Tag: Roanoke Virginia

Life Science Forum – March 28

Join us for the 11th annual Life Science Forum of Southwest Virginia on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at VTCRI in Roanoke.

Come present your poster, meet other innovators from the region, or simply network and learn what area researchers are up to. There will be appetizers and refreshments along with a poster session featuring representatives of academic, industry, and nonprofit technology organizations.

Poster topics will include, but are not limited to:

  • Bio/Life sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Engineering
  • Materials sciences
  • Nanotechnology

Interested in presenting a poster? Space is limited, register early.

Join us at 4:30 pm for a Speed Networking Workshop “Small Talk to Big Conversations”

Networking is an essential skill to have in the professional world. The challenge for many is how to initiate the conversation. During this brief session we will:

  • Share common conversation starters
  • Discuss what the elevator pitch is and how to introduce yourself
  • Identify quick tips to use for future networking events
Prepare to perfect your technique and practice before the start of the event, by registering for this quick and interactive 45 minute session.

WHERE: VTCRI – 2 Riverside Drive, Roanoke, VA 

WHEN: Wednesday, March 28, 2018

FORUM SCHEDULE: 
4:30 – 5:15 PM – Speed Networking Workshop
5:30 – 8:30 PM – Life Science Forum
This event is free but registration is required.

Click on the image below to download a PDF of the flyer

Hockey Night With the Rail Yard Dawgs- January 12

The RBTC invites you to join us for a fun filled evening of family fun with the Rail Yard Dawgs! Come out and support a local team, and enjoy networking with fellow RBTC members and their families at the good ‘ol hockey game. We hope that you will join us!

Decades Night

Date: Friday, January 12

Time: 7:05pm

Price: $13 per person (*Parking is $5 cash per vehicle | Registration closes January 9th)

Location: 710 Williamson Rd NE, Roanoke, VA 24016

RBTC Announces Selection of First Cohort for RAMP Business Accelerator

Six high-potential startups have been selected to serve in the inaugural cohort at RAMP (Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program), a business accelerator program in downtown Roanoke.The six companies were chosen for their ability to expand and create jobs within the STEM-H field.The program launches June 1, 2017,in the renovated Gill Memorial Building in downtown Roanoke.

The inaugural cohort is comprised of the following:

  • Acomhal Research Inc., a biotech spinout from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute (VTCRI), working on an innovative therapeutic drug to target chemoresistant cancer cells and prevent tumor recurrence in glioblatoma. Acomhal Research Inc. is led by Dr. Samy Lamouille and Dr.Robert Gourdie.
  • Altede, developing easy and affordable tests for gluten and other allergens in food. Altede is led by Ed Champion, Dr. Anna Champion, and Briana Petruzzi.
  • Autonomous Flight Technologies, Inc. (AFT), licensed and credentialed to usedrones for business developing new ways to replace older, slower,and costlier methods. AFT is led by Josh May.
  • DESA, developing screening assessments to more effectively support the diagnosis and monitoring of health issues such as dementia, depression, concussion, PTSD, anxiety, pre-and post-surgery instructions, among others. DESA is led by Jonathan Briganti, Brian Elliot, and Dr. Anne Brown.
  • Flex Metrics by SoftSolutions, providing real-time production visibility technology for print, packaging, and manufacturing industries for almost 20 years. Flex Metrics is led by Jay Foster.
  • Volatia, a full-service language service company, providing on-site, over the telephone, and remote video interpretation and translation services in more than 280 languages. Volatia is led by Baraka Kasongo, recently recognized with the Regional Entrepreneur award at RBTC’s TechNite.

