UVM brought a TEDx conference (Independently Organized Technology Entertainment & Design Event) to the Davis Auditorium on 10/28/11, focused on complex systems and entitled “Big Data, Big Stories”. 

Deborah Schwarz, CEO of eCorp English will be a guest speaker at the upcoming Vermont Venture Network (VVN) meeting to be held on September 22, 2011.  The event, which starts at 8:00 a.m., will be held at the Burlington Hilton Hotel.  VVN is an organization that meets monthly featuring speakers from Vermont’s business community or financing sources.

As a Vermont based VC, heading into the city for a conference usually means a trip south to Boston or NYC, but last week Montreal held its (First Annual?) International Startup Festival at the Alexandra Pier in the Old Port.  The agenda of speakers lined up fast and furiously, with rapid fire 10 – 30 minute slots and 2 stages going at most times.  There was a distinct focus on software & internet lean startups, but the conference also included some compelling VCs and VC-backed companies. There were a number of great speakers in attendance, and this post will highlight just a few. 

Join FreshTracks Capital, North Country Angels, VCET, the Vermont Technology Council, entrepreneurs, inventors, investors, and others for Tech @ Newport on July 28 at the East Side Restaurant in Newport, Vermont from 5 - 7 p.m.

This year at the Vermont Business Expo, http://www.vtexpo.com/ there were two events that were especially compelling this year, and directly relevant to the Vermont entrepreneurial economy: Senator Leahy's business breakfast at the VT Expo featured Don Graves, U.S. Department of Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary, and Power Pitches: Business Plans meet the Experts

On June 3rd, InventVermont hosted a panel on Intellectual Property that featured Senator Patrick Leahy and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, David Kappos.  The event was held at the Main St. Landing Building in downtown Burlington, VT and was sponsored by local law firm Merritt, Merritt & Moulton.  Sen. Leahy is currently the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and earlier this year announced that he is working on a bill to address patent reform for the first time since 1952.

Quirky's recently designed product, the Cloak, is estimated to launch in mid-July.  Cloak is a sleek, sturdy case for the Apple iPad with a modern design resembling that of an office folder, providing protection and versatility for viewing the iPad screen.

FreshTracks held its 5th annual Peak Pitch event at Bolton Valley on March 3^rd.  The event was our best attended yet, with over 80 skiers out on the slopes. 

Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking has been released! The cooking guide is the result of a contest held by BrighterPlanet during the fall of 2009.

Watch this upbeat, informative EatingWell video on Seven Days "Stuck in Vermont" program. Nicci Micco and Jessie Price of EatingWell Media Group discuss the benefits of eating well and EatingWell's newest cookbook "500 Calorie Dinners".

Draker Labs was recently selected by Con Edison Development to monitor and control more than 40 MWs of grid-interconnected solar projects in the Northeast.  The 20MW Pilesgrove solar power plant, the largest PV plant in the northeastern U.S, is among those projects monitored by Draker Labs.

Thinking about starting a technology firm? Got a growing business? Looking for interns? Or, do you just want to connect with other entrepreneurs and investors?  If so, then please meet up at Tech @ Brattleboro event on Thursday, September 15th at The Marina Restaurant in Brattleboro, VT from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Join FreshTracks Capital and others for the second "Tech @" series.

GetWell Network recently announced an increase of 25 percent growth in beds in the first half of 2011, compared to the same period last year, outpacing forecasts.  As hospitals become more focused on patient engagement and health reform requirements, the need for advanced Interactive Patient Care solutions like those from GetWell Network is increasing.

Ben Kaufman, founder of social development propduct company, Quirky, brings product designs to life with the help of product designers and a growing online community.  Ben answers questions about the inventors, their products, and the process for bringing product ideas from community collaboration to design and marketing.

GetWellNetwork is highlighted in a new white paper as a leading provider of Interactive Patient Care to meet the Meaningful Use Standards for improved patient and family education. GetWell's interactive patient care solutions help meet meaningful use requirements and qualify hospitals for funding.

Quirky will be featured on the Sundance Channel in a new reality TV series premiering on August 30.

