Montpelier, VT – Governor Phil Scott today announced the second annual Innovation Spaces Conference, focused on creating a community among founders, users and supporters of innovation spaces in Vermont.
The free conference, which will be held on Thursday, October 25 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Vermont, is designed to support the success of innovation spaces – the collective term for a communal and efficient shared workplace that includes coworking and maker spaces, incubators and accelerators, a new kind of business model that is spreading throughout the country and has a growing presence in Vermont.
The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is hosting the conference for the second time. Last year’s inaugural conference at Castleton University drew a crowd of more than 100 and was well received by coworking space advocates, those hoping to open spaces and organizations and businesses that support entrepreneurs and innovation.
This year, in addition to offering a session on how to open a coworking space, attendees will hear a presentation about innovation seed funding opportunities. The presentation, America’s Largest Seed Fund, the Federal SBIR/STTR Program: What Small Business Owners Need to Know, will be presented by Jeralyn Haraldsen, PhD of the University of Vermont and a panel of entrepreneurs who used Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) funding.
In another interactive session, ACCD will host a discussion as part of its work for a report to the Legislature, which will incorporate ideas for the future of innovation, maker and coworking spaces in Vermont. Interested individuals, organizations and communities are invited to participate in this discussion.
“Innovation spaces are an important way for Vermont to encourage business growth from within, as we work to grow our economy and create more opportunities for Vermonters,” said Scott. “This is an economic development tool my Administration is committed to leveraging, and I’m looking forward to seeing what ideas come out of this conference.”
The conference is the only of its kind in Vermont, and will appeal to owners, users, and supporters of innovation spaces, as well as community members considering opening a space in their town.
WHAT: Second Annual Innovation Spaces Conference
WHEN: Thursday, October 25, 2018,
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Vermont Technical College
Judd Hall, Randolph, VT (directions)
Program schedule:
9 – 10 a.m.
America’s Largest Seed Fund, the Federal SBIR/STTR Program: What Small Business Owners Need to Know
Facilitator: Jeralyn Haraldsen, PhD, Grant Proposal Manager, University of Vermont
10 – 11 a.m.
Starting a Coworking Space in Your Business or Your Community
11 – 11:30 a.m.
Building Capacity in Vermont for Innovation Spaces—How the State Can Help
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Interactive Discussions on State Support of Innovation Spaces
12:30 p.m.
Lunch to go
The Innovation Spaces Conference is a ThinkVermont event, sponsored by ACCD, Vermont Technical College, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies and Paul Frank & Collins.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/274420363192666/.
To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/second-annual-innovation-spaces-conference-tickets-51079658634.
About ACCD
The mission of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD is comprised of four departments: The Department of Economic Development (DED); the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD); the Department of Administration which includes the Office of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO); and the Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM). The Agency reports annually to the Legislature on activities and outcomes.
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