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The Shenandoah Valley Connection top 
January 15, 2016
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SVTC Luncheon: Vehicle Cyber Hacking, Tom Richardson (Jan. 21)
SVTC Members Invited: AXON AI Open House @ Their New Downtown Location (1/27)
Check out photos of Tech Nite 15!
J. Burden Lunch Seminar: Three Legal Issues for Independent Contractors (1/28)
Harrisonburg First Wednesday Tech Meetup (2/3)
Registration open: Saturday Morning Physics (6 sessions for high schoolers; 1/30-3/5)
WAW HOSTS: Active Shooters in the Workplace: Prevention and Response (1/19)
SVTC's Jan. Bits & Grits (1/19)
Upcoming SBIR/STTR Training in Virginia (Jan, Feb)
BizBlitz 2016: Registration is open; early-bird pricing in effect (March 18-20)
Highlighting Renewing Level I Member: JMU Technology Innovation and Economic Development
SVTC Luncheon: Tom Richardson on Cyber Vehicle Hacking
Thu., Jan. 21, 2016,  11:30am-1:00pm

Recent model cars and trucks have a significant number of computerized modules and networks running throughout them, and future 'traffic control' methods may take advantage of automated vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication paths to assist drivers in the safe operation of these vehicles. But are there cyberhacking scenarios to worry about here?
 
Dr. Tom Richardson, a researcher at UVa, will give a short synopsis of the research performed this past summer by an all-star industry team led by the Virginia State Police, the University of Virginia (UVa), and the MITRE Corporation on this topic.

Over a 3-4 month period, the team examined potential vulnerabilities in two of the most commonly used patrol cars in the State Police inventory, a Ford Taurus at UVa and a Chevy Impala at MITRE's McLean Headquarters. And althouh Tom cannot release specific findings on this effort, this research highlighted issues that should concern everyone who drives a car (isn't that nearly every adult?!) and will talk about some of the other research that has been performed in other locations around the country, as well as how this dovetails into the whole 'internet of things' (IoT) topic.
 
Networking begins at 11:30am. Dutch treat. Membership not required. Registering will enable us to bring you a pre-printed nametag.


Many thanks to our luncheon sponsors!






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SVTC Members Invited To: AXON AI Open House @ Their New Downtown Location
Wed., Jan. 27, 2016,  4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

SVTC Members are invited to get an exclusive look at project demos, to meet the AXON AI staff, to network, look at a poster sessions, and eat some hors d'oeuvres  (wine and beer served from 5:30- 8pm)

On December 1, 2015 AxonAI, Inc., moved into new office space located on Court Square (2 South Main Street, Suite 501, Harrisonburg).  With support from the City of Harrisonburg and the Commonwealth Opportunity Fund, the new location provides needed growth space and also strengthens AxonAI's presence and partnership with the local technology community in Harrisonburg.  We are excited about our new space and look forward to sharing our excitement, our progress and our vision for the future with you at the open house.

At AxonAI, we overcome the limitations of current approaches to analysis, decision-making, and operations by deploying swarms of simple software processes on massively parallel computing architectures that continuously assess new information, collectively contribute to the required analytic products, and learn from human input and real-world observations.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED to: sven.brueckner@axonai.com 
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Pictures of Tech Nite 15 | One  high-level award sponsorship possibly available

The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council 15th Annual Awards Gala - Tech Nite 2015
The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council 15th Annual Awards Gala - Tech Nite 2015

We are gearing up for Tech Nite 2016 (May 4). At the moment we are coordinating the major sponsorship opportunities -- and the Innovation IN K-12 Education award is perhaps available. Besides lots and lots of visibility, it comes with *reserved* seating for 8 and, best of all, the naming right of the award.

All the details, benefits, cost: SVTC Tech Nite 2016 sponsorship opportunities  

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Jared Burden Lunch Seminar: Three Legal Issues for Independent Contractors
Thurs. January 28, 12pm; The Hub Coworking, Harrisonburg

Somewhere between 25% and 35% of the US workforce is made up of independent contractors -- more than 40 million people. They are the "free agent nation." If you earn your livelihood on a contract basis, there are important legal issues to account for in your business plan.

