Valley Business Summit 2018 | BRCC, Weyers Cave (8/13)
August 13, 2018 | 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Plecker Center, Blue Ridge Community College
Join Valley business owners and managers for the Keynote Address from Secretary of Education Atif Qarni,
Business Panel and Entrepreneurial Stories, and Q&A with Local Legislators.
Registration is now open. Please note that membership is NOT required to register. When registering as a non-member, find "Not a member" and select "Click here to continue your event registration."
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The Startup Experience is an intensive hands-on workshop for future entrepreneurs and social innovators. During the program over 200 students, grades 10-11, from five Shenandoah Valley school systems will immerse themselves in the magical startup world and learn what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
They will learn about Startup team formation, problem definition, user analysis, idea creation, business model innovation, customer development, prototyping, web development, fundraising and professional pitching, and get hands-on experience with the tools they need to create a successful startup company!
Through entrepreneurship education, these young innovators will learn organizational skills, including time management, leadership development, and interpersonal skills, all of which are highly transferable skills sought by employers.
Recent national studies report other positive outcomes of youth entrepreneurship programs including:
- improved academic performance, school attendance, and educational attainment
- increased problem-solving and decision-making abilities
- improved interpersonal relationships, teamwork, money management, and public speaking skills
- job readiness
- enhanced social psychological development (self-esteem, ego development, self-efficacy), and
- perceived improved health status
Additionally, ongoing research commissioned by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of youth entrepreneurship programs found that when youth participated in entrepreneurship programs:
- interest in attending college increased 32%
- occupational aspirations increased 44%
- independent reading increased 4%
- leadership behavior increased 8.5%
- belief that attaining one's goals is within one's control (locus of control) increased
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Be an active SVTC member! Tell us what sort of programming, topics, or site visits would you like to participate in September 2018 through June 2019. What tech topics are on your mind? What makes a techie's heart skip a beat? Is there an organization, program, team, or business location you'd like to hear from or visit?
Crack open the survey, below, and select which topics you'd like to hear about. Or, -- add one!
Please note that we are a not-for-profit, so we look for speakers from the Valley with minimal or no travel or other expenses.
Love SVTC events and programming? How about joining the Events and Programming Committee? Send Nicky an email,
info@svtc-va.org, to join.
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Each year, the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council sponsors three new FIRST Lego League (FLL) teams from the Shenandoah Valley. Approximately half of the start-up cost of a new team is reimbursed, up to $350.
Eligibility: Teams must be located in the footprint of the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council's area of operation and intend to participate in the FLL competition within one year of receiving the grant. This grant can be used towards any equipment required for competition in FIRST LEGO League, including one or more LEGO robotics kits, a competition practice table, and an FLL field setup kit.
If you are interested in applying for the FLL Start-Up Grant, please complete the following form, and follow the steps as indicated on the form:
About FLL
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) was created through a partnership between FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and the LEGO company and inspires future scientists and engineers. it is an international competition that challenges young participants to think like scientists and engineers. Every year FLL introduces kids to a real-world scientific topic, and teams are challenged to find a solution. They also build a robot and compete in a friendly, FIRST-style robotics event specially designed for their age group.
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SCCF Tuesday Tip Workshop - Just Canva It (8/14)
August 14, 2018 |
12 pm - 1 pm | $20
Staunton Creative Community Fund
Graphics make or break your credibility when potential customers are browsing online. Come learn about the amazing online tool of Canva! Canva helps you create great looking graphics without breaking your budget.
Register for August 14, 2018 SCCF Workshop
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Maker City Boot Camp: 2D Design with Inkscape (8/16)
August 16, 2018 |10 am - 12 pm
Explore More Discovery Museum, Harrisonburg
Members Free | Visitors $7.00 admission fee
Use graphic software to create your own 2D designs and then learn the basics of uploading to the laser cutter or vinyl cutter. Laser cutters are capable of three main operations - Vector Cutting, Vector Engraving and Raster Engraving. You must be 8 years of age or older to take this workshop. Free with your paid admission or membership.
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Businesses Open House (8/21)
August 21, 2018 |5 pm - 6 pm |
LFCC Middletown Campus
Could your business benefit from the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)? From construction and real estate to agriculture and transportation, UAVs are universal in all areas of business. Join us for an Open House to learn just what UAVs can do for you and your business.
Register for August 21, 2018 UAV Open House
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SCCF Workshop - Getting Started with Google Analytics (8/28)
August 28, 2018 |
12 pm - 1 pm | $20
Staunton Creative Community Fund
If you don't know what Google Analytics is, haven't installed it on your website, or have installed it but never look at your data, this workshop is for you! This workshop will look at Google Analytics from the absolute beginner's point of view. Why you need it, how to get it, how to use it, and workarounds to common problems.
Register for August 28, 2018 SCCF Workshop
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SAVE THE DATE: Techsters | September 8, 2018 | Harrisonburg
September 8, 2018 | Harrisonburg
Formed in 2013, TECHSTERS is an after-school program for middle school aged girls dedicated to inspiring young women to pursue their interests in STEM fields. Since the program's first day event with robotic balls called Spheros, TECHSTERS has served over 1,100 students in the greater Richmond region. In 2017, Capital One used the TECHSTERS model to host ten regional coding programs for middle school girls all across the Commonwealth. The outcome was spectacular as they reached over 900 students in two days.
