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February 2,  2018
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Final Presentations | Shen. Valley Cohort | ICAP (2/9)
March 1st Cryptocurrency Luncheon Survey: What Would You Like to Know?
Tech Nite 2018 Award Nominations Open Feb. 15!.
SVAI Launches New Website
JMU X-Labs Friday Open Training (1/26)
Start Smart SBDC Workshop (2/6)
GO Virginia Region 8 | 3rd Round Proposals Accepted (Pre-app. due Feb. 7)
For High School Students: Virginia Junior Science and Humanities Symposium @ JMU (application deadline 2/9)
SVTC Bits & Grits (2/20)
Intro to User Experience (UX) | Harrisonburg Class | Limited Spaces Available (2/24).
STEM Takes Flight NASA Research Experiences | For Community College Students (deadline 2/26)
Bricks & Clicks Workshop for Small Business Owners (Register by 2/25)
NVTC Capital Data Summit &...University Data Challenge (2/28)
Job Opening | Software Engineer, Jenzabar in Harrisonburg
Job Opening | Assistant or Associate Professor of Data Science, JMU
Job Opening | Director of Information Technology, Lexington City Schools
Job Opening | IT Technician, Dynamic Aviation in Bridgewater
Job Opening | Digital Marketing Specialist and Content Writer, Immerge in Harrisonburg
Job Opening | Network and Systems Administrator, BRCC

February 9, 2018 | 9 am - 12 pm | JMU Lakeview Hall

Hear the final presentations of the 13 teams involved. Free and open to the public! Please register, below.

About ICAP and This Cohort
ICAP is a statewide technology-commercialization program offered by the Virginia Network of Small Business Development Centers, George Mason University, and local sponsors (SVTC, SBDC, JMU X-Labs).
Based on the National Science Foundation's I-Corps™ program for Lean Startups, ICAP 2.0 helps inventors and entrepreneurs take the right first steps in bringing new technologies and innovations to market.
During this free 3-week program, individuals worked with ICAP instructors and teammates to learn techniques to help identify potential customers, learn their needs and how to build a successful business model from that knowledge.

The Short Course is the beginning of an ICAP process that guides companies through the Five Steps to Startup Success:
  • Validate one's business model
  • Build the right team of three or more members
  • Develop a minimum viable product (MVP)
  • Create early sales traction
  • Establish distribution channels and key partnerships
Who was Eligible?
All Virginia early-stage technology innovators and entrepreneurs (faculty, students, or the community at large) who were seeking to explore the commercial prospects for their innovations were encouraged to participate in this regional cohort.

Some graduates of this cohort may be eligible to apply to NSF's full National Seven-week I-Corps Program in which includes non-dilutive grants for customer discovery and prototype development. Additionally, this program can help teams develop better submissions for SBIRs and CRCF grants from Virginia's Center for Innovative Technologies.

 

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Dig Deeper | Cryptocurrency Luncheon | March 1 

Because we did not get to ask all the questions we had, we're offering the Deeper Dive! Join us March 1st for a "deeper dive" into cryptocurrency and all that comes with that fascinating topic. Dr. Morgan Benton, JMU CISE/ISAT, has agreed to speak again.

To help us narrow the topics to exactly the questions everyone wants addressed most, please contribute:  March 1 Luncheon prep. What's on your mind: Bitcoin mining; public ledger; block chain; difference between bitcoin and etherum? Something else? Let us know.

Get yourself started with the topic:  https://blockgeeks.com/guides/what-is-cryptocurrency.

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Tech Nite 2018 Award Nominations Open Feb. 15!

Get ready! Nominations are most competitive when they are well coordinated between nominator and nominee, AND when they are accurate and complete. PLUS: self-nominations are welcome (no one knows who made what nomination for whom.) Get a head start: review the categories, conceive of a good nominee,  start communicating with that potential nominee, and gather the details. Take a look at the guidelines (pdf) to anticipate questions in each categoryNeither nominee or nominator need to be a member of the SVTC. 

Everything to get you started: Tech Nite 18 award categories and nomination guidelines . Unsure who's won before? Look at 
previous SVTC Tech Nite nominees and winners.

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We're delighted to share that our local investors group, Shenandoah Valley Angel Investors (SVAI), has created a website, and contacting them is now easy to do. Shenandoah Valley Angel Investors:  www.svangelinvestors.com. From startup resources to an easy-to-use contact form, SVAI has now provided several online-accessible elements to advance their mission. Please use the contact form on their website to apply for funding consideration. 

