August 2005
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.
In addition to welcoming Clifford Mass as our opening presenter on the topic of Pacific Northwest weather forecasting technologies, STRT will feature the following speakers in 2005-06:
- Tad McGeer, Founder, Chairman and CTO of The Insitu Group, on miniature robotic aircraft;
- Ann Steinemann, Director of the Center for Water and Watershed Studies and Professor of Water Resource Engineering and Hydrology at University of Washington, on health hazards of everyday exposure to environmental pollutants;
- Bob Moore, Senior Researcher at Microsoft, on natural language processing and artificial intelligence;
- John Bransford, the James W. Mifflin University Professor of Education at University of Washington, on how people learn;
- Patrick Duffy, Director of the Malaria Antigen Discovery Program at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, on malaria vaccine development; and,
- Andrew Meltzoff, Co-Director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Job and Gertrud Tamaki Encowed Chair and Professor of Psychology at University of Washington, on infant brain development.
Breakfasts are held monthly from September to June at the Rainier Club in downtown Seattle. Individual membership in STRT for the 2005-06 season is $300 for the 10-breakfast series. We also are offering a new corporate membership for $1,500 that provides flexibility in the form of five revolving memberships, allowing up to five individuals from the company to attend each breakfast.
The 2005-06 season of STRT is made possible by the generous support of sponsors Armfield, Harrison & Thomas, Inc.; KPMG; Perkins Coie; and, Swedish Medical Center.
For more information, click here, or
Click here to register online now.
Thank You to Our 2004-05 Sponsors for Another Successful Season!
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.
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.
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