TECHNITE20 POSTPONED & NOMINATION DEADLINE EXTENDED
TechNite20 | Where are the emerging businesses at?
A note from Nicky | POSTPONED: TechNite20
TechNite20, originally scheduled for May 5, has been postponed and will be rescheduled, pending facility availability.
We will honor tech and innovation in the Shenandoah Valley as soon as we can.
In the meantime, let's collect and prep all the innovation and tech-based efforts thoroughly. We have extended the nomination deadline to April 22, but if you need add'l time after that, drop me a note info@svtc-va.org. I am especially wondering about entrepreneurs in the Valley, that category is a bit thin.
Surely we have tech-based entrepreneurs??!!
***********************
During Tech Nite, approx. 275 attendees honor and recognize the technology innovators of the area. This recognition helps organizations and individuals immensely - the winning organization is able to expand its network, attract employees, and obtain publicity inside and often outside of the local region. Tech Nite allows attendees to witness the successes and innovative progression of the Shenandoah Valley. We encourage everyone to attend, network with others, and celebrate the innovative companies, organizations, educators, and leaders in our area.
We are still taking nominations! (And they are still coming in, too)
Seeking the Valley's tech leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, innovators, companies, and organizations that have an amplified community impact while using technology!
Tech Nite is the Shenandoah Valley's largest technology celebration of the year!
We're ready for your nominations for the Valley's best and brightest
in the following categories:
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.
Innovation in Emerging Business Award
Awarded to a Shenandoah Valley start-up/emerging
technology company or entrepreneur.
Innovation in Education K-12 Award
Awarded to the educator or program in K-12 that provides exceptional technology leadership, innovative use and/or development of technology while encouraging students to pursue higher education or training in science, technology, engineering or math.
Innovation in Higher Education Award
Awarded to the educator or program in higher education that provides exceptional technology leadership, innovative use and/or development of technology while encouraging students to pursue higher education or training in science, technology, engineering or math.
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.
Innovation in Utilization Award
This award recognizes outstanding commercial growth and achievement by an established company that either produces or markets high tech products or services, or an established company or organization that produces/offers more
Dr. Noftsinger Leadership Award
Recipient's leadership has served as a catalyst for
positive technology-related activity in the Shenandoah Valley.
People's Choice Award
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
After the Luncheon: What is 5G & Why Should I Care?
View the Recorded Presentation!
On Wednesday, April 15, the first ever SVTC virtual luncheon, titled "What is 5G & Why Should I Care?" was held via Google Hangouts Meet. Scott Robohn of Nokia provided an overview of 5G,
the next generation of wireless communications technologies supporting cellular data networks. For those who were unable to attend our luncheon, we have posted a recording and encourage those interested to take a look! If you want to skip the Hellos and How Are Yous, skip to minute 10 :-)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
The Annual Board of Directors Election is Coming Up!
Submit Your Nominations! (by 4/29)
SVTC members vote once a year on who will join its Board of Directors for a 2-year term. On June 30, 2020 the term for our "class II" of directors expires. In order to prepare an election for a new cohort of directors whose term will start on July 1, 2020, SVTC members are asked to submit suggestions for who should be considered to serve and be nominated to the slate of candidates. The SVTC Organization and Governance committee will gather suggestions by April 29th.
Please take a minute to suggest a candidate -yourself or someone else- for our class II of directors so the committee can evaluate. (If it's someone else: please COORDINATE first.)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
Have a Virtual Tech Event?
We'll Promote it in our Newsletter & Calendar!
Are you a local tech meetup/user-group or organization hosting
a virtual event within the Shenandoah Valley?
With the recent impacts of COVID-19, we're looking to help promote all of the Valley's techn
ology community events that have now gone digital by adding them to our
newsletter
and
calendar
(our publicity).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
April 17, 2020 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Immerge is hosting a 3 part Livestream series covering the basics of digital marketing. The first Livestream will be held on Tuesday, April 21st at 11:30 it will cover how to develop audiences, reach them, and how to convert them into customers. This series is designed for businesses that are already doing digital marketing and want to learn more, as well as businesses that want to start digital marketing and want to get started right. (FREE)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
April 17, 2020 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Join the Inaugural Event of the Capture Manager Happy Hour. The CMHH will focus on Business Development in the US Government space.