About SVAI
Shenandoah Valley Angel Investors (SVAI) is a network of private investors that help fund entrepreneurial enterprises located in our communities. SVAI's founding members have broad experience, spanning multiple market sectors, including: Manufacturing, Healthcare, Construction, Public Accounting, Outdoor Recreation, Legal, Senior Assisted Living, Insurance, Distribution and Logistics, Agriculture, Commercial Real Estate, Property Management, Government and Technology.

Mission
SVAI's primary interest is Start-Up/ Early Stage business ventures with funding needs in the range of $50,000 to $300,000 that leverage technology to create a new product or service. A review committee assesses and ranks business proposals based on several factors, including: market potential, scalability, new job creation, intellectual property, competition, management team, business acumen, capital intensity and potential return on an equity investment.

To check out their new site, visit www.svangelinvestors.com.

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On Fridays from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm | JMU Lakeview Hall

Get trained on the machinery located at JMU X-Labs. Trainings for the laser cutter, 3D printers, vinyl cutter and more available during Friday open lab hours.

For more information about X-Labs, please visit the  Facebook event page and  X-labs website.

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February 6, 2018 | 1 pm - 3 pm | JMU Ice House, Room 106

Are you thinking about starting a new business?  Do you have lots of questions about how - or whether - to move forward?  Are you considering moving your hobby into a more structured business form?  Have you already started your small business and now realize you may have missed a few things?

Your SV SBDC has answers, information, and resources to help.

In the Start Smart Workshops, your SBDC representative will discuss the path to good decisions and a successful start. You'll learn to take a thorough 360° approach to your business and all its components - from product development to target markets to financial projections. It will also cover the regulations and registrations you need to know.

Follow-up appointments are then available with SBDC business advisors to focus on your individual business needs.

Start Smart workshops are held in various locations and at various times; if this session doesn't suit, check the  Web Calendar for more options.



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Pre-applications due February 7, 2018
Email Pre-apps to  bonnie@cspdc.org  

The GO Virginia Region 8 Council has just announced that it is accepting the third round of proposals for per-capita projects to be funded through the State's GO Virginia initiative.  For a project to be considered by the Region 8 Council, complete the pre-application and submit to the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) to  bonnie@cspdc.org no later than Wednesday, February 7, 2018.

On the SVTC website, you can find a planning calendar with key regional and state deadlines and upcoming meetings.  The next full meeting of the GO Virginia Region 8 Council will be on Monday, March 5th, from 10:00 am to Noon at Mary Baldwin University's Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences in Augusta County, located at 100 Baldwin Blvd, Fishersville, VA 22939.  In addition to the March 5th meeting, the Region 8 Council is also planning on convening on Friday, May 11th from 10 am to Noon at a location TBD in the southern part of Region 8.

As a reminder, the Region 8 Council has approximately $928,000 in per capita GO Virginia funds to award to projects in the region for this round of applications.  In addition, approximately $11.3 million in competitive statewide GO Virginia funds are still available for projects.

Successful projects will address one or more of the region's five targeted industry sectors:
  • Financial and Business Services
  • Health Care
  • Information Technology/Communications
  • Light Manufacturing
  • Transportation and Logistics
Projects funded will address one or more of the region's framework initiatives developed around the following broad areas:
  • Recruit and/or retain the talent needed in the region
  • Grow existing businesses, develop existing clusters, and scale-up small and mid-size companies
  • Establish start-ups from commercializing university-based research and supporting entrepreneurs
  • Support potential joint economic development activities such as site development and training initiatives
Projects supported by GO Virginia funding must:
  • Involve private sector employment that pays an annual wage greater than $41,000,
  • Include the collaboration of two or more localities,
  • Commit non-state sources of matching funds (50/50), and
  • Generate new spending to the Shenandoah Valley (not just recirculating local spending)
For further information about GO Virginia Region 8's project priorities, please refer to the linked Region 8 Economic Growth and Diversification Plan.  The entire plan with appendices is available at the Shenandoah Valley Partnership's website at  www.shenandoah-valley.biz/tools-resources/go-virginia/.  Additional information about GO Virginia also is available at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) at   http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/index.php/go-virginia.html.

You can find the pre-application at the SVTC website (right sidebar)

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JSHS invites high school students to report on the results of their original research investigations in STEM and compete for scholarships and recognition at university-held regional symposia. 