In this short lunch discussion Jared Burden will touch on some of the the most important ones. And companies that use contractors are invited as well -- and he'll touch on a couple of issues important to them, such as how the keep contractors from being categorized as employees.

Lunch is provided.


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Harrisonburg First Wednesday Tech Meetup
Weds. Feb. 3, 5:30pm

Attention Harrisonburg designers, developers, creatives, and more! There is a new group meeting on the first Wednesday of the month.

Come talk about technology in Harrisonburg after work over drinks.

RSVP with this link and pass it along to all the techies you know! (The venue will be determined by the amount of RSVPs.)

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JMU Saturday Morning Physics, back in 2016
January 30 - March 5, 9am-12pm;  JMU Miller Hall
(6 sessions for high schoolers; pre-registration required)

From the subatomic to galactic scales! Explore fascinating science and cutting-edge research topics in physics and astronomy. JMU Physics and Astronomy presents an educational event series designed especially for high school students and teachers but one parents will enjoy, too: Saturday Morning Physics. 


For the fourth year running, the Physics and Astronomy Department in collaboration with the Office of Outreach and Engagement at James Madison University cordially invite high-school students and science teachers to take part in an engaging enrichment program developed in a sequence of 6 easy-to-follow scientific exploration events.

Activities Include:
  • Solar Observing! Making use of JMU's solar telescope you will be able to see the Sun as never before. That boring yellow ball up in the sky is really a very dynamic place. Once Galileo first pointed his telescope towards the Sun, scientist began to understand our nearest neighboring star. With JMU's solar telescopes, you will be able to see sunspots, prominences, and the Sun's granulation. You will be able to take a photograph of the Sun similar to the one seen at the right. You'll earn about how the Sun works. We will be tracking sunspots as they traverse the Sun and determine its rotation rate and the length of a day
  • Build your own telescope! The first telescope ever built was a refractor telescope, that is one that uses two lenses. Lenses were discovered roughly 700 years ago. They were mostly used as magnifying glasses, or for visual aids. It took humanity roughly another 300 years to figure out that if you combine two lenses in a particular fashion, you obtain a telescope. The first scientist to point his telescope towards the heavens was Galileo. Galileo heard about this new magnifying glass, and was told that it consisted of two lenses inside a tube. Apparently, he then went home, played with some lenses and by the next morning had built his telescope. In this activity we'll do something similar. First we will analyze the properties of lenses. Then, we will somehow (you'll figure this out) combine two lenses and rediscover the telescope. You'll get to keep the telescope that you build!
  • The JMU Planetarium! James Madison University transformed its John C. Wells Planetarium facility in Miller Hall first with a million dollar renovation in the Fall of 2008 and also a recent upgrade in the summer of 2013. The planetarium is outfitted with digital projectors, a hybrid projection system that combines a high quality star projector with an all-dome video system, a state of the art lighting system at the bottom edge of the dome to permit impressive sunrise and sunset simulations (along with many other effects), and a Dolby 5.1 channel sound system. You'll see a full dome movie followed by a "star talk" that will provide you with updates about the night sky, including constellations, planets and any comets that might be visible. Visit the John C. Wells Planetarium site for more information about the facility.
  • Physics is Phun Science Show! Students and faculty of the physics and astronomy will provide for you a PHYSICS IS PHUN science show. Physics majors and faculty will run through a host of demonstrations that illustrate principles of science that range from the basic forces of nature like electricity to the way matter behaves and changes.

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WAW Logo
WAW Seminar Invitation: 
Active Shooters in the Workplace | 
Prevention & Response
Jan. 19, 11:30am - 1:30 pm;  BRCC Plecker Workforce Center

Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver will sponsor Wayne Freeman, a Special Agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, to present and discuss strategies to prevent and respond to active shooters in the workplace.
 