Since this is the Inaugural Event, there will probably be a few "technical difficulties" to work out. The general format will provide a couple of minutes for each company representative to give their "elevator" pitch and then break out into small groups for more direct networking with colleagues. Make sure you are WebCAM ready.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
2021 Virginia Telecommunications (VATI)
Input Session Webinars (4/23)
Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) Input Sessions that were originally being held in-person will now be held as webinars using the Adobe Connect platform. If you have previously registered, you do not need to register again. If you have not registered, please register using the link below. The meeting link will be sent out to registrants the week of the scheduled session.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will host an input session to discuss the proposed FY2021 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) guidelines and criteria. The meeting is open to the public. Representatives from units of local government, internet service providers and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to attend.
VATI has an introduced budget of $35 million for FY2021 to implement broadband infrastructure deployment in partnership with units of local government and private internet service providers across the commonwealth. The funds shall be used to extend service to areas that presently are unserved by any broadband provider.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
ICAP Lean Startup Introductory Course
* Virtual Cohort *
Application Deadline: April 26, 2020 at 12:00 am
A new concept to conduct this course! Content and schedule has been adjusted to make it as effective as possible in a virtual setting. This cohort will begin later this month with an introductory call on April 27th at 6pm. Special preference will be given to teams with a focus on either cybersecurity and pandemic response, however, we encourage all technology and product companies to apply.
Based on the National Science Foundation's I-Corpsâ„¢ program for Lean Startups, ICAP helps inventors and entrepreneurs take the right first steps in bringing new technologies and innovations to market.
ICAP includes FREE introductory training programs and counseling services offered through ICAP instructors and local SBDC counselors. ICAP helps startups identify potential customers and develop successful business models based on that knowledge. It is an ideal program for early-stage companies trying to prepare for eventual venture investment.
Preferred Sectors
The cohort will give preference to startups focused on the following sectors/solutions:
Cybersecurity
Software | Telecommunications | | Information & Communication Technologies | E-Commerce | Networking & Equipment | Electronics/Instrumentation | Sensors | Materials | Drones | IoT
Pandemic Response
Biotechnology | Biopharmaceuticals | Medical Devices | Laboratory Instrumentation | Diagnostics | Healthcare IT | Nutraceuticals | Agricultural | Software | Telecommunications | Information & Communication Technologies | Sensors | Manufacturing
Important Dates
- April 26, 2020 - Applications are due by midnight
- April 27, 2020 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm - Introductory Webinar
- May 6, 2020 - Acceptance notifications and communication with next steps
- May 11, 2020 - 1:00pm - 3:30pm - Customer Segments and Initial Team Presentations
- May 12, 2020 - 1:00pm - 3:30pm - Value Proposition
- May 13, 2020 - 1:00pm - 3:30pm - Customer Discovery
- May 20, 2020 - Each team participates in a pre-scheduled group video call review of the team's Customer Discovery Progress over the first week
- May 27, 2020 - 1:00pm - 3:30pm - Final Team Presentations
During this introductory program, there is extensive work done outside the virtual classroom. In addition to the virtual class meetings, participants should expect to spend another 10-15 hours per week on customer discovery and course assignments. At the conclusion of the program, you will remain connected with your ICAP adjunct to continue your progress on the Five Steps to Startup Success over the following 6 to 24 months.
The introductory program is designed to generate a maximum impact over a relatively short duration and should be considered a required first step for anyone interested in commercializing a technology or product, whether through a startup or licensing arrangement. Some graduates of this cohort may be eligible to apply to NSF's Seven-week National I-Corps Program, which includes non-dilutive grants for customer discovery and prototype development. Additionally, this program can help teams develop better submissions for SBIR and CRCF grants from Virginia's Center for Innovative Technologies.
 Your ICAP Instructor
Bob Smith is currently the Director of I-Corps at George Washington University where he helps researchers, inventors, and technology startups develop their technology commercialization and technology business startup efforts. He is also an instructor with the NSF's DC I-Corp Node.
