ten24 is Participating in Worcester's Second Annual Innovation Month

The Venture Forum (TVF), in collaboration with entrepreneur-focused organizations and local colleges, announces Worcester’s second annual Innovation Month beginning March 1, 2016, and ending April 22, 2016. Events over the 7-week period will include an electricity exhibit, a women’s life sciences entrepreneurial leadership symposium, speakers’ series, ribbon cuttings, pitch contests, summits on entrepreneurship and innovation, and Earth Week celebrations.

In its second year, Innovation Month has over 16 events to celebrate local innovation and introduce the community to the resources, including incubators and pitch contests, which support Worcester-area students and entrepreneurs.  Conceived and organized by The Venture Forum, Innovation Month offers a variety of events throughout the eight-week period, intended “to continue to form strong collaborations among those who support local entrepreneurs,” said Joe Vignaly, Chair of The Venture Forum and co-founder of Innovation Month, together with Rosemarie Boulanger. In our second year, “we are excited to help strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Central Massachusetts - by offering more events with more collaborators,” said Boulanger, who is a Program Chair at The Venture Forum.
      
The March 1st Innovation Month kickoff begins at the Ecotarium located in Worcester, featuring a classic exhibit on electricity. For more information, contact Charlene Leith-Bushey at clbushey@ecotarium.org, 508-929-2738. 

On March 24, at 7 PM, ten24 Digital Solutions will sponsor “Web Technology Meetup: Managing Tasks and Time in Web Development Projects“, at 20 Franklin Street, Worcester. For more information,  david.crouch@ten24web.com  or visit  http://www.meetup.com/Worcester-Web-Technology/events/228804355/.

On March 8th an event jointly hosted by Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives and The Venture Forum will celebrate women entrepreneurs in the Life Sciences Program located at 60 Prescott St., Worcester, MA from 5:45- 8:30 PM. For more information on this event visit http://www.theventureforum.org/event-1976768. 

Also on March 8th, the Franklin M. Loew Lecture Series at Becker College will present Michael Gallagher, President & CEO, Entertainment Software Association (ESA), "Ready Player One: Opportunities in the Growing Video Game Industry", at 6 pm, Becker College, Weller Academic Center, Room 210, 61 Sever St., Worcester.
RSVP to lectures@becker.edu. More information to be posted at www.becker.edu/lectures. 

On March 9th, join Venture Meets for an Innovation Month event at Compass Tavern, 
featuring networking with fellow entrepreneurs as well as a variety of speakers. For more information, contact Kevin Anderson: kanderson@eoxity.com.

On March 17, “The Breakfast Club“ hosted by Worcester Chamber of Commerce will be held at College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Center on One College Street. This event will take place from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, where there will be more than 350 area professionals for breakfast, networking, and a keynote speaker discussing innovation. For more information please visit http://business.worcesterchamber.org/events/details/the-breakfast-club-december-2015-4180 or contact Beverly Goodel at bgoodell@worcesterchamber.org.

On March 17, SBDC's “Piranha Pond“ event will be located at Clark University from 6:00-9: 00 p.m. This event is a pitch party, in a “shark-tank” format. For more information, please visit www.piranhapond.com or contact Art Martin at armartin@clarku.edu, 508-793-7615. 

On March 29, Clark University will be hosting their “U-REKA Big Challenge Pitch Contest“ from 4-8 pm.  Each year the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program sponsors the U-Reka! Big Idea Challenge to help students bring ideas to life. For more information contact Amy Whitney at amywhitney@clarku.edu.

On March 30, the Franklin M. Loew Lecture Series at Becker College will present Trevor Stricker, Founder & President, Disco Pixel, “A Backbreaking Work of Whimsy", at the Becker College, Weller Academic Center, Room 210, 61 Sever St., Worcester at 6 pm.
RSVP to lectures@becker.edu. More information to be posted at www.becker.edu/lectures. 

On March 31st, join the Worcester Clean Tech Incubator (WCTI) and NECEC at the Navigate Summit, the annual convening of clean technology innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization leaders in the Northeast and a WCTI ribbon-cutting ceremony held at 44 Portland St. Connect with peers, share best practices, and uncover new resources to support entrepreneurs and accelerate the Northeast Clean Energy Economy. For more information contact Joe Bush at www.wcti.org or 508.344.1608.

On March 31st, Action! Worcester will present “ThinkWoo: We can solve that!“ from 6:30-8: 30 PM at the Worcester Idea Lab, 20 Franklin Street, Worcester, MA. Our second community-wide think tank will build on the discussions and data from last year’s event.  Attendees will explore issues pertinent to the economic and cultural development of the City.  
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/thinkwoo-we-can-solve-that-tickets-21562688582?aff=es2

On April 5th, the Becker College Presidential Speaker Series presents Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, “We are not job seekers, we are job givers – Turning unemployment into entrepreneurship”. The event will take place at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. For complimentary tickets, call the Mechanics Hall Box Office 508.752.0888 or visit mechanicshall.org. More information is available at www.becker.edu/about/president/speakerseries.

On April 12, The Venture Forum, which has been providing entrepreneurial education and mentorship for more than 20 years, will hold its 10th annual 5-Minute Pitch Contest at WPI’s Rubin Campus Center at 5:30-8:30 PM.  To apply for the pitch contest, visit http://www.theventureforum.org/Five-Minute-Pitch-2016 or for more information, visit http://www.theventureforum.org/event-1976774. 

On Tuesday, April 19, Action! Worcester hosts “Bring Your Own Business“, an entrepreneurial and business networking event focused on connecting innovative minds and ideas across the Central Massachusetts area.  Enjoy appetizers and the chance to network with local energetic professionals during our laidback evening events. The event will take place from 6-8: 30 PM, at the Worcester Idea Lab, 20 Franklin Street, Worcester, MA.  For more information, visit
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bring-your-own-business-byob-networking-series-tickets-21734948817.

On April 22, Innovation Month will conclude with a special Earth Week event, “Energy for You and Me” at the Ecotarium. Attendees will be able to explore the science of wind and experiment with how to harness its power to generate energy.  For more information about this event please contact Charlene Leith-Bushey at clbushey@ecotarium.org, 508.929.2738. 

In addition, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce is holding a “Tech Trek: Internet of Things“ Panel for Worcester’s College students. For more information: http://business.worcesterchamber.org/events/details/internet-of-things-techtrek-worcester-for-college-students-4212

Finally, if you are a vendor who would like to join “Innovation Month Share An Exhibit“, please call or e-mail Kathryn Gillespie at the EcoTarium (508) 929-2767, kgillespie@ecotarium.org. A limited number of spaces are available for Central Massachusetts exhibitors and vendors to reach thousands of people during Worcester’s annual Earth Day Celebration. Vendors will help the EcoTarium advance community interest in the natural world, environmental work and STEM fields with hands-on activities, demonstrations, and engaging exhibits. 

Information about each of the programs Innovation Month will be offering can be found at www.facebook.com/TheVentureForum/events. All events are open to the public.

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