Mr. Freeman's approach to effective response is based on nearly a decade as an active shooter instructor. He has trained with personnel across the country, including Columbine, San Ysidro, Virginia Tech, Greenwood South Carolina Oakland Elementary School shooting, and many others. Mr. Freeman has trained more than 10,000 students in active shooter response and is the author of the South Carolina active shooter training manual. | Lunch is provided.

RSVP to info@wawlaw.com

Contact Attorney Tom Ullrich for seminar questions or follow up: tullrich@wawlaw.com

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SVTC's Bits and Grits
January 19, 8-9am;  Mrs. Rowes, Staunton, VA

Come get together for great breakfast and to talk some tech. Dutch treat. No reservations required. 

 

This is where our technology users and creators get together to connect about various topics (while eating some good food!). This occurs on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Look for Kurt Plowman.  

 

Back to top 

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Upcoming SBIR/STTR Training in Virginia


"NSF SBIR/STTR Program Overview" WEBINAR
Jan. 21, 2016, 11AM-12:30PM
Details and REGISTER 

"NSF SBIR/STTR Program Details & Project Planning" WEBINAR 
Jan. 28, 2016, 11AM-12:30PM
Details and REGISTER

"NSF SBIR/STTR Proposal Preparation Essentials" WEBINAR 
Feb. 4, 2016, 11AM-12:30PM
Details and REGISTER 

"NSF Forms, Budget & Electronic Submission"  
Feb. 11, 2016, 11AM-12:30PM
 
Pre-Recorded SBIR/STTR Training Sessions
Most of these sessions are FREE for Virginia based companies and Virginia based university researchers.  

Questions about any of these events:
Robert Brooke, robert.brooke@cit.org -- 703-689-3080

www.cit.org/events

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BizBlitz 2016
March 18-20, Ice House, Downtown Harrisonburg


During this 49-hour high-energy weekend, attendees bring their ideas and join efforts in a fast-paced workshop. We will build prototypes, form teams & start companies. Mentors will provide valuable feedback. Cash prizes will be awarded!

The Shenandoah Valley Innovation Coalition's 
weekend starts with open-to-all pitches on Friday evening -- attendees bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday teams focus on customer development, validating ideas, and building a minimal viable product. This is hands-on. Take advantage of early-bird pricing until March 4 ($75).

 
Who should attend? People with technical or design backgrounds, or business backgrounds. Developers, marketers, designers, product managers, startup enthusiasts, aspiring entrepreneurs.

Together with MENTORS the weekend is spent in market research, product development, and business plan creation. Sunday evening ends with a final presentation in front of the judges, and everyone wins valuable feedback.

[pre-registration required]  [meals included]  [early bird pricing until 3.4.16]

[BizBlitz is hosted by the Shenandoah Valley Innovation Coalition, SVIC.  SVIC's mission is to accelerate innovation, creativity, and economic development across the Shenandoah Valley through the active collaboration of business, government, community, and academic organizations. 


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Highlighting Renewing Level I Member
JMU Technology Innovation and Economic Development

The JMU Office of Technology Innovation and Economic Development's mission is three-fold:  1) promote innovation through protecting and commercializing intellectual property developed at JMU, 2) create research opportunities by connecting faculty and students with business and industry, and 3) foster economic development through business partnerships and launching startup companies. Along with James Madison Innovations, Inc., JMU's intellectual property management and licensing organization, the two entities connect researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in industry and support services to bolster the entrepreneurial infrastructure and promote innovation in the Valley.


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Highlighting Renewing Level I Member
Virginia Economic Development Partnership

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, a marketing organization, was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. The Partnership is a state authority, which is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors appointed by the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion and international trade. VEDP has offices in Virginia, China, Germany, Japan, India and the United Kingdom.


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Shenandoah Valley Technology Council
800 S. Main Street MSC 4901
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
540-568-7882

 

 

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