Tech & Toast: Talent Development Panel – January 25

Join us for our 2018 Annual Membership Meeting and a conversation with our area resources for Talent Development, Acquisition.

Our panelists include:

Mary Ann Gilmer, Vice President of Workforce Development, Goodwill Industries of the Valleys

Marty Holiday, Executive Director, New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board 

Jake Gilmer, Director of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Works

Facilitated by – Erin Burcham, Director of Talent Solutions, Roanoke Regional Partnership

Our panelists will share information on various programs for training your workforce, paid internships and locating new talent. We look forward to seeing you at Tech & Toast!

Date: Thursday, January 25, 2018

Time: 7:15- 9:00am

Location: Hotel Roanoke – Crystal Ballroom | 110 Shenandoah Ave NW, Roanoke, VA 24016

Fee: $25.00 Member before 1/20/2018 | $35.00 between 1/21 – 1/24

$50.00 Future Member before 1/20/2018 | $60.00 between 1/21 – 1/24

$10.00 Student

TechNite 2017: Registration and Nominations

TechNite is an annual celebration of the Roanoke-Blacksburg region’s growing technology community and is one of the largest networking events of the year with hundreds of influential leaders in business and innovation. Join us as we honor the amazing achievements in technology-focused entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership from across the region!

TechNite 2017 will be held Friday, April 21 at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center (with after party at The Center in the Square – Science Museum of Western Virginia). This is the biggest technology event of the region and we are excited to have you be a part. Stay tuned and watch for more details in the coming weeks.

Registration Now Open (Early-bird Discounts End March 31 Friday, April 7!)

Registration for TechNite 2017 is open! Take advantage of early-bird registration discounts for both members and non-members (early-bird prices have been extended to Friday, April 7!). Individual and Table registrations are available – get all pricing and details by following the link below:

Register

 

Award Nominations

The evening is highlighted with an awards ceremony, where leaders will be recognized in six categories: Rising Star, Regional Leadership, STEM-H Educator, Entrepreneur, Innovator and People’s Choice. Now is the time to make your nominations (nominations close at 5pm Tuesday, March 28 – see below)! Please note: to nominate in separate categories you will need to refresh the page each time.

Rising Star Award
This award recognizes a local technology company whose “star is rising.” It may not be a household name yet, but it could soon be another local success story in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region.

Regional Leadership Award
This award recognizes one of our own who not only succeeds in the workplace, but also leads by example by contributing significantly to the Roanoke – Blacksburg community in which we live.

STEM-H Educator Award
This award recognizes a K-12 educator in the Roanoke – Blacksburg region that promotes math, science, and/or use of technology in creative ways to transfer knowledge and help develop future technology leaders.

Entrepreneur Award
Entrepreneurs are a different breed. Sometimes it takes nerves of steel to blaze a new path. This award recognizes someone in our community who exemplifies what it means to be a risk-taker in the technology field.

Innovator Award
This award recognizes Innovation in developing or Innovation in applying technology by an individual, a group of individuals, company, or other organization that sets the standard for thought leadership and innovation in their respective field. By definition, they are doing something new or different, and they are doing it well. Their innovation represents a significant technological breakthrough or addresses a great market opportunity or both.

People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award gives the TechNite audience the opportunity to learn more about up and coming companies in the Roanoke – Blacksburg region and vote for their favorite. The highest votes receives the People’s Choice Award.

 


As of March 28 (5pm) Nominations are Now Closed.

Core Advance 2017 Is Almost Full: Apply Now!

Core Advance, a new training program from the RBTC for emerging technology leaders, has far-reaching potential to become a hub for attracting, developing and retaining our region’s technology talent. Launching in March with an orientation breakfast, and running on 2nd Thursdays of each month, Core Advance will operate April-June, and pick up again, September-November.

There a still a few remaining Core Advance slots available, so act quickly if you are interested in applying.

