Apply for SSTI's '15 Excellence in TBED Awards

Consider sharing your organization's achievements by applying for SSTI's 2015 Excellence in TBED awards.

SSTI will present awards in six categories that focus on several elements found in thriving tech-based economies.  These include research base that generates new knowledge, mechanisms for transferring knowledge into the marketplace, an entrepreneurial culture, sources of risk capital and competitive industries. Other categories are available.

If you wish to participate in an informational conference call June 15, register at sstiawards.org to register.

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Pierce County Wins National Technology Award

Pierce County News has reported in The Suburban Times that Pierce County won a national award for using the latest Web technology to help locate abducted children. The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) recognized the County’s Lead Management System for a Technology & Innovation Award. Investigators can use the system to quickly search and organize thousands of tips about a child’s possible location. The system is one of the first of its kind to be designed for local government.

Investigators are often inundated with thousands of tips and eyewitness reports when a child is abducted. The Lead Management System allows users to quickly sort these “tips” and find key information which then become “leads.” The system makes it easy for investigators to manage those leads which could best result in a child’s safe recovery. 911 dispatchers can now enter call logs directly into the county’s Information Portal, and investigators can immediately upload eyewitness reports. This saves time and ensures critical information is not lost.

The new system allows reports to be directly entered into the tip log, thereby providing officials with real-time updates on a child’s possible location. Reports can be sorted based on categories such as victim or suspect, and also displayed on a map if a witness provides an address. The Web-based interface is easy to use and can be accessed on a variety of mobile devices.

Pierce County’s Department of Emergency Management and Information Technology Department partnered with the Tacoma Police Department to create the system. The project team also worked closely the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

$70,000 AWARDED TO STUDENT-LED STARTUPS

This is the best night of the year, said Craig Sherman, partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, as he took the stage at the 17th annual University of Washington (UW) Business Plan Competition (BPC) awards ceremony. His sentiment was no doubt seconded by a room of over 250 investors, entrepreneurs and mentors, all gathered to celebrate the innovative and inspiring student-led startups that competed in this year’s BPC.

Among those celebrating the teams’ achievements was keynote speaker Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments. Price, a BPC alum (he won the 2nd Place Prize in 2007) delivered an inspiring message, telling the teams that if they want to be successful, they should be true to themselves, continue learning and improving, and always be willing to roll up your sleeves, dive in, and get it done. Prices’ advice was taken to heart, especially by the winning teams, who will be using their seed funding to move their business a few steps closer to reality.

Congratulations to this year’s UW Business Plan Competition winners:

$25,000 Grand Prize: Projected Talent (UW) (Grand Prize sponsored by the Herbert B. Jones Foundation)
Projected Talent is an online marketplace that connects skilled undergrads to businesses on short, meaningful, paid projects.  This allows students to gain valuable, relevant work experience and businesses to find and audition the best talent while accomplishing important tasks.  By lowering the time, space and financial commitment, more companies than ever are now able to connect with students. Team: Samir Diwan, MBA, Foster School of Business; Bilal Aijazi, MS, UW Computer Science & Engineering; Julie Maas, MBA, Foster School of Business; Max Weissman, MBA, Foster School of Business; Jeff Shulman, nonstudent

$10,000 Second Place Prize (Second Place Prize sponsored by WRF Capital)
Flu Finder (UW) Current flu diagnostic tests are unable to achieve effective early diagnosis for most flu-infected individuals. Flu Finder has created a flu test that is accurate, inexpensive and can be administered by anyone, anywhere, with results in less than 20 minutes. Team:  Carly Holstein, PhD, UW Bioengineering; Gina Fridley, PhD, UW Bioengineering; Alyssa Hochman, MBA, Foster School of Business; Jonny Holz, MBA, Foster School of Business; Joel Loveday, MBA, Foster School of Business

$7,520.14 Finalist Prize ($7,520.14 Finalist Prize sponsored by the Friends of the BPC)
OlyKraut (BGI) OlyKraut combines local produce, the magic of fermentation and delicious original recipes to create sauerkraut that's more than a condiment--it's a health tonic, a kick in the tastebuds and an investment in the local food system.Team: Sash Sunday, MBA, Bainbridge Graduate Institute; Michelle Anderson, MBA, Bainbridge Graduate Institute; Domonique Juleon, MBA, Bainbridge Graduate Institute; Dorothy Mitchell, MBA, Bainbridge Graduate Institute

