Inside Seven Days

Vermonters will learn about drone swarms, corporate data breaches and new innovation spaces at Seven Days’ Vermont Tech Jam, a free event on Friday, October 19, at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction. The state’s top tech firms will be there, too: Dozens of Vermont’s fastest-growing companies are expected on the Expo floor, along with local colleges and training programs. Most exhibitors are hiring.

The schedule includes nine presentations organized along two tracks: one for entrepreneurs and business owners; a second for professionals who want to take their careers to the next level. Several researchers, artists and makers will also set up demos and displays in an Emerging Tech Showcase.

The 2018 Tech Jam is presented by Vermont Works. "A fundamental pillar of Vermont Works is job creation and talent retention,” said Robert Zulkoski, chairman and managing partner of Vermont Works Management Co., “so supporting Tech Jam was an easy decision for us. We're looking forward to working with the Seven Days team to continue to develop this flagship event over the next few years, bringing in influential keynote speakers and highlighting the breadth of innovation happening throughout the state.”

“And,” Zulkoski added, “in just a couple of years, we hope to host events like this in the Vermont Innovation Commons at Cambrian Rise, a hub for the state's entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

The 12th Vermont Tech Jam is also sponsored by an array of Vermont companies and organizations: Logic Supply, VIP, the University of Vermont Medical Center, SunCommon, Data Innovations, Dealer.com, GW Plastics, Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development, Department of Labor, Vermont Tech Council, Norwich University and Green Mountain Power, with additional support from RESOLUTE Partners, Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Technology Alliance.

The 12th Vermont Tech Jam offers:

• Dozens of exhibitors, including all of the sponsors, plus companies such as Beta Technologies, Vermont Systems, Revision, NRG Systems and Vermont Mechanical.
  
• Emerging Tech Showcase: Discover exciting local projects under development, see dramatic data visualizations, and experience an immersive 3D soundscape.
  
• Keynote Address: Choreographer, entrepreneur and Brown University professor Sydney Skybetter will describe his peculiar professional trajectory from ballet dancer to technology expert. He’ll explore a gamut of emerging phenomena — including drone swarms, artificial intelligence and self-driving cars. Using choreography as a frame, Skybetter will discuss some of the risks and economic opportunities of our unfolding technologic era.
  
• Anatomy of a Data Breach: Your company has been hacked. How do you respond? Experts in law enforcement, cybersecurity, legal affairs, cyber insurance and public relations go step-by-step through a data breach scenario at a mid-size Vermont company in this workshop, organized by Vermont’s Office of the Attorney General.
  
• Reinvent Yourself: Attention, experienced workers re-entering the workforce or seeking a new field! In this hands-on workshop, career marketing specialists Lindsey Lathrop-Ryan and Jane Taylor of FromWithin Coaching explore ways to rebuild your résumé — and your confidence.
  
• If You Build It: Representatives from two new developments on opposite sides of the state — Vermont Innovation Commons in Burlington and the Black River Innovation Campus in Springfield — explain how they intend to boost economic activity and investment in Vermont.
  
• Power Up: Women in Tech Roundtables: In this small group breakout session, facilitated by Vermont Works for Women, experienced women in tech fields discuss how to get started and how to get ahead in male-dominated STEM fields. Discussion leaders include Janette Bombardier, chief technical officer of Chroma Technology Corp.; Meghan Purvis, scrum master at Dealer.com; and Tasha Dickinson, product manager at Logic Supply.
  
• Artificial Intelligence Gathering: Advances in AI will create new opportunities for Vermont researchers and entrepreneurs and new challenges for workers and regulators. Hear from experts about what’s at stake for Vermont.
  
• Tech Jobs in Journalism: Vermont’s media outlets still need reporters and editors, but they also employ data crunchers, online community managers and web video producers. In this panel discussion, tech-savvy staffers from Seven Days, Vermont Public Radio, VTDigger and the Valley News explain what they do, where they learned to do it and how they keep up with whatever’s next.
  
• The Tech Jam Awards: On Friday afternoon, BTV Ignite, the Vermont Technology Alliance and Seven Days present the three Tech Jam Awards, for the leading local innovator, tech ambassador and startup.
  

The Vermont Tech Jam was conceived in 2008 by Seven Days, the Vermont Technology Alliance and a coalition of public and private sector partners who sought to increase the visibility of the state’s vibrant, and growing, technology sector. The event is produced by Seven Days, with organizational support from the Vermont Technology Alliance.

For more information, a complete schedule and a list of exhibitors, visit techjamvt.com.