The history of the Oro Valley Business Club is the history of an idea tested in action: independent businesspeople become more effective when they can meet regularly, speak directly, and judge one another by the value of their work.
The Beginning
Public records document OVBC meetings as early as April and May 2011. In 2012, Henry Hank Jepsen and Gregory Lopeman established the organization around a recurring luncheon format that joined open conversation with practical presentations. The Club did not need an elaborate hierarchy to prove its usefulness. It needed a place, a schedule, and people willing to participate.
A Recurring Forum
The monthly luncheon became the Club’s operating foundation. Entrepreneurs, professionals, public officials, nonprofit representatives, and regional organizations returned because continuity turns an introduction into knowledge and knowledge into trust.
Programs addressed profitable operations, online reputation, technology parks, biomedical innovation, leadership, and regional development. The subjects changed. The standard did not: speakers were expected to bring information that could survive beyond the room.
Public Recognition
In 2013, Town of Oro Valley planning records listed OVBC among organizations representing small-business interests during the General Plan public participation process. Later archives document participation by organizations including the Southern Arizona Better Business Bureau and local media.
Dormancy and Return
The Club later entered a period of dormancy. Dormancy did not erase the relationships, public record, or underlying need that had created it. In 2025, OVBC returned with renewed leadership, a rebuilt digital presence, and the same essential purpose.
Explore the dated evidence in the Historical Archive, read about the 2025 revival, or attend the next luncheon.