The businesses in the cohort will benefit from structured mentorships between entrepreneurs and experienced individuals in their field, gain access to funding that will get them beyond early stage, and receive business education specifically targeted to scaling technology-based start-ups. “There is so much to celebrate with our first cohort.The companies represent a diverse set of industries and are in various stages of their business development,” said RAMP director Mary Miller. “This program is designed to provide the tools and support to move the needle for each one, and I expect to see just that. I couldn’t be more pleased to just have a small part in all of this.” Achomal Research Inc., Altede, AFT, DESA, and Volatia will all co-locate on the third floor where they will have access to a 1Gig fiber network made available through a generous partnership with Cox Business. Additionally, the space, furniture, and utilities are provided to these companies free of charge. Flex Metrics by SoftSolutions, in addition to participating in the inaugural cohort, will be the Gill Memorial Building’s anchor tenant and will be located on the first floor. Support for RAMP comes from a broad public/private partnership that draws on leaders in higher education, government, and the region’s growing technology community. RAMP founding partners include:

  • The City of Roanoke, which owns the building and won a $600,000 state grant to renovate the Gill building as an accelerator.
  • Virginia Western Community College, which will provide business education classes and faculty support.
  • The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, which pays for the Director and will lead the accelerator’s mentorship and networking initiatives.

An open house to meet the inaugural cohort will be held on Monday, June 5, 2017, at 5pm at the Gill Memorial Building(709 S. Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA 24011).

Media Contact: Robert McAden President & CEO, Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (540) 443-9232 | robert@rbtc.tech

RAMP Cohort Kickoff – June 5

Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) cordially invite you to join us for the inaugural, Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program (RAMP) Cohort Kickoff! Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with the six companies that make up the first cohort and tour their offices. RAMP, RBTC, and VWCC representatives will also be on hand to answer any questions. The Cohort Kickoff will be held at the Gill Memorial Building, 709 S. Jefferson Street in Downtown Roanoke on Monday, June 5, 2017 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

Street parking is available for free after 5pm on Jefferson Street, Day Avenue, Bullitt Avenue, First Street or in the various paid lots on Jefferson.

Please RSVP ( https://goo.gl/kdqa2G) by Friday, June 2, 2017.
Refreshments provided.

Have questions? Contact: Mary Miller, RAMP Director at mary.miller@rbtc.tech or (540) 595-7315 or contact Chelsey Blake at chelsey@rbtc.tech or (540) 443-9232

Register

18th Annual RBTC TechNite Awards Ceremony Recipients Announced

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council was pleased to honor a talented group of companies and individuals at its annual TechNite awards banquet, which was held at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center on April 21, 2017.

Nominations were accepted for five awards: STEM-H Educator, Entrepreneur, Innovator, Regional Leadership, and Rising Star. Nominees were narrowed down to a subset of contenders in each category, from which award recipients were selected. This year the awards committee chose to recognize a recipient of the Ruby Award, an occasional award that recognizes a brilliant and valuable asset to the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. The committee also added a new award, the Regional Go To Geek, which recognizes a person that is working to connect technology practitioners across our region.

The RBTC was honored to present the following awards:

  • Regional Go to Geek: Thomas “Tweeks” Weeks, Virginia Tech Cyber Range
  • STEM Educator: Nick Cornwell, Montgomery County Public Schools & Hannah Weiss, Science Museum of Western Virginia
  • Entrepreneur: Baraka Kasongo, Volatia Language Network Inc.
  • Innovator: Josep Bassaganya-Riera, BioTherapeutics
  • Regional Leadership: Greg Feldmann, Skyline Capital Strategies
  • Rising Star: Qualtrax
  • Ruby Award: Sam English, Attention Point

TechNite is an annual celebration of the Roanoke – Blacksburg region’s technology community. The event featured Caitlyn Scaggs, Founder of Blue Mobius Marketing, as the Master of Ceremonies and special guest speaker Bonz Hart, founder of Meridium, local entrepreneur, and former president of the RBTC board of directors.

After the awards were presented, attendees were invited to attend the 5th annual TechNite after party held at the Science Museum of Western Virginia located inside the Center in the Square.

More information from TechNite 2017 can be found at https://www.rbtc.tech/technite.

