Women in Technology: D.I.G.I.T.A.L Camp
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Dukes Inspiring Girls In Technology Across Limits
October 16, 2021|9:00 am - 3:30 pm|Location: ISAT / CS
Registration: FREE
Join us for this year’s D.I.G.I.T.A.L event to step into the life of a computer scientist! Our range of workshops offer hands-on experience with tech tools and concepts, such as drone racing, app creation, and programming
a balancing robot.
This event is open to 9-12 grade girls. Limited seats are available.
All participants will get a light breakfast, lunch, and a tech giveaway!
Proof of Vaccination is required to attend.
documentation to the day of at check-in.
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October 18, 2021 | 10:30 pm - 12:00 pm | Shenandoah Valley SBDC
This 10:30 am session is for entrepreneurs and innovators who would directly benefit from ICAP services. ICAP serves technology and innovation-based startups and entrepreneurs on the path from validating their business model and seeking funding, to securing customers and scaling. All ICAP programming is offered at no cost to the participant by the Virginia Small Business Development Center Network (VSBDC) and a team of experienced ICAP mentors that assist entrepreneurs throughout the startup journey (and beyond) with expert advice, connections, and resources.
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SVTC Fall Tech Mixer Recap |
Face to face networking at our annual Fall Tech Mixer & we handed out 5 awards to the winners
Despite previous weather delays, we had an amazing turnout! (And, it did NOT rain at all in Harrisonburg). During the mixer, we had the opportunity to present the glass awards to the 2021 Tech Nite winners. Of course, Tech Nite had been held in June, virtually, but it was so nice to hand these out in person.
The Valley’s annual Tech Nite highlights and honors local technology achievement and innovation,
Let's give another round of applause for these 5 of 8 Tech Nite award winners! (The other 3 glass awards were delivered over the summer.)
Let's recap:
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People’s Choice Award
Awarded to one nominee from the other categories. All nominees are candidates — and the company, organization, or individual with the most votes through social media *before* and *during* the event will win.
Mike Goertzen, with Serco, awarded the People’s Choice Award to Caf2Code.
Caf2Code is a Microsoft Gold Partner specializing in Enterprise Resource Planning systems. They provide consulting, implementation, and managed services for large organizations, both public and private, and seek to maintain a balance between finance and technology to enable their clients to turn business processes into streamlined, automated, measurable, and manageable metrics. In 2021, Caf2Code launched an initiative to expand into the independent solution vendors space within Dynamic 365. They believe that there is a current need for a supplemental solution that can be paired with Dynamic 365 software that creates better user experience and accessibility, both ways that a business can save money and time on their product.
A better-designed and accessible interface can save time while using the system creating more efficient workflows and less frustration with internal processes.
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Dr. John Noftsinger Leadership Award Recipient’s leadership has served as
a catalyst for positive technology-related activity in the Shenandoah Valley.
James Funkhouser, with Shentel, awarded the Dr. Noftsinger Leadership Award to Pam Carter. During Pam Carter’s campaign for a seat on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, she pledged to expand broadband coverage and has worked hard to understand the issues prohibiting widespread access to broadband across the county while simultaneously searching out various solutions. She realized that the two biggest challenges to providing universal broadband coverage in Augusta County were
(1) the county’s large size and varied topography and (2) the costs of broadband infrastructure and lack of funding. Identifying a variety of ways to offer broadband and as well as ways to secure funding has been key to providing coverage.
Augusta County has received funding from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, and, due to Carter’s strong and trusted relationships with Internet service providers, more than 1,000 businesses and individuals are now eligible for broadband service.
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Innovation in Development Award
Awarded to a company or organization whose development of new technology applications and/or systems creates new processes, methodologies, and/or services for their own or others’ benefit.
Nicky Swayne, representing CIT, delivered the Innovation in Development Award to withSimplicity (Irinia and Mary). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, withSimplicity saw an immediate reduction in sales because customers weren’t entering brick-and-mortar stores to shop. withSimplicity partnered with students at JMU X-Labs to develop a creative solution to this problem. They agreed on using Facebook’s Spark AR platform to develop Augmented Reality (AR) filters on Instagram for most of its makeup products. The AR app allows withSimplicity to provide a virtual experience to customers so they can “play” with the products and try them before they buy them online.
Users are able to log in to their personal Instagram, navigate to the withSimplicity Instagram site, and “try on” most of the makeup from the comfort of their home.
