VTTA Tech Conference, New Legislative Session Mark Start of 2021
Welcome to 2021. Like everyone, we are hopeful for a better year as we work our way through the impacts of the pandemic. We look forward to another year of supporting, promoting and being the leading voice for Vermont’s tech sector.
Among our planned activities in the first quarter is the launch a new website and new associated brand look, thanks to Scout Digital, and a virtual VTTA Tech Conference and job fair March 2 – 4. A Call for Speakers for the conference is open through January 29.
The VTTA Tech Conference is a forum to hear speakers address key technology topics and trends, learn about innovative businesses and technologies, explore job opportunities with Vermont tech companies, and network with Vermont’s tech community.
The event will focus on four broad themes:
- Rural Tech – Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions
- Technology Innovation and Innovators
- Tech Skill Development and Education
- Accessibility and Social Justice in Tech
We also plan to offer a Job Fair March 3 for job seekers from Vermont and anywhere in the U.S., who will have an opportunity to meet with Vermont employers to learn about their businesses and career opportunities. We will offer virtual, branded tables where visitors can meet with employers. If you are a business interested in participating in the VTTA Job Fair and reserving a virtual table/booth, please let me know at jeff@vtta.org.
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With the start of a new legislative session in Montpelier, the VTTA will represent the interests of our members and the broader Vermont tech-focused business community. The vtTA has once again engaged with Leonine Public Affairs to provide government relations support to help monitor activities and ensure our perspective is considered as legislation is crafted. We thank the many members and organizations who have provided financial contributions to enable this support. Among the initial activities is providing an overview of the VTTA to the House Commerce Committee.
Like other business groups, the VTTA supports the legislature staying focused on helping the state recover from the impact of COVID-19, and avoid major new initiatives this session such as instituting a so-called “cloud computing” sales tax. New to the tax discussion is a recently issued draft report by the three-person Tax Structure Commission that makes wide-ranging recommendations, including taxing income rather than property tax to fund education, expanding the sales tax base to include all services, and expanding Vermont’s income tax base by promoting the state as a destination for remote workers.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on response to this report and other legislative activities, and weigh-in as needed during the session.
Thank you to all our members as we start a new year, and we welcome individuals and businesses of all sizes to support our efforts by joining as a member of the Vermont Technology Alliance.
Jeff Couture
Executive Director
Vermont Technology Alliance
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Vermont Economic Conference
(Through February 10, 2021)
The Vermont Chamber of Commerce holds its 2021 economic conference virtually through interactive seminars on Wednesday mornings through February 10, offering Vermont and national perspectives.
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Invest in Vermont Series
(February 8-12, 2021)
The Vermont Community Fund presents a week-long virtual series of presentations focused on investment in Vermont, with some of the leading organizations in Vermont’s local investment ecosystem.
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Leading SAFe (5.0) Course
(February 8-10, 2021)
Attendees of this course will gain the knowledge necessary to lead a Lean-Agile enterprise by leveraging the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) and its underlying principles derived from Lean, systems thinking, Agile development, product development flow, and DevOps (Development Operations). Use vtTA code for a 10% discount on course fee.
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SAFe 5.0 Certified Scrum Master Class
(February 15-17, 2021)
This SAFe® Certified Scrum Master Certification training course includes 13 hours of instructor-led training presented by a certified SAFe Program Consultant. During the course, participants will acquire the specific skills, behaviors and the mindset necessary to become a successful Certified Scrum Master and servant-leader. Use vtTA code for a 10% discount on course fee.
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UVM Center for Biomedical Innovation - Idea or Challenge Pitch
(February 17, 2021)
UVM's Center for Biomedical Innovation invites guests to submit their project ideas at this pitch and presentation event. Have you been thinking up a new product, technology, app, service, or program aimed at improving delivery of health care in Vermont, especially in rural areas? Have you been tripping over a problem in your delivery of health care, just begging for a solution? Then the CBI invites you to attend.
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VTTA Tech Conference
(March 2-4, 2021)
The Vermont Technology Alliance is presenting a virtual tech conference and job fair March 2 – 4 and a call for speakers is currently open. The VTTA virtual tech conference is a forum to hear speakers address key technology topics and trends, learn about Vermont’s innovative businesses and technologies, explore job opportunities with Vermont tech companies, and network with Vermont’s tech community.
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Burlington Code Academy Closes $10mm in Financing to Expand Access to Software Engineering Education
(January 25, 2021 – Burlington Code Academy)
Burlington Code Academy (BCA) announced the close of $10mm in growth financing to drive the expansion of their Income Share Agreement program. The Vermont-based education company and a VTTA member, is one of New England's premier technical bootcamps. Burlington Code Academy has partnered with Leif, the nation's leading ISA Management Platform. BCA plans to use this capital infusion to expand their Income Share Agreement program, enabling more students to access their training offerings.
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Economists Say Federal Covid-19 Relief Will Boost Tax Revenues
(January 19, 2021 – VTDigger)
State economists said Vermont tax revenues are expected to come in $254 million higher this year than fiscal analysts had projected in August. The boost is thanks, in large part, to the massive infusion of federal dollars since the Covid-19 pandemic hit last March, the economists said.
The Emergency Board, a panel that includes the governor and legislative leaders, adopted the economists’ recommendations. The board, which meets twice a year to assess state finances, hiked state revenue projections across all funds by $254 million in fiscal year 2021, which runs through June, and $235 million in fiscal year 2022.