This year, using the best practices and lessons learned from Capital One in conjunction with the long-standing TECHSTERS
program, the many technology and innovation business councils of the Commonwealth will work together to host a statewide "Capture the Flag" event on Saturday, September 8 that will expose the girls to the cybersecurity industry in a fun and interactive game style.
Be on the lookout for more information soon!
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SVTC Luncheon:
Online Marketing and the Offhand Selling of Identity (9/13)
September 13, 2018 | 11:45 am - 1 pm | Wood Grill Buffet, Harrisonburg
The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council is excited to announce that Michele Strano from Bridgewater College will be joining us for our September luncheon. Her talk will focus on the key characteristics of digital media that have revolutionized the way marketers and consumers interact. While the idea of targeting an audience can be traced back to early newspaper advertising, Web 2.0 enables marketers to gather data about consumer preferences easily and often invisibly. In addition to describing some of the key processes involved in online marketing, Michele will touch on some of the potential concerns we might have in a system that trades privacy for individualized content and convenience.
Michele Strano is an Associate Professor in the Communication, Technology and Culture major at Bridgewater College. Her research and teaching interests focus on the creation of online identity, the cultural impact of the digital age and the collection of data in the interest of effective message design. Strano is the director of Bridgewater's Master of Arts in Digital Media Strategy, scheduled for launch in January 2019, pending accreditation approval.
Thank you to our luncheon sponsor!
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SAVE THE DATE: SVTC's Fall Tech Mixer
September 27, 2018 | Harrisonburg
Save the date for SVTC's Fall Tech Mixer. You know we'll have yummy grub and good libations - stay tuned for details! Free to all tech users and creators from near and far - especially those attending ValleyTechCon the next day.
Pre-registration will open end of
August 2018.
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edUi Conference | Charlottesville (10/8 - 10/10)
Join us on October 8 - 10 for edUi! edUi is a 3-day conference for web professionals working at institutions of learning-colleges, universities, libraries, and museums. Presented by Virginia Humanities. The event will take place at a variety of venues on the scenic pedestrian mall in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia (view map).
For more information, visit:
https://www.eduiconf.org
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Staunton Innovation Hub
We will be the place for entrepreneurs, makers, and idea generators to come together to build on the creativity and ingenuity of Staunton. We believe that Staunton has the resources and people to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The IHub provides a place for us to work together to bring the possibilities of Staunton to life.
The Staunton Innovation Hub is becoming the catalyst to establish and grow leading-edge businesses in the Valley. We provide a home for the growing number of telecommuters and freelance workers, incubate a culture of innovation, and redefine our workforce to match the needs of future enterprise. The IHub is in the heart of Staunton's Historic District and provides a modern home to many existing and successful organizations that already support our growing business community.
Here is just some of what the IHub offers:
- Flexible coworking space for telecommuters and freelance workers for as little as $50
- Month-to-month leases
- Private office space
- Shared facilities such as conference room, break room and common areas
- Gig WIFI (that means wicked fast)
- Internal and external community space that will be used to create a supportive and collaborative entrepreneurial culture
- Forward-thinking educational environments for all facets of life
- Coffee...lots and lots of coffee (and beer)
The IHub will create an entrepreneur ecosystem in a rural area. The essence of an entrepreneur ecosystem is its people and a culture of trust and collaboration that allows them to interact successfully. This ecosystem allows for the fast flow of talent, information, and resources so that entrepreneurs can quickly find what they need at each stage of growth. As a result, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.These principles are baked into everything we do to enhance the elements of our ecosystems. We will Redefine Rural.
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Highlighting Renewing Level III Member:
City of Harrisonburg
The Harrisonburg MSA is a hub for technology development. Employers are quickly discovering the tremendous assets available in the Harrisonburg area. Ideally situated two hours from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, the Shenandoah Valley offers a great quality of life, a highly skilled workforce, and a robust technology infrastructure. Harrisonburg specializes in growing information technology businesses for health and security solutions. James Madison University, with its emphasis on information security and information assurance, offers a competitive advantage as Harrisonburg seeks to attract technology developers and to foster the development of homegrown technology businesses. Come see why industry leaders Rosetta Stone, SRI International, Convergent AI, Merck, Jenzabar, Chiedo Labs, and Serco are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in this thriving market.
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Shenandoah Valley Open Tech Jobs
GOT ADDITIONAL JOBS THAT SHOULD BE PUBLICIZED
? SEND US A NOTE AND WE'LL PUBLICIZE THEM.
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Participate in the local tech conversation: Rocktown Tech (Slack)
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SVTC MEMBERS INVITATION: DISPLAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP STATUS
Membership Badge Available
Use our new graphic on your own website (and remember to link back to our website
www. svtc-va.org
!)
Choose the graphic file of your choice:
Let us know when you incorporate this graphic and we'll mention your site in return!
Examples:
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The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council does not endorse the companies, organizations, teams, or events mentioned, or take a stand on any of the articles or notices or events included.
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>> Ready to become a member, too? Membership
Benefits & Prices >> How have you benefited from participating in our activities and/ or from membership? Tell us! Info@svtc-va.org |
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Contact Us
Shenandoah Valley Technology Council
800 S. Main Street MSC 3615
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
540-568-7882
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