$5,000 Finalist Prize: Korvata (UW) ($5,000 Finalist Prize sponsored by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati)
Korvata Inc. creates cutting edge alternative chemistry products that enable companies to mitigate their environmental impact. Korvata, a Delaware Corporation, received the top award at the 2014 UW Environmental Innovation Challenge (EIC). Its patent-pending technology enables customers in the food & beverage and CPG industries to significantly reduce their carbon footprints. 
Team: Chris Metcalfe, MBA, Foster School of Business; Soleil Kelley, MBA, Foster School of Business; Brendan Trickey, MBA, Foster School of Business; Devapratim Sarma, MBA, Foster School of Business; Taylor Brugh, MBA, Foster School of Business;

Best Idea Prizes

$2,500 Best Technology Idea (Best Technology Idea Prize sponsored by UIEvolution)

Aurora Plasmonics (University of Washington) Blood clots are a major problem during dialysis—an average of 400,000 de-clotting procedures take place each year in the U.S. Aurora Plasmonics has developed cost-effective, non-invasive therapeutic and diagnostic technologies for de-clotting procedures. These technologies offer reduced procedure times and costs, improved outcomes and increased patient comfort. Team: Michael Lombardo, Undergrad, UW Chemical Engineering; Thomas DeMaria, MBA, Foster School of Business; Jess Little, Undergrad, UW Chemical Engineering; Wayne Monsky, nonstudent; Rainie Nelson, Undergrad, UW Chemical Engineering

$2,500 Best Service/Retail Idea: (Best Service/Retail Prize sponsored by DLA Piper)
FastBar (UW Bothell) Everyone hates long bar lines, and payment processing at pop-up bars—temporary bars for special events that don't have built-in point of sale systems —can mean especially long wait times. FastBar provides a simple, high-speed payment solution for pop-up bars that uses RFID wrist bands. Team: David Goecke, Undergrad, UW Bothell Business; Chris Li, non student; Brenton Webster, non student

$2,500 Best Sustainable Advantage Idea (Best Sustainable Advantage Idea Prize sponsored by Sensors in Motion)
Mobile Foam (Washington State University) 1.6 billion people worldwide live in substandard housing. Humanitarian organizations are trying to address this by building more homes, but construction is often low-quality and lacks energy efficiency. Mobile Foam empowers humanitarian organizations to build higher quality homes with their building kit: floor-plans, consulting and the necessary chemicals and portable molds to produce polyurethane blocks on-site. Team: Chris Routen, Undergrad, WSU Mechanical Engineering; Dane Baird, Undergrad, WSU Mechanical Engineering; Austin Carter, Undergrad, WSU Marketing; Bettina Ernst, Undergrad, WSU Civil Engineering; Kelsi Lakey, Undergrad, WSU Computer Engineering

$2,500 Best Innovation Idea (Best Innovation Idea Prize sponsored by Perkins Coie)
Flu Finder (University of Washington) Current flu diagnostic tests are unable to achieve effective early diagnosis for most flu-infected individuals. Flu Finder has created a flu test that is accurate, inexpensive and can be administered by anyone, anywhere, with results in less than 20 minutes. Team: Carly Holstein, PhD, UW Bioengineering; Gina Fridley, PhD, UW Bioengineering; Alyssa Hochman, MBA, Foster School of Business; Jonny Holz, MBA, Foster School of Business; Joel Loveday, MBA, Foster School of Business

$2,500 Best Consumer Product Idea (Best Consumer Product Idea Prize sponsored by Accenture)
Trestle (University of Washington) Trestle converts your smart phone into a touchscreen interface for your Wi-Fi router. With Trestle, complicated configuration tasks are automated making your home network a breeze to set up and your Internet security and speed are continuously optimized. It's so easy that even your grandma can do it! Team: Kris Hunt, MBA, Foster School of Business; Matt Gryll, MBA, Foster School of Business; Aneesh Kulkarni, Grad, UW Computer Science & Engineering; Raj Makker, Grad, UW Computer Science & Engineering

$2,500 Best Cleantech Idea (Best Cleantech Idea Prize sponsored by Fenwick & West)
IonoMetal Technologies (University of Washington) Gold-plated surfaces used in computer chip testing wear down with repeated use and must be replaced. Each test board costs upwards of $40,000, and there is currently no available cost efficient repair option that satisfies industry standards. IonoMetal Technologies has developed technology that lowers the costs of manufacturing new gold-plated test boards by 10x. Team: Pritam Das, MBA, Foster School of Business; Trevor Braun, PhD, UW Chemical Engineering; Britton Stamper, Undergrad, UW Chemical Engineering; Alison Keeney, Undergrad, UW Chemical Engineering; Andrew Carlson, Undergrad, UW Chemical Engineering

