November 15, 2010
Two days…two great events!
Don’t miss the Eleventh Annual Conference on High Technology featuring the Cellular South and Mississippi Technology Alliance Third Annual Innovators Hall of Fame Awards Gala December 7 and 8 at the Jackson Convention Complex.
The Third Annual Innovators Hall of Fame Awards Gala will honor and celebrate individuals and companies who represent excellence in innovation and technology in Mississippi. The black-tie optional Hall of Fame Awards Gala will be held December 7 with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner program at 7 p.m.
Join us as we honor Dr. Robert C. Khayat, Chancellor Emeritus of The University of Mississippi, with the 2010 Legends Award. Other Hall of Fame inductees include: Dr. John D. Bower, of The University of Mississippi Medical Center; Will Primos, of Primos Hunting Calls; and Dr. Bill Rayburn, of FNC, Inc. We will also recognize Hybrid Plastics, Mad Genius and SkyHawke Technologies as emerging, high-growth ventures to watch.
The Eleventh Annual Conference on High Technology will open on Tuesday, December 7 with rapid-fire presentations from Mississippi entrepreneurs punctuated with investors discussing what they want to see in a pitch for funding.You don’t want to miss the kick-off breakfast on day two of the conference, Wednesday, December 8, when noted Mississippi entrepreneur Jim Barksdale discusses his entry into the Wall Street speed war with a new Ridgeland-based venture to enable lightning-fast trades between Chicago and New York.
The conference luncheon will feature a keynote address from Bill Rancic, noted entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author and winner of the first season of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” on how to think like an entrepreneur in corporate America.
Informative breakout sessions will offer something for everyone. Sharpen your branding and marketing skills; learn about developing and evaluating investor-Ready Deals; discover wireless applications that drive productivity and allow you to work smarter, better and faster anywhere in the world; see how renewable energy could be driving Mississippi’s future; and find out where broadband initiatives and funding are making a difference in Mississippi. The conference will also include the launch of MTA’s Renewable Energy Venture Development Academy. See below for more information about this new program.
Click here for more information and to reserve your tickets.
Renewable Energy Venture Development Academy to be held December 8 in Jackson
The Strategic Biomass Solutions program at the Mississippi Technology Alliance will formally launch the Renewable Energy Venture Development Academy (REVDA) at the Eleventh Annual Conference on High Technology in Jackson on December 8. This two-part course (morning and afternoon sessions) is targeted towards: 1) entrepreneurs who are developing new renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies or projects and 2) economic developers who wish to understand and screen such projects for their viability and potential impact on their communities. Investors will also find these tools useful in screening deals. The afternoon session will build on the morning session, Venture Development Academy - Investor Ready Deals, and discusses renewable energy ventures in greater detail. While the energy sector represents tremendous opportunities, renewable energy projects and ventures face a unique set of challenges in coming out of the proverbial "valley of death."
The afternoon session will look at the drivers for energy markets and provide tools for validating deals from project site selection standpoint and policy issues. The course allows entrepreneurs, economic developers and investors to assess venture risk in five key areas: technology, market, management, finance and execution. Attendees will be exposed to the Butterfly Model of inter-organizational collaboration which provides a multi-stakeholder framework to deploy successful renewable energy and emerging technology projects. Presenters for the course are: Tony Jeff, president and CEO of the Mississippi Technology Alliance; Dr. Sumesh Arora, Director of Strategic Biomass Solutions; Brent Bailey, 25x25 Southeast Regional Coordinator; and Ed Bee and Charlotte Batson, Taimerica Management Company.
Registration for the full conference is only $65 and includes all conference sessions and luncheon with keynote speaker Bill Rancic and a special breakfast presentation by Jim Barksdale.
To register, please click here. For more information, contact Joseph Linton at 601-960-3623 or jlinton@mta.ms.
ESP Spotlight
Looking for a service provider for your small business? Be sure to check out the free ESP (Entrepreneurial Service Providers) database at http://www.technologyalliance.ms/esp/about.php.
Our newest ESP member is B2B CFO, the nation’s largest CFO firm providing services to owners of emerging and mid-market companies with sales up to $75 million in revenue. With 175 partners in 39 states, B2B CFO Partners have over 5,000 years of collective CFO experience. They can help companies increase cash flow and profitability and develop successful exit strategies.
MDA to host Renewable Energy Workshop
The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) will follow-up last year’s Utilizing Renewable Energy in Mississippi workshop with its second annual renewable energy workshop to be held on Thursday, November 18 at the River Room Conference Center in Flowood. Come join us to learn valuable information about how your building or facility can save energy and money. Joseph Linton, business analyst for Strategic Biomass Solutions at the Mississippi Technology Alliance, will provide an overview of the renewable energy activity in Mississippi and will unveil the updated interactive map of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects around the state.
In this workshop, discover ways that geothermal, biomass, landfill methane gas and solar energy can benefit your organization and help reduce your facility maintenance costs. Receive updates on renewable energy projects underway in Mississippi, as well as the latest information on the “Regional Strategy for Biobased Products in the Delta.” School plant managers, institutions of higher learning, energy and facility managers, fleet managers, state agencies, commercial and industrial business owners and local citizens interested in renewable energy are encouraged to participate in this event.
MDA’s Energy Division works to educate the public on project opportunities, financing options and economics related to the world of energy.
Click here to register. For more information contact Terrence Spears at tspears@mississippi.org or 601-359-6600.
Innovation Center to host Small Business Resource Conference
The Innovation Center will host the 3rd Annual Small Business Resource Conference on Friday, November 19 in Biloxi.
This free program will include seminars on franchising opportunities, customer service, SBA loans, small business taxes, merchant services, QuickBooks & POS, ingredients of an Investor-Ready Deal and increasing your profits and cash flow. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at The Innovation Center, 1636 Popps Ferry Road in Biloxi. Lunch will be provided.
To register, contact Patty at 228-392-9741 or patty@innovatems.com.