JSHS is designed to challenge, engage, and publicly recognize students (Grades 9-12) conducting research in the sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Individual students compete for scholarships and recognition by presenting the results of their original research efforts before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers. Opportunities for career exploration, research lab visits, peer discussions, and networking are planned. By participating in regional and national symposia, students may:
  • Participate in a forum honoring individual achievement in STEM;
  • Network with peers who have similar interests;
  • Hear research presentations by other students;
  • Develop skills to help prepare for undergraduate and graduate pursuits in STEM fields;
  • Hear nationally renowned scientists speak on their work;
  • Qualify for significant scholarships and other recognition; and
  • Advance to the national symposium.
All students must be nominated by a teacher or administrator from his/her school except home/online students who may be nominated by the parent responsible for his/her educational plan. Private schools may nominate 2 students, public high schools up to 4 students and Governors/ Magnet schools may nominate up to 12 students each.

More information, eligibility requirements, and registration for symposium

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February 20, 2018 | 8 am | Mrs. Rowe's in Staunton

Come join us for Bits & Grits at Mrs. Rowe's in Staunton! This is a casual event. Just show up to drink coffee, have breakfast, or just talk with fellow techies in the Shenandoah Valley. Attendees should look for Kurt Plowman when entering Mrs. Rowe's.

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February 24, 2018 | 10am - 4pm @ Jenzabar | $60

At its core, User Experience (UX) is defined as how someone feels about using a product, system, or service. Regardless of what we're designing - a website, an Android app, or a toaster - we all strive to make our designs useful, easy to use, and enjoyable to use. But how exactly do we make something useful, easy to use, and enjoyable? How do we know if the target audience is having a good or bad experience? This class will arm you with the essential tips to find those answers.

This class is for anyone who makes (or wants to learn how to make) websites, mobile apps, or other software. If you're a developer, a designer, a project manager, a content creator, or something else, you can integrate UX research and design into your practice.

This is a hands on course which will give you actionable tools to get started with user experience in your work day!

Tech Requirements
Your laptop. Note: A netbook or tablet is NOT a substitute.

Scholarships
Central VA Girl Develop It is offering a limited number of scholarships to offer. Their goal is to be a sustainable organization that offers low-cost web development classes to women. With that in mind, if there's a class that you want to attend but cannot afford for financial reasons, please apply for a scholarship (https://goo.gl/forms/xVSJXjzzYFH5yQcf1).

For this class, the scholarship application deadline is February 19, 2017.

Contact
Questions about the class or interested in being a teaching assistant? Contact centralva@girldevelopit.com.


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STEM Takes Flight NASA Research Experiences | For Community College Students 
(deadline 2/26)
 
Deadline February 26, 2018

Virginia Space Grant Consortium is partnering with NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton and NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore to provide hands-on research experience opportunities for at least 23 Virginia Community College students during summer 2018. These paid opportunities will be identified by both NASA Centers with current Center missions and projects that are at a point which would maximize hands-on engagement of the students at project critical stages, while inspiring students, teaching them the nature of project work, communications and teamwork, and providing strong exposure to a wide range of technical and scientific career paths. Student researchers will work with NASA research advisors on the designated research project over the course of a 10 week, 40-hour- per-week, summer research experience. Students will receive a $5,000 stipend. Application packages are due February 26, 2018.

Deadlines
  • Summer 2018 Application Due: FEBRUARY 26, 2018
  • Electronic Recommendations Due: MARCH 2, 2018
  • Selection Notification Deadline: On or about APRIL 16, 2018
Contact 
Debbie Murray, Program Manager, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, dbmurray@odu.edu; 757-766-5210 or Nicole Shaw, Program Assistant,  lnshaw@odu.edu

More information, eligibility requirements, and registration for summer research program

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Bricks & Clicks Workshop for Small Business Owners 
(Register by 2/25)
February 27, 2018 (registration deadline F eb. 25)
8:00 am - 3:30 pm |  JMU Madison Union Ballroom

$50 for Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City businesses
$75 for out-of-area businesses

Ready to become a dynamic online and offline business destination? Nationally renowned marketing expert and small business strategist, Jon Schallert of The Schallert Group will lead this dynamic workshop that will give business owners the tools to strengthen their web presence and transition to an experience-based business. 

Business owners will learn how to become a destination business - both online and in-store. In addition, attendees will:
  • Get the strategies to make sure customers can find you.
  • Discover ways to create an engaging and sales-driving website.
  • Hear what creative businesses around the nation have done to defy impossible customer markets and attract people from miles away by creating an experience-based destination.
  • Find out how to offer more than a transaction in order to become a destination - whether meal delivery subscriptions are eating into your dining room sales or Amazon is clicking away at your bottom line. 
Register for Feb. 27, 2018 workshop  

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NVTC Capital Data Summit & University Data
Challenge 
(2/28)



February 28, 2018 | 7:45 am - 4:00 pm
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner |  See Prices Below

Join Northern VA's leading big data and analytics companies and prominent thought leaders at the second annual Capital Data Summit on Feb. 28, 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner.