$2,500 Best Marketplace Idea (Best Marketplace Idea Prize sponsored by eBay Enterprise)
Stash (University of Washington) Stash has created an affordable storage platform by connecting people who need storage to those who have extra space around their house or garage. Team: Katie Fraser, Undergrad, Foster School of Business; Aaron Goff, non student; Chris Goolsbee, non student; Robert Sanders, non student; Chad Robischo, non student

$5,000 AARP Prize for low-income senior service
FDCARES (University of Washington) Fire departments use up valuable time and money dispatching Emergency Medical Service in response to non-urgent 911 calls—up to 40% of fire department medical responses are for non-emergencies. FDCARES saves fire departments millions of dollars and improves their 911 response efficiency by integrating a Non-Emergency Medical Service division into their operations. Team: Adam Davis, UW Doctorate of Nursing Practice; Mitch Snyder, non student; Jim Webb, non student

CONTACT:
Ellen Pepin, Assistant Director, Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, 206.616.3691

Pitches Pay Off at YEA! Investor Panel

Five high school students from the Tacoma-Pierce County area pitched their business ideas before a panel of five investors to compete for funding at the first Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Investor Panel Presentation Event at Pacific Lutheran University.

The students presented before representatives from some of the area’s biggest companies as well as an audience filled with family, friends and members of the community for the opportunity to gain funding for their original ideas- that could be the next big thing!

About 40 people attended the event, held inside the Regency Room on PLU Campus. This year’s YEA! class is comprised of public students from Tacoma Public Schools and Bellarmine Prep. The Investor Panel Event is one of the program’s three “big events” that take place over the duration of the program.

On Wednesday night, the Investor Panel donated monetary contributions as well as their support and encouragement in their belief that entrepreneurs can make a job—not just take a job—at any age.

The investor panel consisted of the following business professionals:

Mitch Anderson, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Gary Brackett, Business & Political Manager, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and TacomaAngel Network Coordinator
Beth Delmore, Senior Financial Services Representative, Opus Bank
Skip Haynes, Chairman, Rainier Connect
Heather Joy, Manager, Spaceworks Tacoma & Small Business Owner of HOLDstudios

The funds were divided and allocated accordingly to businesses that the investors felt had a well thought out plan and an idea that had a good chance at success

The investments were as follows:

•    Teen Tech Tutors, providing one-on-one technology support services to the community, especially the elderly or otherwise challenged, received $1,000. Owner Sam Wheelock is a freshman at Stadium High School.

•    Sunny Beginnings, producing fresh, individually-jarred breakfast muffin and oatmeal mixes that make creating a homemade breakfast easier, received $1,000. Owner Jessica Bokoskie is a senior at Mount Tahoma High School.

•    Portz, would produce athletic shoes that incorporates sewn-in ankle braces which stabilizes the ankle and helps prevent injury, received $500. Owners are LaMondtra Atkins, a junior at Stadium High School and Arthur Hagen, a senior at Lincoln High School.

•    Shout!, would produce a consumer app that allows its users the benefit of receiving feedback about their daily outfits and current fashion trends, received $400. Owner Gracie Weiss is a freshman at Bellarmine Prep.

Also at the event were two businesses that are still in the research and development process:

•    The Art of Memories, would provide customized memory books featuring personalized portrait and stylized drawings from the artists/owners that are tailored to each individual clients’ needs. Owners are Madison Chavez, a junior at Tacoma School of the Arts and Lyric Swanson, a senior at Mt. Tahoma High School.

•    Re’Ussu, a customized clothing company that specializes in T-shirts and hoodies, providing each client with a piece of fashion they think of as their own. Owner Cyrus Singleton is a senior at Lincoln High School.

Students will now begin marketing and selling their products and services, and preparing for the YEA! Trade Show to showcase their goods to the general public.  The Trade Show will be held on June 1, 2014 at the South Tacoma Farmer’s Market held at the STAR Center.  This event is free and open to the public.


Pictured (l. to r.): Jessica Bokoskie, Sam Wheelock, Madison Chavez, Gracie Weiss, Cyrus Singleton, Lyric Swanson, Arthur Hagen and LaMondtra Atkins.

About the Young Entrepreneurs Academy
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy or YEA!?, is a groundbreaking educational program that takes students in grades six through twelve through the process of starting and running real businesses over the course of a full academic year.

Students work in close cooperation with local leaders of industry, community members, and educators to develop ideas and objectives, write business plans, pitch potential investors, obtain funding, register with governmental agencies, develop their brand identity and much more!

By the end of the class, students own and operate fully functioning businesses that can be carried on after graduation. Students learn to make a job--not just take a job! YEA!’s? direct mission is to help students embrace their passion, energy, creativity and talents, launch a venture, and view entrepreneurship as synonymous with success and freedom.

