The post Partner with the Verge Alliance in 2024! appeared first on Verge.

Experience the BIT One! 

Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (EDT)

Charter Hall at the City Market Building | 32 Market Square Southeast Roanoke, VA 24011-1418

The post Register Now: BIT ONE Anniversary Day Party appeared first on Verge.

Join us at MEET THE COHORT

Thursday, April 11, 2024

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM (EDT)

REGISTER HERE!

LOCATION: Shenandoah Club: 24 Franklin Road Southeast Roanoke, VA 24011 United States

SPONSORED BY:  Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) and National Bank of Blacksburg

The post Register and Save the Date for these RAMP Events! appeared first on Verge.

The post RAMP Welcomes Four Teams For Spring 2024 Cohort appeared first on Verge.

Are you a young professional in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) looking to kickstart your career? Are you an employer seeking to nurture and empower your young STEM professionals?

Look no further! ChangeMakerZ: Professional Development for Early-Career Biotechnology and Technology Professionals is your golden ticket to a 12-month, cohort-based, incentivized professional development experience that will help you soar to new heights. ChangeMakerZ will run from June 2024 to May 2025. But don’t wait too long to apply – the program is limited to just 20 participants in the cohort, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until April 15, 2024.

• Special offer for RBTC members in the inaugural cohort: Buy one $1,250 spot in the 2024 cohort and receive a spot in the 2025 for FREE! Non-member pricing also available.
• How to Apply: The recent graduate and employer submit the online application and candidate’s resume on RBTC’s site here by April 15, 2024.

About: A new RBTC program designed to incentivize STEM talent to choose to stay, work and play in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. Learn more at https://www.rbtc.tech/talent-jobs/changemakerz. Our program is designed to empower STEM professionals like you to discover your passion, connect with industry leaders and peers, and gain cutting-edge skills that will propel your career forward. But it’s not just about career advancement; it’s about finding your people, your place, and living your purpose in the beautiful and thriving Roanoke-Blacksburg region.

The cohort program, June 2024-May 2025, is limited to 20 participants and includes personal and professional incentives like:

• $5,000 for completing the cohort-based program
• professional development in AI and technology topics relevant to their unique work
• registration for a national tech conference and a young professional conference to further connect, grow and develop professional skills and knowledge
• collaborative workspace for those working remotely and more.

Learn more here. 

The post Apply to ChangeMakerZ appeared first on Verge.

Get ready for RBTC’s Annual Celebration of Regional Innovators! Join us on Wednesday, May 8 from 5:30-10 pm at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center for an unforgettable evening. TechNite is THE event of the year for the tech community, where innovators unite to celebrate successes and honor industry game-changers. Enjoy a night of networking, dinner, and an exciting awards ceremony featuring a Hall of Fame induction.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by the esteemed VT professor, Rishi Jaitly, offering insights from his rich entrepreneurial background and executive experience at Google and Twitter.  Keep the excitement going at the TechNite After Party as we toast to this year’s winners and continue the celebration late into the night! Registration is now open – secure your spot today and be part of this extraordinary event!

JOIN US FOR TECHNITE BY REGISTERING!

LEARN MORE ABOUT TECHNITE.

The post TechNite 2024 Registration Open appeared first on Verge.

 

Pitch & Polish clinics provide a valuable opportunity for entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a team of regional mentors who want to help them polish their presentation, provide feedback on their business model, and connect them with the resources they need to grow.

These are private events with one company at a time pitching their business idea to a regional group of mentors with expertise ranging anywhere from banking, legal services, entrepreneurship, and more. Each participant receives a 25 minute time slot – the first 10-15 minutes to pitch and the remaining time for questions and feedback.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• Have a private pitch session with regional, industry-expert mentors
• Receive feedback on business idea
• Polish presentation
• Connect to resources in the region

REGISTER NOW

The post February 2024: RAMP Pitch & Polish appeared first on Verge.

Born out of a need to translate Virginia Tech research into commercial potential, the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (VTCRC) was established in Blacksburg in 1985 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Virginia Tech Foundation. Since then, it has been home to over 750 premier organizations with a common goal to disrupt industries. Today, with operations across Virginia, the VTCRC supports various regional technology clusters and continues to be a destination for growth and a space with purpose.

VTCRC is spearheading a collaborative project to provide shared laboratories and coworking space in Roanoke, Virginia. Partners include Carilion Clinic, the City of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College, and The Verge Alliance, which includes the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council and RAMP, a regional tech business accelerator.

Positioned on the Roanoke Innovation Corridor, the approximately 42,000 sf building is intended to create an opportunity for inclusive economic growth through the development of an integrated biotech ecosystem centered at the facility. This building is nearby Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and Carilion Roanoke Memorial hospital. The goal of the labs is to leverage existing infrastructure, programming, and diverse talent to create a self-sustaining integrated set of regional capabilities that will foster growth of existing biotech companies as well as enrich the pipeline of new startups. In addition, this project will create opportunities for high quality jobs through a rich talent development program with regional universities and community colleges.

Virginia is home to a growing community of over 300 life science companies, nurtured by resources from the state and expertise from its many universities and research institutions. This year, Governor Glenn Younkin announced more than $66 million in state grants for innovative projects within the Biotechnology, Life Science, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Cluster, which includes the share lab facility in Roanoke.

Roanoke’s Innovation Corridor has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. Today, Roanoke has attracted thousands of the top researchers, physicians, faculty, students, and medical professionals who are each motivated by the opportunity to make meaningful discoveries that broaden our knowledge of clinical care and biomedical science.