Bob has 30+ years' experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. He is the Chairman of CollegeFactual.com, a leading college rankings website. He's held senior management positions at Congressional Quarterly and America Online in sales, marketing, and new product development and was the founder and CEO of the first nation-wide online city guide, Digital City. As an executive, angel investor, and advisor he has helped companies in e-commerce, e-government, identity management, content publishing, geospatial analytics, data science, and local media go from launch through to favorable exits.
Bob received a BA from USC and his MBA from GWU. He is a veteran of the US Navy.
This cohort is brought to you by
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
COVID-19 Resources & Local Open/Closed Businesses
During this uncertain time, we feel the need to share information that will help our readers monitor the current situation. Below we have linked several resources.
We also recommend you take a look at the following article providing additional COVID-19 resources for economic development planning and recovery:
https://restoreyoureconomy.org/
Resources to monitor COVID-19 updates:
Open/closed businesses (& altered hours of operations) in the Shenandoah Valley:
Broadband Resources
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Virginian's ability to work, access healthcare and education, and has magnified the digital divide more than ever before. The Commonwealth Connect team has launched a webpage to provide information about what both the federal government and Virginia's ISPs are doing in response to the crisis. Please see: https://www.commonwealthconnect.virginia.gov/COVID-19
Business Resources
- SBA's Disaster Loan is a program designed to help small businesses and non-profit organizations meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot otherwise be met as a direct result of COVID-19. The SV SBDC provides information and assistance in the loan preparation documents. To learn how to apply for the SBA EIDL: disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information. For assistance from the SVSBDC to apply see here: valleysbdc.org/covid-19.
- Status of Building Officials' offices across the Commonwealth on VBCOA website
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation: COVID-19 Update Page outlines regulated non-essential businesses that most close
- FEMA has a page on HOW TO HELP that gives contact information producing COVID-19 related products. *Contact the SBDC office if you want more detail on the challenges of creating/manufacturing personal protective products, and we'll put you in touch with our International Trade Manager and other subject matter experts.
- Virginia Rapid Response COVID-19 Business Support Initiative: The Shen Valley Workforce Development Board has received funding to assist employers eligible to remain open during emergency. Funds are reserved for small businesses. More information and application process at vcwvalley.com.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
COVID-19 Resources
Provided by the Shenandoah Valley Partnership
The Shenandoah Valley Partnership has provided an incredible list of helpful resources for our region. We have included a few of these links from their website, but we encourage you to take a look on their page, as they will be updating it routinely with additional resources. Please visit
https://theshenandoahvalley.com/covid-19-resources/ to view the entire list.
Business Resources
Emergency Loan Programs
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Local Resources
Questions regarding finances? Reach out to your financial institution. Payment deferral programs exist at many banks for businesses and consumers.
State Resources
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services GIS App
As part of the County coronavirus alert and GIS hub, an application was created to support community business and organizations to assist the efforts of the recently formed Regional COVID-19 Business Support Task force.
This map application provides information from businesses and organizations detailing how they provide goods and services to our citizens during the COVID-19 crisis. This information will be updated as our community partners provide new information.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
Shenandoah Valley Open Tech Jobs
-
James Madison University, Harrisonburg (Scientific Computing Specialist)
-
Middle River Regional Jail, Staunton (IT Systems Technician)=
-
Segra, Waynesboro (IT Operations Technician)
-
Harrisonburg High School (Computer Science Teacher)
-
Augusta County Service Authority, Verona (Systems Analyst/Developer)
-
Vision Technology Group, Harrisonburg (Tier III Network Engineer)
-
Budget Referee, Harrisonburg (Full Stack Developer with front end web development focus)
GOT ADDITIONAL JOBS THAT SHOULD BE PUBLICIZED
? SEND US A NOTE AND WE'LL PUBLICIZE THEM.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
Participate in the local tech conversation: Rocktown Tech (Slack)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
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:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Silver Level Member
Level III Members
|
>> 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 |
|
Contact Us
Shenandoah Valley Technology Council
800 S. Main Street MSC 3615
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
540-568-7882
|
|