In 2008, YEA!? “spun-off” from the University of Rochester, where it was formed in 2004 with support from the Kauffman Foundation, to create its own not-for-profit corporation, YEA! Inc., which is currently launching sites in colleges, universities and high schools across the country to provide comprehensive, exciting entrepreneurship education, leadership development and innovation training to youth between the ages of 11 and 18 years old in the United States thereby making the program available to students at a variety of geographical regions, and providing them with skills they need to succeed in the 21st Century.

For more information about the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, please call 253.682.1726 or visit tacomachamber.com/content/yea

Vote for the Industry Achievement Awards

Industry Achievement Awards - March 15, 2012
Your votes have recorded the highest number of award applications in six categories for the 17th annual Industry Achievement Awards. Now it’s time to empower and celebrate technology by recognizing the accomplishments of the best & brightest leaders, companies and students in Washington State.

Congratulations to the 2012 IAA Finalists:

Best Early Stage Company of the Year
Appature, Inc.
BigDoor
GreenCupboards


Best Seed Stage Company of the Year
Simply Measured
Spiral Genetics
Zipline Games

Consumer Product or Service of the Year
DocuSign
Parallels
Zillow

Commercial Product or Service of the Year
EagleView Technologies
SEOMoz
Skytap

Technology Accelerator of the Year (Service Provider of the Year)
Founders Co-Op
Lighter Capital
Opscode

CEO of the Year
Ben Huh – Cheezburger
Bryan Mistele – INRIX
Steve Singh – Concur

Learn more about the finalists by clicking here.

The 2012 Industry Achievement Awards will recognize the youth of today who will shape tomorrow’s technology landscape. This award will go to a current student (6-8th grade) from TAF’s Tech Start program who shows promise as a future leader in technology.

The people of tech will decide on who will receive this award. Click here to view the projects and VOTE for the project you think is the best.

SHIFT Award Nominations Open

SHIFT is an annual event that debuted on March 10, 2010 at Theater on the Square in downtown Tacoma, WA. This event was created in order to recognize companies in the South Puget Sound that exhibit successful, innovative approaches to utilizing or developing technology for the purposes of business sustainability.

Nominees and finalists were selected by the 2010 SHIFT Advisory Board, made up of local volunteers representing South Puget Sound business and technology. The four companies asked to share their story at the 2010 event were Hotel Murano, MorphoTrak, BCRA, and Internet Identity.

Nominations are now open for the 2011 SHIFT Awards and we would like to invite you to nominate a South Sound company or organization. The idea for this event is not to choose a "winner" above all others, but rather give organizations a chance to share their story and hopefully inspire others.

The SHIFT nomination form can be found at here.

Please feel free to contact Mandi Webster-Martin or 253.272.2248 with any questions. A date for the actual event will be announced later this year.

VOB Use Tech in Business Models

Two firms, honored by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber as Veteran-Owned Businesses at the annual Spotlight! On Business Awards could just as easily have been so honored for their application of technology in their business models.

Selected to receive the Chamber’s first VOB Spotlight! Award, with a tagline of “Applying Technology and Doing IT Right Since 1988,” is mynetworkcompany.com. Owner and CEO Darrel Bowman, a disabled Veteran, makes hiring Veterans and current active duty IT personnel a priority. He also continues to be involved in the community and serves on Congressman Adam Smith’s Technology Advisory Council Committee; and is current Chairman of the South Puget Sound IT and Emerging Technology Skills Panel, among others. Mynetworkingcompany.com was a major sponsor for technology in the 2008 Tall Ships Festival – supplying computers, printers, phones and a variety of technical expertise.

Also receiving recognition at the Spotlight! On Business Awards was Jordan and Donna Haines, both Vets as retired Air Force, and owners of Coinforce.com Their company is an internet-based promotional product company, focusing on military challenge coins, lapel pins and belt buckles to the military, businesses, schools, government agencies and non-proft organizations worldwide. They support the local community in many ways: annually towards numerous military morale, welfare and recreation opportunities and other family military programs; and last year, helped raise money for the fallen Lakewood Police officers’ families.

James Donaldson, keynoter at the Spotlight! On Business Awards (known to many as “the big man on small business”), is a small business entrepreneur, former NBA player, motivational speaker, and author of a newly published book “Standing Above the Crowd.” (Executing Your Game Plan to Become The Best You Can Be in Sports, Life & Business). Donaldson inspired us with his real life experiences of his years playing professional sports and his work in motivating youth and encouraging business people to achieve their goals and realize success.

Winners! BPC 2010

                It’s been a terrific Business Plan Competition this year. 