ABOUT THE ROANOKE – BLACKSBURG TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL (RBTC)
The Roanoke – Blacksburg Technology Council is a non-profit, member-driven association of businesses and organizations in the greater Roanoke – Blacksburg region, working together to promote the growth and success of the region’s technology sector. Its membership includes more than 250 organizations. The RBTC is the leading resource for the region’s growth and success. It exists to connect and unite the region’s technology community, develop and educate thought-leaders, mentors, and the technology workforce, and improve access to talent. To learn more, please visit http://www.rbtc.tech.

Contact: Robert McAden, RBTC President and CEO, (540) 293-3230 or robert.mcaden@rbtc.tech.

TechNite 2017: Award Nominees Announced

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council is pleased to announce the Top Finalists in each TechNite 2017 award category. Congratulations to all the outstanding nominees! Winners will be announced at the TechNite awards ceremony on Friday, April 21 – get your tickets now!

 

EDUCATOR

Sponsored by: Common Wealth Growth Group & Providence Properties
Montgomery County Public Schools
Courtney Buck
Nick Cornwell
Stephanie Parker
Holly Pauley
Rebecca Rainey
Terri Vangelos
Susie Weaver
Roanoke City Public Schools
April Hill
Roanoke County Public Schools
Travis Anderson
Andy Clapper
Susheela Shanta
Roanoke Valley Governor’s School
Dr. Brent Holt
Science Museum of Western Virginia
Hannah Weiss
Salem Public Schools

Mark Madden

RISING STAR

Sponsored by: Montgomery County
1901 Group
Bonumose Biochem LLC
Click & Pledge
FluxTeq LLC
Game Changineer LLC
GoJourni
Landos Biopharma
Qualtrax
Volatia Language Network Inc.

INNOVATOR

Sponsored by: Kollmorgen
Bonumose Biochem LLC
Excella Consulting – The Extension Center @ VTCRC
Dr. Paul Gaines, Inorganic Ventures
Shockoe
Josep Bassaganya-Riera
Keltech
SyCom Technologies

ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored by: Virginia Tech
Amy Ankrum, Qualtrax
Dr. Adam Donato, Card Isle
Jay Foster, Flex Metrics
Dr. James D. Rancourt, Polymer Solutions
Caitlyn Scaggs, Blue Mobius Marketing

Baraka Kasongo, Volatia Language Network Inc.

 

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP

Sponsored by: Roanoke County
Kevin Bloomfield
Greg Feldmann
Charlie Jewell
Sue Magliaro
Annette Patterson
Cynthia Rancourt
Jeff Terry
Thomas “Tweeks” Weeks


People’s Choice

GameTracker
L2Ork
FluxTeq

 

Download this list of TechNite 2017 Award Finalists as a PDF

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.

Woods Rogers Pledges $50,000 to Support RAMP Business Accelerator

The Virginia law firm of Wood Rogers PLC will donate $50,000 to the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation in support of the new RAMP technology business accelerator opening in downtown Roanoke. Under a five year agreement, Woods Rogers will contribute $10,000 per year to RAMP beginning in 2017 and concluding in 2021.

The Educational Foundation is a nonprofit organization associated with Virginia Western Community College, which will provide business education programming at RAMP, located in the old Gill Memorial Hospital building at 709 S. Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke.

“The Educational Foundation is proud to support the RAMP initiative and its mission to create jobs in Roanoke,” said Dr. Angela M. Garcia Falconetti, Executive Director of the Educational Foundation and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Virginia Western Community College. “RAMP provides an example of the direct role that institutions of higher education can play in economic development.”

RAMP’s mission is to propel high-potential startups to expand and create jobs in the STEM-H (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health) fields. Other partners in the initiative include the City of Roanoke, which won a state grant to complete renovations on the historical Gill Memorial site; and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, which will recruit RAMP participants and provide them mentorship and networking opportunities.