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Tax Commission Recommends Using Income Tax to Fund Education
(January 19, 2021 – VTDigger)
A long-awaited report recommends wide-ranging reforms to make Vermont’s state taxes fairer and more resilient in a changing economy.
The Vermont Tax Structure Commission proposes broadening the sales tax to almost all consumer goods and services (the commission notes that Vermont has among narrowest sales tax bases in the U.S.), and expanding Vermont’s income tax base by promoting the state as a destination for remote workers. The report is under review and is subject to public comments.
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Norwich Applied Research Institutes Receives Two Contracts for $1.12 Million
(January 17, 2021 – NUARI)
Norwich University Applied Research Institutes (NUARI) announced that it has successfully secured two contracts received under the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) totaling $1.12 million. One grant, worth $625,000, is for the Arctic Microgrid program to identify the necessary requirements to characterize, design, simulate and develop plans to prototype and test microgrids in cold regions. The other, for $499, 000, has been awarded for Phase 2 of the Energy Resilience Education Track.
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A Vermont Health IT Startup Solving Problems with technology
(January 14, 2021- CORI)
The Center on Rural Innovation profiles Connor Dahlberg, the CEO and Founder of Arsana Health, a health IT startup. Arsana Health’s technology creates a platform for patient care designed specifically for the post-acute health care environment (nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, etc.).
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89 North Launches New Website to Expand Offerings and Highlight Capabilities
(January 12, 2021 – 89 North)
89 North has launched a new stand-alone website which highlights its engineering and OEM offerings. The site, which can be seen at www.89north.com, is now separate and distinct from parent company Chroma’s website, and showcases 89 North’s continued expansion into OEM opto-electro-mechanical systems and manufacturing services. Chroma and 89 North are VTTA members.
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LMS to Develop Fuel Gauging for Stratolaunch Hypersonic Test Vehicle
(January 4, 2021 – LMS)
Liquid Measurement Systems, Inc (LMS) of Georgia, VT has been awarded a contract to design, develop, qualify, and deliver the fuel quantity indicating system for Stratolaunch’s Talon-A hypersonic flying testbed.
Stratolaunch designs, manufactures, and launches aerospace vehicles and technologies to advance US hypersonic flight test capabilities. Talon-A will be a flexible, fully reusable, autonomous vehicle that can fly at speeds up to Mach 6, and provide a reliable test environment.
LMS’ system will interface with Talon-A’s fuel and avionics systems.
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VT Remains a High Move-in State for United Van Lines, Drops for U-Haul
(January 4, 2021 – Vermont Business Magazine )
Vermont has the highest percent of in-bound movers according to United Van Lines’ 44th Annual National Migration Study of its customers, while a similar survey by U-Haul of its customers, showed Vermont fell 16 spots to 26th in interstate migration.
Vermont does not figure in the actual ranking of the United Van Lines report because of its low total volume, but the data show that the state increased its share of in-bound moves by 2.3 percent to 76.6 percent. By contrast, fewer of U-Haul’s "do it yourself movers,” moved to Vermont in 2020, compared to 2019.
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Vermont Technology Alliance Membership Update
The Vermont Technology Alliance works on behalf of its members and is able to carry out its mission through the support of its membership.
Renewing members include the University of Vermont, which has renewed as a Partner Member/Sponsor. Also renewing are Creative Microsystems, Howard Center, Mamava, Propeller Media Works, Spherion Staffing, Stone Environmental; and individual members Stephen Arrants, Bernie Gracy, Jean Kissner, Matthew Zucker, Melissa DeBois, Richard Gliech.
Not a vtTA member yet? Then why not join now? Find more information here, or sign up at our new member registration page here. You can also contact us at admin@vtta.org.
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Useful Information & Links |
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Climate Economy Business Accelerator Seeks Entrepreneurs for Energy 2021 Cohort
The DeltaClimeVT climate economy business accelerator seeks entrepreneurs for the Energy 2021 program. Startup ventures that focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy-related products or services for residential and small business customers must submit applications for Energy 2021 by Feb. 19, 2021. Selection will focus on companies that are entering or currently at a pilot or demonstration stage and planning for scale.
This will be the fifth DeltaClimeVT cohort and it is designed to accelerate the drive to a zero-carbon future for Vermont by helping Vermont’s utilities increase adoption of clean energy technologies and smart building technologies, and better integrate distributed energy resources.
Find more information and apply here.
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Participate in Annual Vermont Business Economic Survey
Davis & Hodgdon has teamed up with the Vermont Chamber of Commerce to once again offer a brief, annual VT economic survey of small- to medium-sized businesses. Since launching this survey in 2013 valuable feedback has been collected from Vermont’s businesses which is shared with Vermont media and legislators. This year a few COVID-related business questions have been added.
The survey is available until Friday, January 29. Find the link to the survey here:
Find more information here.
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vtTA Career Center
Vermont Technology Alliance member companies are hiring, and when you visit the Career Center on the Vermont Technology Alliance website you can browse and search for these job openings and subscribe to updates. The Career Center has 100+ tech and non-tech jobs with Vermont Technology Alliance member businesses and organizations. Jobs available from vtTA members are listed at no charge in the Career Center as a member benefit.
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The vtTA Thanks Its Member/Sponsors |
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