August 2005
Technology Alliance Thanks Supporters and Speakers for a Successful 9th Annual State of Technology Luncheon
Approximately 1,100 people gathered at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle on May 26th to celebrate Washington's progress in building a vibrant technology-based economy. The luncheon program featured a keynote presentation in which Ed Lazowska, TA board member and Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science at the University of Washington, conducted a fascinating interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt. If you missed it, you may view a tape of the show online courtesy of the Seattle Channel at www.seattlechannel.org.
The program also featured the announcement of the 2nd annual Alliance of Angels Startup of the Year Award winner, The Insitu Group, by Alliance of Angels chair and Frazier Technology Ventures general partner Dan Rosen. Technology Alliance chair and Madrona Venture Group managing director Tom Alberg celebrated the TA's major accomplishments over the past year, and Steve Davis, TA chair emeritus and President & CEO of Corbis, provided an update on Washington's performance in education, research and entrepreneurship.
The Technology Alliance would like to thank all of those involved for helping make the program a great success. In addition to the speakers, the TA would like to acknowledge our sponsors, the companies and organizations that make this event and our work throughout the year possible through their generous support.
Get Your Monthly Helping of Science & Technology for Breakfast - Register Now for the 2005-06 Season of Our Popular STRT Program!
An exciting new season of the Science & Technology Roundtable (STRT) will commence on Friday, September 9th with a presentation by Clifford Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington and weather forecasting regular on KUOW 94.9 in Seattle.
The STRT program brings the best and brightest from our research institutions and innovative companies to our members. Since 1997, leaders from business, education and research institutions, and government have convened at STRT to hear presentations on cutting-edge topics in science and technology in an intimate setting.
Read more and register online!
How Well Is Washington Competing in the Technology-Based Economy? The Technology Alliance Revisits Our State's Competitive Scorecard in Education, Research and Entrepreneurship
In 2003, the Technology Alliance released its first study benchmarking Washington's performance in the three recognized drivers of successful technology-based economies: excellent education systems, strong research capacity and a robust entrepreneurial climate. We measured Washington against eight peer states with technology-intensive economies - California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas and Virginia - and found Washington strong in some areas but lacking in a number of key indicators. This year, the TA reexamined selected metrics and shared the new data at our State of Technology Luncheon. The TA will release its second comprehensive benchmarking report in spring 2006.
Flying High: Miniature Aircraft Developer The Insitu Group Named 2005 Alliance of Angels Startup of the Year
Last year, the Alliance of Angels initiated its annual Startup of the Year Award recognizing an early stage technology company that exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Pacific Northwest. At this year's State of Technology Luncheon, The Insitu Group soared above two other finalists to take home the 2005 honors.
The Insitu Group pioneered the development of long-range, unmanned, miniature aircraft used for reconnaissance, meteorology, and other applications. Its Seascan aircraft is designed for aerial reconnaissance at sea - for example, in coastal patrol or search and rescue - at a fraction of the cost and risk to human crew associated with manned helicopter reconnaissance.
Pitch-er Perfect: The Alliance of Angels Holds Its First-Ever 10 Minute Pitch Clinic for Entrepreneurs
Since 1999, the Alliance of Angels program managers have helped entrepreneurs seeking angel funding to navigate the AoA process and assisted those companies selected during the screening process to prepare for their presentations to the full AoA membership. Along the way, they have amassed considerable knowledge of what resonates with angel investors and pitfalls to avoid when pitching a business plan to AoA members. Now, the program managers are sharing that knowledge with entrepreneurs in an interactive workshop, the AoA 10 Minute Pitch Clinic. Tickets for the first such clinic, which was held on Tuesday, August 2nd in Seattle, sold out.
Welcome new TA board members!
We were very pleased to welcome two new members, Marc Baldwin and Jack Faris, to the Technology Alliance board at the May 5th meeting.
Marc Baldwin, who serves as Executive Policy Advisor to Governor Christine Gregoire, joins the board in an ex officio capacity. Jack Faris is the President of the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA).
We are happy to be working with these two outstanding individuals and thank them for their commitment to the Technology Alliance!
- Spring 2005
- Winter 2004
- The following archived newsletters will be available soon:
- Summer 2004
- Spring 2004
- Winter 2003
- Summer 2003 (Benchmarking issue)
- Spring 2003
- Fall/Winter 2002
- Spring/Summer 2002
- Fall/Winter 2001 (from print edition)
- Winter/Spring 2001 (from print edition)
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