There were a record 92 student teams from 15 universities apply to participate in the competition. Over 120 judges devoted a full week-end the beginning of April to screen that group down to 36 teams—and provide feedback. At the Investment Round in late April, those 36 teams pitched their hearts out to 205 judges in the HUB Ballroom—and 16 advanced to the next round. Yesterday the Sweet 16 teams made their full presentations to another set of judges. Six highly credible teams made it to the Final Round, where they presented to seven entrepreneur judges.

The next generation of start-ups are focused on recycled glass for building materials, windows that turn sunlight into energy, helping Korean students learn English, mobile payments, camera systems at mountain resorts to capture and share the activities of enthusiasts, devices for rapid quantitative immunoassays, measuring fat loss, and enhancing the wheelchair-bound person’s ability to walk, and a revolutionary enzyme that can mix with clay to build roads.

Thank to the judges, sponsors, volunteers, faculty, and our colleagues at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Central Washington, Edmonds CC, Embry-Riddle, Gonzaga, North Seattle CC, Seattle Central CC, Seattle Pacific, Seattle University, University of Puget Sound, University of Washington, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, Western Washington, and Washington State University. 

It takes a community (and a region) to raise an entrepreneur!

$25,000 Herbert B. Jones Foundation Grand Prize:  YongoPal, UW
A service for South Korean university students that allows them to practice conversational English with their American peers via webcam, and that also allows university students in America to profit from those interactions.  Kyung Hee Yun, BA in Political Science; Jon Hickey, Master of Communication in Digital Media; Darien Brown and Daron Hall

$10,000 Bristlecone-Selamat Challenge Second Prize: Empowering Engineering Technologies, UW
EETech is developing a medical device called ExoWalk that utilizes patented ExoTendon technology to dramatically reduce the muscular force required to walk, enabling people with wheelchairs to stand up and walk their way to better qualities of life. Brian Glaister, PhD in Mechanical Engineering; Katie Mulholland, MS in Mechanical Engineering; Chie Kawahara; and Jason Schoen

$5,000 Fenwick & West Finalist Prize:  Febris, WSU
Produces a point of care viral diagnostic, based on patented processes, that can detect a viral infection days before the subject manifests physical symptoms and becomes contagious. Jason Burt, MBA; Alice Lombard, DVM-Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; Andrew Lombard, MBA; and Michael Whittaker, MBA

$5,000 WRF Capital Finalist Prize:  Emergent Detection, UW and UWT
Working to solve the worldwide obesity epidemic with its handheld device that immediately and directly measures personal fat loss in the home user.  Eric Fogel, Eve MBA; Joel Gjuka, MBA -UWT; Keegan Hall, MBA -UWT; Amanda Mathes, Eve MBA

BEST IDEA PRIZES

The BEST IDEA prizes were created to reward teams in the Business Plan Competition for their exceptional work in several different categories. The teams receiving these prizes were selected by a special group of judges during the Investment Round. This year we gave away SIX $2,500 Best Idea Prizes.

OVP Venture Partners Best Technology Idea: Empowering Engineering Technologies, UW
EETech is developing a medical device called ExoWalk that utilizes patented ExoTendon technology to dramatically reduce the muscular force required to walk, enabling people with wheelchairs to stand up and walk their way to better qualities of life. Brian Glaister, PhD in Mechanical Engineering; Katie Mulholland, MS in Mechanical Engineering; Chie Kawahara; and Jason Schoen

Synapse Product Development Best Consumer Product Idea: Native Roots, WSU and U of Idaho
Positioned to become a major supplier of native plants, the breeding program currently has 40 native plant varieties in position to be patented with plant variety patents (PVPs). Kathryn Leonard, MBA - WSU; Casey Neumeyer, BS Agribusiness - U of Idaho; and Mac Reynolds

Perkins Coie Best Innovation Idea: GreenStone International, Seattle U
Has developed a revolutionary enzyme that when mixed and compacted with clay creates a durable, low cost, waterproof and environmentally friendly road with a lifespan of more than 15 years. James Spaulding, MBA; Heidi Han Yu, MBA; Emily Marshall, MBA; Ping Chee; John Craig; and Dick Polley

DLA Piper Best Service/Retail Idea: Snovision, UW and Seattle Central Community College
Automated camera systems for mountain resorts that allow their terrain park participants to capture, share and further enjoy their mountain experience at home through our online community. Rob Hammond, MBA; Jonas Harris, BA International Business; Josh Scotland, Undergrad Computer Science and Business; Scott Stucker, Associate of Applied Sciences in Graphic Design; Sterling Swigart, Undergrad Computer Science; Eli Rosenberg, MBA; and Robert Capogna

Sensors in Motion Best Sustainable Advantage Idea: WISErg, WSU
Will provide earth-friendly solutions to the growing problems of food waste disposal and energy consumption by offering a unique food-to-fuel solution to the nation's largest consumers, starting with Fortune 500 corporate campuses. Brandon Baker, Undergrad Business; Jaimee Jewell, Undergrad Business; Larry LeSueur; and Jose Lugo

Keeler Investments Best Clean-Tech Idea: EnVitrum, UW
Using the consumer glass waste stream to produce 100% recycled building materials and agricultural products. Serena Batten, TMMBA; Scott Coil, Eve MBA; Grant Marchelli, MS Mechanical Engineering; and Renuka Prabhakar, BS Mechanical Engineering

A special thanks to the sponsors of the 2010 Business Plan Competition!

