True Friends history

Camp Courage North – In 1971, Walter and Lydia Deubener donated to Courage Center 95 acres located near Itasca State Park.

In 1976 the programs and facilities at Courage North were expanded.

The site was renamed Camp Indian Chief and operated under this name until it closed in 1983 when the City of Eden Prairie took over ownership of the property, and renamed the site Camp Eden Wood.

Right out of college in 1984, they started a video conferencing business called PictureTel.

After becoming an independent nonprofit organization in 1986, Friendship Ventures, which was operating under Camp Friendship, expanded their programs to offer respite services, Ventures Travel a travel program, Team Quest a team building program, and Conference and Retreat centers.

In the mid-1990’s, he started a technology company with a college buddy he had known for 15 years.

Camp Eden Wood – In 1995, Friendship Ventures expanded its services in the Twin Cities area through the acquisition of Eden Wood Center in Eden Prairie.

Testa said, “at the end of the day, you have to accept that there’s a good chance you won’t be friends.” In 1996, he went on to start another technology company, Mindbridge Software, in Norristown, Pa., this time without his old friend.

One study put out by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, found that 27 percent of the privately held small businesses they polled in 2004 had two owners.

Take David Newman of Bryn Mawr, Pa., who started a business with a friend in July 2005 that would help authors market their books.

The organization acquired Camp Courage and Camp Courage North in November of 2012, and used the interim name, Camps of Courage and Friendship, for nearly a year.

In October 2013, the name True Friends was launched.