“It is an honor to be part of RAMP from Day One,” said Dan Summerlin, President of Woods Rogers. “We firmly believe that entrepreneurs and start-up companies are a vital part of the economic future of Roanoke and of Virginia as well. Woods Rogers and its Emerging Growth practice group are committed to helping this initiative succeed. We look forward to being an active contributor of counsel and ideas to RAMP’s participants.”

RAMP, which stands for Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program, is accepting applicants for its first participant teams through March 15. Learn more at www.ramprb.tech. The program is expected to start in June 2017.

RAMP participants will benefit from a mentoring program, networking opportunities, business education and access to capital. The inaugural program includes an intensive “boot camp” that culminates in a $5,000 prize for the accelerator company offering the best jobs-creation strategy.

The program’s model, based on best practices garnered from existing successful business accelerators, will initially focus on accelerating three to five technology- or life science-focused companies in the first cohort. Companies accepted into RAMP will work closely with multiple mentors to focus on building, testing, improving, validating product-market fit, and launching their product for the market.

To be considered for RAMP, applicants must:
• Agree to locate their company, rent-free, inside the accelerator for a six-month residency;
• Have a minimum viable product, preferably with sales traction;
• Work full time on their startup during the program;
• Have a product or service employing workers in the STEM-H field, with scalability potential;
• Be willing to consider operating their company in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region after graduation.

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
The Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation is an independent nonprofit dedicated to enhancing awareness of the college and securing private and public funds. Its efforts support Virginia Western’s Community College Access Program, student scholarships, faculty development and capital projects. To learn more, visit virginiawestern.edu/foundation.

ABOUT VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
With nearly 13,000 students on the college’s main campus in Southwest Roanoke City, to our satellite locations at the Greenfield Education & Training Center in Daleville and the Franklin Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia Western Community College is committed to providing affordable, accessible, and quality educational opportunities and workforce training to meet individual, community, and global needs. To learn more, visit virginiawestern.edu.

ABOUT WOODS ROGERS
Woods Rogers PLC is a full-service law firm providing legal services in more than 19 practice areas to businesses and individuals across Virginia, throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. For more information, visit www.woodsrogers.com.

Roanoke Takes First Place On List of Top Cities For Recent Graduates, GoodCall

Consumer data firm GoodCall has compiled a list of the top cities for recent graduates, based on a varied array of data metrics. Roanoke, Virginia took first place on the list as the top city for recent graduates entering the workforce. From GoodCall:

“New grads might find it harder to land that first job if they aren’t willing to consider moving to a new place. But moving blindly, without considering how well the new city will fit with one’s lifestyle and preferences, could lead to months or years of unhappiness.

GoodCall analysts crunched data from 589 cities and towns across the country to determine the best places for new graduates. Most of the cities at the top – more than half of the top 30 – were mid-sized, with less than 100,000 people. While the best places were generally scattered across the country, there were few Northeastern cities at the top.

Factors considered include affordability, relative salary, entry-level jobs available, and local amenities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines housing costs as affordable when they account for less than 30% of family income, and all but one of the cities in the top 10 are better than that.

New grads likely will fare better in locations where their new degree is valued, so analysts considered each city’s overall median salary and compared that with the median salary for those with a bachelor’s degree. And, of course, going where companies are hiring is a smart move.

But a lot of new grads make the mistake of taking a well-paying job in a place that turns out to be a tiny town with no nightlife, arts scene, or dining options. So the GoodCall list also takes into account the number of amenities per capita.

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA

At the top of the GoodCall list was Roanoke, Va. The town of nearly 100,000 people in the beautiful Roanoke Valley ranked fairly highly for its amenities and the number of available entry-level jobs. There were 16.6 jobs posted on Indeed.com per 1,000 people in the area. People with bachelor’s degrees tend to fare well in Roanoke, making about $42,900, or 48% more than the area’s median salary. And the area’s arts and culture scene is strong, with more than 350 amenities. Roanoke has several performing arts and events centers, which draw an array of local, regional and national performers, as well as breweries and wineries, shopping, and dining.”

See the full list at the GoodCall website >>>