From Oregon to the Global Stage: Two Founders Compete Internationally
When two founders from Oregon traveled to India to compete in a global startup competition, it followed success much closer to home. Both Melanie Jenkinson and Joshua Vanderpool had first emerged as winners through the TiE Oregon programs, TiE Women and TiE U, earning the opportunity to represent the region on an international stage.
They were not there solely to pitch their startups, but to test their thinking, expand their perspective, and engage with founders from around the world operating at a similar level of ambition and rigor.
Melanie Jenkinson, Founder of Howl at the Spoon (TiE Women)
For Melanie Jenkinson, the competition came at a moment when perspective mattered more than validation.
“At this stage, the biggest value was exposure and perspective,” she shared. “Getting in a room with founders building at a similar growth stage, but in totally different markets and geographies, was huge. The networking made it worth it for me. It helped normalize a lot of the challenges we are all quietly dealing with.”
What distinguished the competition was not simply its international scope, but the rigor behind how companies were evaluated. Scoring was led by investors and subject matter experts, with clearly defined criteria that emphasized business fundamentals, strategic thinking, and long-term potential. For Melanie, this reinforced the credibility of this competition and experience, where feedback carried real weight and relevance for companies preparing to scale globally.
One of the most striking moments came from observing the mindset in the room. Even founders pitching highly local products were thinking globally.
“Seeing people pitch local products with global ambition, really inspired me.”
Melanie credits TiE Oregon and the TiE Women community for helping her show up prepared and confident. “I especially want to shout out Kari Naone (TiE Oregon Executive Director) for the local TiE Oregon support in advance, helping make sure I was prepared and grounded going into the competition. On site, Nandini Aggrwal (TiE Global Assoc. Director) was incredibly present and organized, always available to answer questions and keep things moving smoothly. That combination of preparation and on the ground support made it easier to show up confidently and focus on my pitch.”
Representing Oregon sparked more interest than she expected, especially around food, manufacturing, and lifestyle brands.
“Oregon came up in conversations more than I thought it would. It felt good to represent a place that values quality and thoughtfulness, even if it sometimes flies under the radar.”
Perhaps the biggest takeaway was a recalibration around pace.
“Being in a global environment made me realize how much time we sometimes spend over-perfecting things locally,” she reflected. “There was a stronger sense of urgency around testing, learning, and moving—even while the plan is still taking shape.”
For founders building toward scale, Melanie sees global exposure as something to pursue sooner rather than later.
“You don’t need to be ‘global-ready’ to benefit from global exposure. A competition like TiE Global, helps pressure-test your thinking, your story, and your ambition before the stakes are even higher.”
Howl at the Spoon, Beaverton, OR
Melanie Jenkinson is the founder and owner of Beaverton-based startup Howl at the Spoon, and is proudly bringing an innovative solution to a stale category with her nationwide, first-to-market single serve artisan sauces.
Howl at the Spoon's artisan sauces are handmade in small batches using clean label & plant based ingredients. No more adding to the sauce graveyard that creates future food waste in your fridge door with those big bulky bottles.
Joshua Vanderpool, Founder of Eazi Step (TiE U)
For Joshua Vanderpool, the opportunity to travel to TiE Global in Jaipur came in the middle of an intense technical development phase. Staying heads-down would have been the easier choice. Instead, the overall experience offered something he didn’t realize he needed.
“I could have focused entirely on development,” Joshua shared. “But this competition gave me a push to get as much done as possible beforehand, and then a much-needed break to see the bigger picture.”
That shift in perspective proved valuable. When he returned home, he found that the ideas taking shape were clearer, more executable, and more aligned with the broader impact he wanted his company to have.
The global nature of the competition also reframed how Joshua thinks about scale.
“Niche businesses can succeed, but this global scale competition highlighted that great companies are valuable beyond cultural and geographical borders.”
One of the most defining moments came after his presentation. A TiE member from the audience approached Joshua with enthusiasm and stayed with him for nearly twenty minutes, actively helping him pursue a potential connection.
“I was impressed, and honestly a little overwhelmed, by the generosity,” Joshua said. “The mentorship, the network, and the time TiE members are willing to give all over the world really stood out.”
That generosity extended beyond introductions. Through the competition, Joshua was exposed to new ways of thinking about his mission to help people remain active despite injury. Traveling internationally allowed him to see how mobility needs change depending on infrastructure and environment, and led to connections with global organizations like Jaipur Foot, which supports tens of thousands of amputees worldwide.
The experience also prompted a deeper personal reflection. Being in India challenged Joshua’s assumptions about scale, labor, and collaboration.
“I’ve been so focused on expanding capacity through technology and AI,” he reflected. “Seeing how much can be done through people reminded me of the impact you can have not just through your product, but through the way you work with others.”
For Joshua, competing globally wasn’t about entering international markets immediately. It was about expanding what felt possible.
“I’m not ready to go global yet,” he said. “But this opened my eyes to the work being done around the world and the talented people I could collaborate with across borders.”
EaziStep, Portland, OR
Joshua Vanderpool is a biomedical engineer and the startup co-founder of EaziStep. Day-to-day, Joshua is on a mission to put healing in motion—literally. From hacking 3D printers to regrow muscle tissue, to designing mobility devices that let people move freely during recovery, his life is a fusion of purpose and precision.
EaziStep builds mobility devices that let people stay active despite injury or pain and has expanded their mission for chronic ankle pain and recovery with an offloading brace.