Get all the details and apply by going to https://www.rbtc.tech/core-advance/ or contact: Paula Wilder, Coordinator and Faculty, at 540-320-1133 or paula.wilder@wilderweber.com

LEARN MORE & APPLY NOW

Core Advance Leadership Training Program From the RBTC Now Accepting Applications

The RBTC is pleased to announce our newest Leadership Program “Core Advance” – Driving Organizational Success by Accelerating Emerging Technology Leaders’ Business Intelligence

Core Advance’s central mission is to help emerging leaders who have direct reports achieve greater success.  Core Advance’s learning experiences, led by regional experts, are designed to maximize applications.  Morning modules focus on practices that help ensure that leaders are bringing out the best in themselves and their colleagues – Relationship Intelligence.  Afternoon modules focus on practices that elevate leaders’ thinking beyond effective performance in their own functional area to company-wide success – Executive Know-HowLunch & Learns, led by experienced experts, offer participants opportunities to enrich their business savvy and broaden participants’ regional networks.

To Learn more and Apply visit https://www.rbtc.tech/core-advance/ or Contact Paula Wilder at paula.wilder@wilderweber.com  or 540.320.1133.

Take Five with Henry Bass, President of Automation Creations

Henry Bass is the founder and president of Automation Creations, Inc. a 20-person custom software development firm in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. He is an entrepreneur, a Reserve Army officer, and a civic volunteer for FIRST Robotics, Boy Scouts, and the Technology Council Workforce Development Committee. He holds Masters degrees from Virginia Tech (Mechanical Engineering, ‘96) and Washington University in St Louis (MBA, ’89), as well as certifications in software development and systems engineering. His 20 year old company, Automation Creations, specializes in custom web-based applications, with a number of successful spin-offs and Fortune 500 customers. Henry was a 2010 recipient of the NCTC NEWVY award, and a finalist for the RBTC Regional Leadership awards in 2015 and 2016. He is active on the Board of Directors for the RBTC and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, as well as the New River Robotics Association.


 

RBTC:  What are some of the regional resources that have contributed to your success?

Henry Bass: Without a doubt, the technology infrastructure of both the Corporate Research Center, and the RBTC have been huge for us. Years ago, Microsoft predicted that businesses would only need Internet access and a nearby airport to succeed. It’s more than that, as we can see from studying successful technology regions. It takes a community of passionate experts who are willing to help you make the connections you need to succeed. I have found an abundance of like-minded people here who just want to help, and I believe that makes this region thrive. We help each other first, without asking, “what’s in it for me?” I would also add that it has been extremely helpful to have a great local bank: The National Bank of Blacksburg in our case.

RBTC: What makes the Roanoke-Blacksburg region such a good fit for your company?

Henry Bass: When I had completed active duty after the first Gulf war, my wife and I both wanted to get advanced degrees in Virginia. Lisa obtained a degree in teaching, and I in engineering. Virginia Tech was always featured doing cool things in Mechanical Engineering magazine, and our other criteria was that the community had to be small enough to not need a traffic helicopter, but big enough to have a Radio Shack. OK, both of those are obsolete now, but you get the idea. This region fits the bill ideally, and I believe, the size of the community has an inverse relationship with the friendliness of the community, essentially setting the condition for community support discussed in the previous question.

RBTC: If you could give one piece of advice to a fellow entrepreneur, what would it be?

Henry Bass: I absolutely concur with previous authors: get connected! Seek out other opinions of your startup idea. Beware of being so in love with your idea that you overlook the faults and hurdles you face, so listen when others try to warn you. But also, don’t dismiss your own willingness to overcome those obstacles. There may be some pretty good reasons why no one else has done what you thought of, or maybe there have been a few mistakes in past attempts you can learn from and improve upon.

RBTC: What is one lesson you have learned over time that has made an impact on your business’ day-to-day operations?

Henry Bass: In 2006, the VT Knowledge Works environment introduced me to the idea of meeting with other CEOs in a confidential environment to share best practices, challenges, ideas, and the types of things you just can’t share with employees. This once a month, half-day step back from my business gives me a strategic focus that I was lacking. We push each other to achieve new goals and add value to our companies. I’m now a certified moderator for LX Council, and I draw a great deal of inspiration from each meeting. Whether it’s the RBTC CEO forum or a peer networking group, this is a very important leadership element for a business owner.

RBTC: How would you like to see the Roanoke-Blacksburg region develop over the next 5 years?

Henry Bass: I believe we will continue to see the Roanoke and New River regions knitting together into a continuous fabric. Over the next 5 years, I expect two things: first, that not only will new passenger rail transportation improve our professional services with Northern Virginia and points north. But secondly, our developing workforce will build interesting companies right here, which capitalize on our rich quality of life, our educational assets, and our lack of traffic helicopters!