Klamath IDEA Opens New Season With Two Hometown Entrepreneur Stories
Trevor Mauch returns to Klamath Falls Sept. 16 alongside a surprise entrepreneur with local roots.
AT A GLANCE
Event: Klamath IDEA Talks 2026-27 season kickoff.
Featured speaker: Klamath Falls native and Carrot founder Trevor Mauch.
Special guest: A second successful entrepreneur with Klamath County roots will be revealed at the event.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 16; doors open at 5:30 p.m., program around 6:15 p.m.
Where: Watershed Row, 330 South 7th Street, Klamath Falls.
Admission: $15, including appetizers and two drink tickets.
Trevor Mauch: Klamath Falls native and entrepreneur Trevor Mauch will headline the Sept. 16 Klamath IDEA Talks season kickoff at Watershed Row. Submitted photo.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — Klamath IDEA is opening its 2026-27 IDEA Talks season by bringing two entrepreneurial stories back to where they began.
Klamath Falls native Trevor Mauch will headline the Sept. 16 season kickoff at Watershed Row, joined by a second, surprise entrepreneur whose roots also trace back to Klamath County.
For Klamath IDEA, the evening is less about simply celebrating business success and more about showing what can grow from a small community.
“We are thrilled to finally have Trevor back in his hometown to share his entrepreneurial story,” Klamath IDEA Executive Director Darin Rutledge said. “Even though his success blossomed elsewhere, his story illustrates that entrepreneurs — and their ideas — can certainly take root right here in communities like ours.”
From Klamath Falls to a national company
Mauch grew up working in his family’s local businesses before graduating from Oregon Institute of Technology with degrees in marketing and entrepreneurship.
He later built Carrot, a bootstrapped software company headquartered in Roseburg that has become a major marketing platform for real estate investors and agents.
Under Mauch’s leadership, Carrot has appeared multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.
His first entrepreneurial venture, Awesomely, was co-founded more than 15 years ago and continues serving thousands of customers each month.
Mauch has also become a speaker, podcast host, and advocate for entrepreneurship in rural communities. In Roseburg, he helped launch the Young Entrepreneurs Society and The Loft Entrepreneur Co-Workspace.
Hometown Entrepreneur: Trevor Mauch, founder of Carrot, returns to Klamath Falls as the featured speaker for Klamath IDEA’s 2026-27 season opener. Submitted photo.
One guest is staying a secret — for now
The second entrepreneur will not be formally revealed until the event.
Klamath IDEA describes him as a globally recognized creative entrepreneur whose work blends sports, art, and brand innovation. According to the organization, his company grew into what it calls the world’s first sports art house and generated more than $80 million in sales in four years.
“For anyone who’s been in our community for a while, the identity of our surprise guest probably won’t be too much of a surprise,” Rutledge said. “But his story about setting up shop in Nashville to found what is now the world’s fastest growing sporting goods brand and sports art house will certainly be worth celebrating.”
The event marks more than a new season for IDEA Talks. It will also debut Watershed Row in downtown Klamath Falls as the series’ new host venue.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for networking, with the program beginning around 6:15 p.m.
Admission is $15 and includes appetizers and two drink tickets. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase.
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