members will be given opportunities to give back, invest in our local small business ecosystem, and re-imagine the kinds of value their businesses create.
   

The EO Portland Board established these priorities in June before the launch of EO 4.0, showing how we continue to stay ahead of global trends and lead the way for the EO of the future.

We look forward to a year worth remembering with you all.