And A Wonderful Time Was Had By All

Kudos to Sitecrafting for the first annual SHIFT awards.  Sitecrafting invented this recognition for South Sound businesses that demonstrate successful, creative approaches to utilizing or developing technology for the purposes of company sustainability.

If you wish to see the visual presentations for each winning company, go here.

Earlier blogs on the winners are available here.

My kudos also to the sponsors that stepped up for this celebratory event:  City of Tacoma, Optic Fusion, Business Examiner, Jonz Catering and AA Party Rentals.  All the ~100 attendees last night had a wonderful time!

SHIFT Awards Nominees Announced

The SHIFT Awards premiere Wednesday, March 10th, 2010, celebrating technology focused stories from innovators spanning the South Sound. Businesses from around the region will share their approach to technology application that opened up new possibilities for service and success.

This event springs from the refrain that was often heard at the South Sound Technology Conference about how we in the South Sound need to get together and create events around technology and collaboration. The reality is that there is a ton of great stuff going on in the South Sound relating to technology, and it's about time we look around and say, 'Hey this is a pretty great place to live, work, and innovate,' said SiteCrafting President, Brian Forth.

The 2010 nominees are:

Avue Technologies (Tacoma, WA)
BCRA (Tacoma, WA)
Department of Transportation (Olympia, WA)
Dillanos (Sumner, WA)
Hotel Murano (Tacoma, WA)
Intel (Dupont, WA)
Internet Identity (Tacoma, WA)
MorphoTrak (Tacoma, WA)
Seasonal View (Tacoma, WA)
Serra Media (Tacoma, WA)
Topia Technology (Tacoma, WA)

The SHIFT advisory board will select four companies to share their stories at the March 10th event.

Each honoree will prepare a brief presentation about their company and/or the technology related innovation to share with the audience. They will have 10 minutes and 10 slides to tell their story. Opportunities to share innovations prior to, during and after the awards will allow local innovators to start discussions to inspire each other to incorporate technology in new ways to propel business goals.

Held at the Theater on the Square in downtown Tacoma, the event will include a cocktail hour prior to the recognition ceremony and light appetizers and desserts following the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to congratulate honorees, share stories and network.

The SHIFT Awards are open to the public, although attendees must pre-register. Ticket prices are $30 per attendee.  For more information about the SHIFT Awards or to reserve your seat please visit here.

Sitecrafting Creates Award

Today SiteCrafting announced the creation of the SHIFT Awards, an event which will recognize and honor technology application and innovation in the South Sound.
The event will take place Wednesday, March 10th at Theater on the Square in Tacoma. A cocktail hour will precede the award ceremony, followed by light appetizers and desserts. The event will be open to the public, although attendees must pre-register.

Award winners may be nominated by the public and will be chosen by an advisory panel of South Sound professionals. Winners will create and share a brief presentation about their company and/or technology related innovation.

For event updates, please visit here. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

SiteCrafting is an award-winning website design and web application development company headquartered in Tacoma, WA since 1998. With offices in Tacoma and Spokane, WA, the company serves clients ranging from small non-profits to some of the largest, most recognizable brands.

Kudos for Tech-Based Economic Development

Washington Technology Center was named one of six recipients of The State Science and Technology Institute's 2009 Excellence in TBED awards for initiating successful programs to sustain the nation's position as a global leader for innovation and competitiveness.

WTC's Research and Technology Development (RTD) Program was honored as a best-practice model for demonstrating leadership and meaningful impact to state and regional economies.

The WTC has assisted state companies over 17 years. Impressively, the RTD Program's more than 330 funded projects have resulted in almost a half-billion dollars in follow-on support from private and federal sources.

WTC awards $1 million in applied research funding each year to teams comprised of companies and researchers in the state of Washington.

About SSTI: The State Science and Technology Institute is a national nonprofit organization that leads, supports and strengthens efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation.

About WTC: Washington Technology Center channels state, federal, and private resources to help companies develop and commercialize new products and technologies. For more information how Washington Technology Center can help research and development projects succeed, call 206-685-1920.