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Innovation in Emerging Business Award
Awarded to a Shenandoah Valley
start-up/emerging technology company
or entrepreneur.
Jared Burden, with Greenehurlocker, awarded the Innovation in Emerging
Business Award to Traipse Inc. Traipse created a digital currency/payment platform,
called My Local Token, for the Staunton Downtown Development Association.
This platform replaces plastic gift cards, introduces a flexible loyalty program for local businesses, reduces merchant transaction fees, promotes “shop local” and improves customer engagement. My Local Token is the first of its kind to limit its application to local, independent businesses in order to achieve important social benefits along
with profits. The platform is intended to give historic business districts a powerful tool to support locally-owned businesses, local economies, and community charitable causes.
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Innovation in Community Impact Award
The Community Impact Award is
given to an individual, team,
nonprofit/civic organization, or company
in the Shenandoah Valley that aspires
to use its capabilities to help solve a social or environmental issue in a local community while using technology to amplify the impact of a service, mission, or project.
Dr. Bob Kolvoord, Dean of JMU CISE, awarded the Innovation in Community Impact Award to James Carter and Tim Brady (who represented the group that powered Pale Fire Helps). The project was a collaborative partnership between Sysco Foods, Digital Minerva, the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, and many hard-working volunteers to assist in the distribution of food to restaurant workers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pale Fire Helps is a one-of-a-kind local collaboration between nonprofits, tech and non-tech entrepreneurs, and national corporations. Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance served as the nonprofit that could accept the charitable food donations from Sysco and helped get the word out. Working together every step of the way, Pale Fire Brewing offered the space for food pickup, Sysco donated non-perishable food items, and Harrisonburg’s Digital Minerva used integrated scheduling software to build websites for restaurant workers to reserve pick-up times to collect food, and for community members to make monetary and food donations.
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Weekend: Nov. 12, 2021 - Nov. 14, 2021
Pre-registration required.
Learn how to think, work, and build like a startup in 54 thrilling hours!
Over an action-packed three days, you’ll meet the very best mentors, investors,
co-founders and sponsors to show you how to get more done faster -- and, maybe even start that business. View the full weekend schedule!
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Support Entrepreneurship:
Volunteer as a Techstars Mentor
Mentors are needed at Techstars Startup Weekend
Winchester (Sat., Nov.13) !!
A TechStars Startup Weekend will happen in Winchester in November. The 3-day event will be held at Shenandoah University. Over an action-packed three days, aspiring entrepreneurs will meet the very best mentors, investors, co-founders, and sponsors to show how to get more done faster -- and, maybe even start the business they have been dreaming about.
While the event organizers are looking to raise $12,000, they are also looking for mentors, on Saturday, Nov. 13. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of volunteers.
By volunteering as little as 5 hours (2-7 pm), you can help make a difference!
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Welcome, Ashton Young!
Ashton Young joined the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council staff in late September as the new Administrative/Graphics/Marketing Assistant . Ashton is a recent alumnus of Bridgewater College with a bachelor's degree in Digital Media Arts. While assisting the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council, Ashton is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts and Digital Media Strategy degree.
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Annual Programs & Activities Input and Suggestions 2021 |
Suggest topics for events and luncheons, or better yet, join the events and programming committee! 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?
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Shenandoah Valley Open Tech Jobs |
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Network Administrator III | Serco Inc. | Harrisonburg
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Software Engineer [Python] | CACI Bluestone Analytics | Remote
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IT Systems Administrator | HCHC | Winchester | Stone Port
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UX/UI Designer | Jenzabar | Harrisonburg
GOT ADDITIONAL TECH JOBS THAT SHOULD BE PUBLICIZED?
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Have a Technology Event?
We'll Share it in our Newsletter and Calendar!
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Are you a local tech meetup/user-group or organization hosting an in-person or virtual tech event within the Shenandoah Valley?
With the recent impacts of COVID-19, we're looking to help promote all of the Valley's technology community events that have either gone digital or are going back to in-person by adding them to our newsletter and calendar
(our publicity).
Click the button below to share your event!
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Participate in the local tech conversation:
Rocktown Tech (Slack)
Currently there are 18 channels and over 450 members. Sign-up
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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: SVTC Membership Badge. Let us know when you incorporate this graphic and we'll mention your site in return!
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Examples:
membership badge on their website!
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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?
>> How have you benefited from participating in our activities and/ or from membership? Tell us!
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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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