 Ben Kaufman, founder of the social product development company Quirky, is featured in Entrepreneur Magazine this month and shares accounts of his company's path to continued growth.  With more than 65,000 members in Quirky's online community and hundreds of weekly invention submittals, Kaufman continues to grow his company by visiting top design schools to solicit submissions for Quirky's back-to-college partnership with Bed Bath * Beyond.

Timothy Davis, FreshTracks Capital Managing Partner, was recently appointed to the Fletcher Allen Board.  Davis currently serves on the boards of companies in the high-tech sector including SolarOne in Needham, MA and Solais in Stamford, CT; and he is an observer on the board of Auterra.  He is active on several non-profit boards, including Echo in Burlington, VT

Draker Labs Marketing VP, Mark Sherman, and Product Manager, Alejandro Delgado, recently co-authored an article titled "How To Prioritize Your Installation’s Alerts And Data."  The article was featured in the July issue of Solar Industry Magazine and distributed at the InterSolar Trade Show in San Francisco.

*Solais Lighting Raises $1.75M in New Funding Round

*Vermont Teddy Bear Slammed on Cyber Monday! New Product Launched

*BrighterPlanet's "Hoot Root" Recognized by US EPA

*Peak Pitch 2012 at Sugarbush Resort March 8

*Draker Labs Selected by Con Edison Development

*AMEX OPEN Forum Taps NYC Startup Community - Including Kohort

*NativeEnergy Dedicates New Oklahoma Energy Project

*Patient Engagement Systems Awarded Bronze Honors by URAC

*Vermont Teddy Bear Company Turns 30!

*TEDx @ UVM Event Blog Post

*Patient Engagement Systems(fka Vermedx) Among Award Winners

*GetWellNetwork Unveiled in New England Hospital; Raises $36,000 for LLS

*Quirky Has a New iPhone Application for Inventors

*Solais Lighting Featured in Building Design + Construction Magazine

*GetWell Network Experiences Strong Growth at Record Pace

*Quirky Raises $16 Million for Social Development Platform

*Draker Labs Piece Featured in Solar Industry Magazine

*Solais Lighting Wins Best of Best Award, Featured in tED Magazine

*PajamaJeans, a VT Teddy Bear Product, Projecting 2 Million Units Sold by Year End

*VT Hackathon: You + Caffeine + 24 Hours = $10,000

*TechDrivers III - SAVE THE DATE

*Quirky Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, TV Series Airing on Sundance

*Vermont Investors Forum Call for Applications

*FreshTracks Managing Partner, Timothy Davis, Joins Fletcher Allen Board

*PajamaJeans, a Vermont Teddy Bear Product, in NY Times

 *NEHP Hires Andy Doe

 *Draker Labs Announces Management Team Changes

  *BrighterPlanet Study Ranks Airline Carbon Efficiency

*EatingWell Acquired by Meredith Media

*Draker Labs Completes New Round of Financing

*NativeEnergy Moves to Burlington Waterfront

*Solais Lighting Featured in Healthcare Design Magazine

*FreshTracks' Newest Investment, Kohort, Unveiled

*EatingWell Takes Home Three James Beard Awards

*GetWell Founder Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist

*Cairn Cross Accepts the SBA National Financial Services Champion Award

*Brighter Planet Partners with MasterCard on Carbon Emissions Tracking

*Cairn Cross Selected as SBA 2011 National Financial Services Champion

*FreshTracks Invests in NYC Social Media Start-Up Kohort

*EatingWell CEO Named Semi-Finalist for Entrepreneur of The Year

*Draker Selected by RAI to Monitor 11 Projects

*Vermont Business and Industry EXPO May 25 & 26

*Peak Pitch Vermont Well Attended

*Draker Labs Moves to Larger Space Amid Growth and Expansion

*eCorp English Global Headquarters Opens in Middlebury, Vermont

*Solais Lighting-Five Things to Know About LED Lighting

*EatingWell Named Finalist for James Beard and IACP Bert Greene Awards

*FreshTracks Announces New Investment in eCorp English

*Peak Pitch March 10 at Sugarbush

*Draker Labs Selected by Global Leader Johnson Controls

*GetWell Network Announces GetWell@Home

*Solais' LED Lamps Approved for Rebate Program, Positioned for Growth