How Small Business Can Commercialize Technology

Washington Small Business Development Centers and Washington Technology Center present this seminar, based on Foresight Science & Technology's instruction to SBIR awardees of the agencies Foresight supports as an SBIR Commercialization Support Contractor.

Register online -- Space limited to 35 registrants.

Date/Time Wednesday
October 14, 2009
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location
WSU West
Pike Tower Building
520 Pike Street, Suite 1101Seattle, WA
Directions
Parking available: Pike Tower Bldg., Convention Center; Washington Athletic Club.
Registration
$20
Space limited to 35 registrants.
Deadline Oct. 9, 2009.


Speaker:
Phyl Speser, J.D., Ph.D., author of the best selling text book, "The Art & Science of Technology Transfer"

Technology Environmental Winner's Tool

Technology is the tool today's winner of the Chamber's Tahoma Business Environmental Award utilizes in its environmental stewardship.

Carlile Transportation System (Carlile), a full-service transportation company that provides service in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, makes company-wide updates to their fleet continually.

Their freight operations in Tacoma got an environmental performance boost with the purchase of a hybrid diesel-electric truck, the first of its kind to operate on the West Coast, in December 2008. Quieter than standard trucks, the medium-duty Kenworth T370 is expected to cut fuel consumption by up to 30 percent. Advanced controls monitor driving conditions and automatically select the ideal power mode, switching between electric only, combined diesel and electric and diesel only. 2008 also saw the addition of two new Beall aluminum ULSD Fuel Tankers to their fleet.

Carlile’s entire Washington State fleet includes engines newer than model year 2000, (most are 2007 or newer), making them certainly more fuel efficient in addition to burning cleaner than the 1994 average model year for truck engines in Washington State. These environmental initiatives have helped Carlile meet the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy’s 2010 standard for trucks ahead of schedule.

Carlile has and continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmental enterprises in myriad ways. Other Carlile environmental initiatives include:

• The installation of alternative power units (APUs) to power truck cab’s heating, air conditioning and other amenities without requiring the diesel engine to idle—lowering emissions and saving money by reducing parts wear and fuel consumption.


• Receiving SmartWay certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership program for demonstrating tangible results in reducing diesel and greenhouse gas emissions.

Since 2003, the Chamber has annually recognized entrepreneurial efforts that meet a high standard of excellence for environmental, preservation and protection accomplishments through its Tahoma Business Environmental Award.

Come join in the congratulations for Carlile Transportation Systems as the 7th recipient of the Tahoma Business Environmental Award.

Tuesday, April 28
7:30 a.m.
Landmark Conference Center
47 St. Helens Ave. Tacoma 98402
Price: $12 Ambassadors
$15 Chamber Members pre-paid by April 27
$22 Chamber Members at the door
$25 Non-members pre-paid
$30 Non-members/Walk-ins
Register: Janice Hutchins, 253.627.2175 or online here

This year, Carlile has deservedly been acknowledged with the Tahoma Business Environmental Award by having invested money and thought into ways that would improve the environmental performance of their overall operations and thus, impacting our community’s quality of life.

Congratulations to Carlile Transportation Systems, who joins an elite list of local businesses that have displayed exemplary environmental stewardship and are recognized for their notable efforts by the Chamber’s Tahoma Business Environmental Award. Past worthy recipients of the award:

• 2003 Kay Parks/Dan Meyer Auto Rebuild


• 2004 Simpson


• 2005 McFarland Cascade


• 2006 Port of Tacoma


• 2007 Totem Ocean Trailer Express


• 2008 PLU


• 2009 Carlile Transportation Systems

Best for Crafting Sites

Today, The News Tribune announced the recipients for the University of Washington Tacoma Milgard School of Business Business Leadership Awards.

The first feature story was for the website development company, Sitecrafting , Inc. well known in the tech scene for its professional commercial and community websites. Listed among those commercial endeavors are websites for MultiCare Health Systems, AirStream, and Tacoma Public Utilities. And Sitecrafting's community websites include TacomaAngel Network (TAN), whose leadership continuously hear envious accolades from other angel groups.

Larry Kopp, TAN Co-Chair has said: "That SiteCrafting is a quality company is testified to by our outstanding TAN website, which is probably the most advanced Angel and/or VC site in the US in terms of its look and even more importantly its functionality. And, almost all the work-sessions laying out and reviewing the actual work was done by word of mouth over the phone without even a piece of paper—what a refreshing way to operate with a website firm."

Our kudos to Brian Forth and all the great group at Sitecrafting. And our thanks, for being an integral part of the tech community in Tacoma metro.

