October 21, 2015 – Burlington, Vt. – The Vermont Technology Alliance, an industry trade group representing Vermont’s tech businesses, is proud to announce the finalists of the 2015 Vermont Tech Jam Awards, sponsored by Merchants Bank.
The awards will be presented during the Vermont Tech Jam — a job fair and tech expo organized by the independent newsweekly Seven Days and the Vermont Technology Alliance. The 2015 Tech Jam is Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, at the Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center; it’s underwritten by Dealer.com and MyWebGrocer.
Job seekers from across the region come to the Jam to talk with recruiters from Vermont’s fastest-growing and most innovative companies; students and career changers attend to find internships and educational opportunities. In addition to Dealer.com and MyWebGrocer, Vermont Tech Jam sponsors this year include: BioTek Instruments, Champlain College, Green Mountain Power, Logic Supply, Novetta, the Vermont Technology Alliance and the Vermont Technology Council.
There are two awards: The Innovation Award is presented to the individual or business with the most innovative new product, application of technology, or way of doing business. The Ambassador Award is presented to an individual or business whose leadership and actions positively represent Vermont as a home for technology business, and whose efforts help put Vermont “on the map” as a place for technology businesses to start, succeed and grow.
A distinguished panel of judges evaluated the entries: Patricia Moulton, Secretary of Commerce & Economic Development; Dr. John Cohn, IBM Fellow; Justin Cutroni, Google Analytics Evangelist; and Seven Days Publisher/Co-Editor Paula Routly. The group reviewed the entries and determined the top three finalists in each category.
Finalists for the Innovation Award:
Green Mountain Power, Colchester
Green Mountain Power is putting the latest energy innovations in the hands of Vermonters. GMP is the first utility to partner with Tesla; it’s getting the Powerwall battery at the end of October. This exciting innovation in battery technology is part of delivering on Green Mountain Power’s mission to provide cost-effective, low-carbon and reliable energy solutions for its customers. The Tesla home battery can be paired with small-scale solar, such as rooftop panels, to store locally generated energy, or it can be used without solar as a battery to store power from the grid. The technology will empower customers to become more energy independent while also allowing GMP to reduce peak demand on the system, providing cost savings to all of its customers.
Logic Supply, South Burlington
Logic Supply is a fast-growing, 75-person industrial computer company that designs and manufactures rugged computers for the most challenging industrial environments. Its new ML100 series of industrial computers represents a unique combination of features and performance. The ML100 is specifically engineered to resist extreme temperatures, airborne dust and debris, shock and vibration — conditions traditional computers can’t handle. The ML100 has no fans, vents or moving parts, and measures fewer than 6 inches wide and 2.5 inches high. It can be used and installed in places where most computers would not work or fit. The ML100 is targeted to and used in applications such as food manufacturing, mining installations, industrial automation, and data monitoring in the oil and gas industry.
THINKmd, Burlington
THINKmd is a healthcare innovation company with a mission to expand global access to healthcare. Its medical intelligence platform called Medical Evaluation and Diagnostic System for Infants, Children, and Newborns addresses the lack of skilled, pediatric health workers in countries with limited medical resources. MEDSINC is a simple-to-use mobile assessment, triage and treatment platform designed for minimally skilled users. It increases the user’s ability to properly assess, triage, and treat a sick child for the most common clinical conditions associated with premature death, and offers ongoing training for health workers as they interact with the software. It can be used on any mobile device, with or without a mobile or internet connection, and is designed to interface with mobile diagnostic devices. The innovative platform is the only clinical severity assessment device being developed in the expansive mobile health market and has been successfully tested in the United States, Ecuador, Peru and Bangledesh.
Ambassador Award finalists:
John Burton, South Burlington
John Burton is the president of Network Performance Inc., which assists Vermont companies with technology management and support services. Burton frequently conducts workshops and seminars in Vermont and speaks to industry meetings about technology topics and trends important to local businesses; he has appeared in Vermont media to discuss consumer technology issues. A member of the advisory board of the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center, he’s also on the executive board of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and serves as treasurer of the Vermont Consultants Network. Burton was recently named to a three-person special Vermont legislative committee on the use of information technology in state government.
Girl Develop It, Burlington
Teaching women to write software code is the mission of nonprofit Girl Develop It. The Burlington chapter of this national organization provides an active community for women looking to get ahead in their careers, offering monthly workshops and events, mentorship opportunities and professional and educational resources. GDI has grown its membership to more than 800 during its three years in Burlington, taught more than 300 women how to code, and awarded 50 scholarships to its classes and workshops. GDI’s work strengthens Vermont’s technology economy by empowering women with vital, affordable and accessible technical and professional skills.
Michael Metz, Burlington
Michael Metz was the impetus behind the creation of Generator, Burlington’s not-for-profit, member-driven maker space. In just its second year, Generator is already playing a key role in the region’s “entrepreneurial ecosystem.” It helps both new and existing startups, many of them tech-based businesses, and has 180 members. Other Vermont communities creating their own maker spaces see Generator as a model. Metz played a vital role in gathering expertise and raising the money to get the venture off the ground. Generator Inc. and its contributions to business development and job creation in the region would not exist without his vision.
Award winners will be announced during the invitation-only exhibitor mixer at the Jam on Friday, October 23.
For more information contact Jeff Couture, Executive Director, Vermont Technology Alliance at [email protected].