Featuring keynote speakers and panels offering unique insights on how big data and analytics are transforming industries and producing results for organizations and their customers, a technology showcase of the region's leading big data and analytics companies, and unmatched networking opportunities, the Capital Data Summit will provide exceptional business development and educational value for NVTC members and the entire Greater Washington technology community.

Keynote Speakers
William Ruh, CEO, GE Digital, and Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, GE
Mark Ryland, Chief Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services Public Sector

NEW IN 2018!
The 2018 Capital Data Summit will include a new University Data Challenge, in which teams of students representing the region's universities and community colleges will be challenged to analyze and respond to a topic/question using any combination of data sources and statistical, mathematical modeling, big data, and related techniques available to them.

Cost
Member: $395.00
Additional Member Attendee: $345.00
General Audience: $550.00
Student: $50.00
Government Employee: $25.0


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Job Opening: Software Engineer

Jenzabar is looking for a talented and experienced Software Engineer to join our team of passionate people in designing and developing a high quality, end user focused administrative web application for higher education. This individual should be highly proficient with HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript/jQuery and have a passion for web development as well as a keen eye for well-designed UX and UI. The Software Engineer should have solid experience with Responsive Web Design techniques to build interfaces which will adapt to the many devices in which our end users will use to access our application. Solid experience with developing .Net MVC web applications and the .Net framework is highly preferred. If you enjoy working in a team environment to develop an application that will not just let users do their work but help them do their work, then please consider joining the Jenzabar team.

 
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Job Opening: Assistant or Associate Professor of Data Science
JMU Co llege of Integrated Science and Engineering| Harrisonburg

The Department of Integrated Science and Technology ( ISAT ) at James
Madison University ( JMU ) invites applications for a tenure-track position
at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor beginning August, 2018. The Department of Integrated Science and Technology (soon to become the School of Integrated Sciences) is a dynamic, highly interdisciplinary academic unit of 50 faculty with terminal degrees in 39 different fields. Our graduates are innovative problem solvers with strong analytical and teaming skills that enable them to work on complex socio-technical problems facing organizations, communities, and society. Additional information on the department and its individual programs can be found at http://www.isat.jmu.edu.


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Job Opening: 
Director of Information Technology 

Lexington City Schools | Lexington

The Director of Information Technology is responsible for the design, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of all server, network, and computing technology for Lexington City Schools and the City of Lexington. This position also assists with networking and server support at the Rockbridge ECC. The position reports to the Superintendent of Lexington City Schools and the City Manager. Given oversight of the city's varied technology infrastructure, the Director of Information Technology must be self - driven, organized, and possess a keen attention to detail. As primary support for faculty, staff, and students, the Director of Information Technology must also be collaborative and committed to customer service. 


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Job Opening: 
IT Technician
Dynamic Aviation | Bridgewater

The IT Technician will provide maintenance of the computer desktop environment by analyzing requirements, resolving problems, installing and removing hardware and software from computer systems, and supporting the internal IT Help Desk. The IT Technician will be responsible for administration and internal support of the company's PC's, printers, scanners, and related equipment. Tasks include end user support, license tracking, ticket generation and completion, and performing PC maintenance, upgrades, and configurations. The qualified applicant will also work closely with the network group to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures.


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Job Opening: 
Digital Marketing Specialist and Content Writer 
Immerge | Harrisonburg

Immerge is seeking for a qualified Digital Marketing Specialist/Content Writer to join their team in DowntownHarrisonburg. They are specifically looking for an individual with digital marketing and content writing training/experience. Please note Immerge is not looking for remote workers at this time. Candidate must be willing to relocate.

More information at ZipRecruiter

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Network and Systems Administrator

This position will be responsible for installing, maintaining, and supporting all servers on the academic and administration networks including hardware-based and virtualized servers along with related storage devices (NetApp) Install server applications for the campus community when requested and approved. Will maintain the VMWare environment using vCenter and ESXi Enterprise Setup and administration.

More information at Jobs.Virginia.gov
 
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Participate in the local tech conversation: Rocktown Tech (Slack)

Currently there are 18 channels and over 250 members. Please join in! 
Sign-up link:  https://rocktowntech.herokuapp.com/

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SVTC MEMBERS INVITATION: DISPLAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP STATUS
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800 S. Main Street MSC 3615
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