Tacoma: Best Performer in WA

Tacoma has received an exceptional ranking, along with similar high scores by Olympia and Seattle, in the recent Best-Performing Cities 2008.

Conducted by the Milken Institute and Greenstreet Real Estate Partners, Tacoma ranked 8th nationally (Olympia 9th, Seattle 17th). So why?

The Puget Sound Business Journal cited Tacoma's highest score in the category of growth in its high-tech sector. The report specifically states:

Data processing, hosting, and related services enjoyed average annual job growth of 17.2 percent over the past five years.

Olympia's growth has placed it up into the larger metros whereas in previous years it had been a stellar performer among smaller cities. The report cites Olympia for its Information Services as the fastest growing job sector, at 38% over five years (probably related to growth in state government) and Seattle was noted for adding 6,200 jobs in R&D services. For those who want to know, Spokane came in at a most respectable 35.

The study brags that its rankings are based on outcomes (i.e., jobs) rather than cost-based criteria (i.e., cost-of-living).

TAN News

TacomaAngel Network Celebrates 2nd Anniversary. Expands Regional Investing. Honors John Hughes, Former Screening Committee Head.


Photograph by Emily Noel

At the TacomaAngel Network (TAN) Members 2nd Anniversary Meeting last week, John Hughes, President of Tolt Group, and advisor to TAN, was presented an award of merit for his service as retiring Chair of the Company Screening Committee, by TAN Co- Chairs, Larry Kopp and John B. Dimmer. Hughes, who will stay on the committee, has been replaced as chair by Bjorne Hansen of Browns Point who is also a Director of TAN. Hughes has been with TAN since its inception.

The Screening Committee vets all companies to come before the membership. Under Hughes’ chairmanship, the committee’s efforts brought to the members over 50 companies during the past 18 months, which required the screening of over 200 firms. To better support this effort, over the past 90 days, TAN has also expanded its formal and informal relationships with other angel groups in the region for deal sourcing and joint investing, including the Alliance of Angels in Seattle, the Puget Sound Venture Club, Bellingham Angels, and the Vancouver Angel Forum of BC.

At the same meeting Kopp announced membership solidly passing a landmark 40 members, up 1/3rd from the first anniversary. All members must be accredited investors under Securities and Exchange Commission definitions.

Individual members were commended for introducing over 35 new members, as was C.R. Roberts of the Tacoma News Tribune, for his series of articles on TAN.

Additionally, the membership saw timed presentations from four Pacific NorthWest companies—two medical systems companies, each operating under medical IP (intellectual property) licensed from the University of Washington respectively for drug delivery and nanotechnology for use with implantable devices. Other companies included a laser guided clean room for bottling pharmaceutical products from British Columbia, and another wireless company from Seattle with a “text-a-day” cell phone subscription product for “word of the day” and recurrent donation programs.

Excellence in Tech Economic Development

The SSTi is encouraging applications for its annual Excellence in TBED (Technology-Based Economic Development) for 2008.

The Award Selection Criteria:

• Have specific and measurable outcomes;
• Serve as a model that can be replicated;
• Demonstrate effective partnerships and leadership; and
• Illustrate innovative and effective approaches and stand out among others in the field.

Winners will be recognized at the SSTi's 12th annual conference, showcased in the SSTI Weekly Digest and in a press release issued by SSTi.

Award Categories:

• Expanding the Research Infrastructure
• Commercializing Research
• Building Entrepreneurial Capacity
• Increasing Access to Capital
• Enhancing the Science & Technology Workforce
• Improving Competitiveness of Existing Industries

Applications are due by May 16, 2008. The award application and additional information is available online.

Recognize Initiatives for Growing of Tech Companies

SSTI, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging economic growth through the application of science and technology, will present awards within six categories that employ approaches to help foster an innovative climate for growing science and technology-based companies and jobs. Do not miss this unique opportunity for international recognition and to showcase the excellence of your favorite organization's initiative. Deadline for applications is July 20, 2007.

Spotlight on Business

Mashel Telecom /Rainier Connect recently was awarded a prestigious Spotlight! On Business Award by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.

Through five generations Rainier Connect has evolved from a fledgling telephone company with a wooden switchboard to a thriving operation that offers local phone, long distance, cable television and high-speed internet to over 9,000 residential and commercial customers across Pierce and Lewis Counties.

One of the premier cable, Internet and phone providers in our region, Rainier Connect President Brian Haynes said a good portion of the company's success is thanks to the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. "It's the people that make the Chamber," Haynes said. "It's great to have that fellowship." Haynes announced that in celebration of the award, any Rainier Connect subscriber who is also a Chamber member would receive half-off one monthly bill.