Project Overview

The VTCRC desires to establish a name and logo to be utilized in marketing and building a strong brand identity and awareness of the lab. The VTCRC is seeking a creative, qualified graphic designer, design firm, or agency to help create a name, graphic logo, and possibly additional services relating to the new building. Proposed taglines could be suggested as part of the name and logo design but is not a requirement of this RFP.

Target Customers

• Researchers needing private commercial lab space away from their state-funded academic labs
• Regional entrepreneurs wanting to work at a biotech hub with like-minded people
• Regional stakeholders needing a facility to forward regional life science industry initiatives
• Companies wishing to move or have a footprint in Roanoke with access to Carilion Clinic, FBRI, and/or Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus

Request for Quote

• The budget for this contract is $20,000 for labor of services from the winning entry.

Scope of Work

• Work with project collaborators to generate a name for the building
• Develop a logo
• Develop a unified brand / style guide

Submission Guidelines

• Demonstration of Life Science Industry knowledge
• Demonstration of Roanoke Economic Development Knowledge
• Understanding of the building intention and scope of work
• Cost
• Digital copies to info@rbtc.tech or mailed to 709 S. Jefferson Street Suite 3 Roanoke, VA 24016 (delivered by February 23, 2024).

The post RFP: NAME AND BRAND FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY PROJECT appeared first on Verge.

RAMP Hires New Director

John Hagy, managing director of the Carolina Angel Network, the University of North Carolina’s early-stage investing organization, came on as RAMP’s new director on Jan. 8.

Hagy brings a unique mix of experience to RAMP. Before becoming involved with investment, he was a business development director at a geospatial intelligence startup, a strategy consultant at Deloitte, and an intelligence officer with the CIA.

“RAMP has built an unmatched reputation as a champion for entrepreneurs and companies in Virginia’s growing technology and health and life sciences sectors and ultimately for the ideas and innovation so critical to the region’s economy and job base,” he said. “I am excited to join the team and helping to continue this forward momentum.”

“Our region is lucky to have someone with John’s experience to help accelerate tech startups,” said Erin Burcham, President of Verge. “Not only does he understand the needs of young companies, he’s got insight into how to help them generate funding and build foundations for prolonged success.”

Read the full Cardinal News article here.

New Brand And Website

RAMP just launched a refreshed brand identity, including an updated logo and website that captures the motion of activity that happens within RAMP’s mentoring and training and showcases the people and accomplishment of its programs. The refreshed look and feel, made possible through the generous support of Buzz4Good and LeadPoint Digital, also will align RAMP with the branding of Verge and the RBTC.

The effort will include a new tool kit for alumni of RAMP’s mentoring programs that includes a badge alumni can add to their websites and other resources to help them to share their RAMP experiences with their communities.

More Staffing News

Jessica Dunn was recently promoted to RAMP’s Program Coordinator. She’ll be working with entrepreneurs on programming and working with in-residence cohorts.

Sarah Spotswood is moving into an Alumni Relations role, where she will work with companies who have completed the RAMP program.

Spring 2024 Cohort

Applications are open through Feb. 11 for RAMP’s in-residence cohort for spring 2024. Open to entrepreneurs in the technology and health and life sciences sector, the 12-week program provides access to expert mentoring that covers the world of business knowledge, $20,000 in equity-free funding, office space in downtown Roanoke plus membership to the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, GAN, Virginia BIO and the Shenandoah Club. After completing the in-residence program, entrepreneurs receive an additional three years of ongoing support through Exit RAMP.

RAMP offers the in-residence program twice a year with an average of five technology and biotechnology-focused Virginia companies accepted for each cohort. Since 2017, RAMP has accelerated 48 companies that have gone on to raise more than $28 million dollars in working capital while supporting jobs in the region.

Learn more about the RAMP in-residence program and apply here.

The post New Year, New Happenings At RAMP appeared first on Verge.

Tech founder Elliot McAllister is a Hokie from the Materials Science Department (’13) and a serial entrepreneur. His latest venture, Skyphos Technologies, is a micro-3D printing platform that solves a decades-long manufacturing gap for next-generation medical diagnostics and lab-on-a-chip components, getting cures off the lab bench to the patient bedside. His additive manufacturing platform placed Top 5 in a worldwide Lab-on-a-Chip in Engineering in 2018, and unlike most 3D printers it combines speed with truly awesome resolutions. This is a great webinar with a world-class panel of experts in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and microfluidics. Skyphos Technologies is a former RAMP alumni.

Watch the video webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K8lZ3xrKZ8

“The latest advantages of utilizing 3D printing for the fabrication of microfluidic devices and organ-on-a-chip systems have opened up new horizons in biomedical research and personalized medicine. 3D printing offers precision and flexibility that traditional methods often cannot achieve, enabling the rapid and cost-effective production of intricate microscale structures that mimic the complexity of human organs and tissue environments. Researchers can now customize microfluidic devices to emulate specific physiological conditions, allowing for more accurate drug testing and disease modeling. Moreover, the ability to integrate multiple materials in a single print enables the recreation of tissue interfaces and vascular networks, fostering the development of more lifelike organ-on-a-chip platforms. This innovative approach promises to revolutionize drug development, toxicology testing, and disease understanding, offering a glimpse into a future where personalized medicine is driven by these advanced, 3D-printed microsystems. In this upcoming virtual event, 3DHEALS invites you to join world-class panelists and entrepreneurs to explore the future of this promising application together.” Watch the video webinar to learn more!

The post Watch 3D Heals Innovation Webinar, Featuring Skyphos appeared first on Verge.