The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council's TechNite 2024 recognized all the elements that make Roanoke-Blacksburg's innovation ecosystem so dynamic. TechNite 2024 was held on Thursday, May 8th at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. RBTC's annual celebration is highly anticipated within the region's technology community, bringing together hundreds of local and state leaders to celebrate this year's outstanding achievements in innovation in Virginia's Region 2. Ta.
This year, special guest Rishi Jaitley, a national thought leader on artificial intelligence, will give an inspiring talk, and the Heart of the Entrepreneur will be awarded in memory of innovator Bones Hart.・The Impact Prize was reinstated and Dr. Robert Sandel was invited to RBTC Hall. of fame.
“The research and technology being developed in this space is amazing. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s world-changing. TechNite brings together all the elements that make our innovation ecosystem so powerful. ,” said Erin Burcham, president of Verge and executive director of RBTC.
Jaitly spoke about powering the room at TechNite, the scale of regional innovation here, and discovering the superpowers of the future.
“Our region can play a huge role in leading the way in innovation and what it means to be human,” he said.
The evening began with a gala, followed by guests enjoying an awards ceremony. The following entrepreneurs, leaders and companies were recognized.
Virginia Western Community College President Dr. Robert Sandel has been inducted into the RBTC Hall of Fame. Dr. Sandel is a lifelong educator who sees potential in everyone. His commitment to providing an accessible, high-quality education has changed the lives of VWCC, the region, and countless students. A respected and effective leader, Dr. Sandel has created a collaborative learning environment and a vibrant team of dedicated professionals empowered to innovate. Thanks to his leadership, VWCC is a nimble, cutting-edge institution poised to serve a wide range of community needs.
The recipient of the Hart of the Entrepreneur Impact Award was The Tiny Cargo Co., led by Dr. Spencer Marsh. Tiny Cargo is a C corporation based in Roanoke. Harnessing the power of milk exosomes as a naturally derived drug delivery platform, we aim not only to treat the deadly effects of radiation, but also as a platform technology to enable the treatment of a variety of other diseases. disease. Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Spencer Marsh is one of the world's leading exosome experts. His work paved the way for Tiny Cargo to become a world leader in supplying and applying exosome-based technology to new medicines and nutraceuticals.
Other award winners are:
- Dr. Heather Lindberg and Dr. Crisilea Ojeda; Virginia Western Community College | STEM-H Educator Award, This award recognizes educators in the Roanoke-Blacksburg area who promote the use of math, science and technology in creative ways to impart knowledge and help develop future technology leaders. Dr. Lindberg and Dr. Ojeda are passionate educators with a strong passion for biotechnology. Together, they are committed to providing relevant experiences for her STEM students beyond the classroom. Cutting-edge programming is specifically designed for the needs of real-world biotech companies, labs, and teams. We provide students with the information and knowledge they need to make strong decisions about their careers after graduation. As champions of the future of biotechnology, Lindbergh and Ojeda believe in the potential of life sciences to build a better future for everyone.
- mark levy Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science and Technology | K-12 STEM-H Educator Awardrecognizes K-12 educators in the Roanoke-Blacksburg area who use math, science, and/or technology in creative ways to impart knowledge and help develop future technology leaders. We are promoting. Mark Levy is the Director of the Roanoke Valley Governor's School of Science and Technology (RVGS) and is passionate about student engagement and success. Prior to his appointment at RVGS, Mr. Levy was the head of the science department at Patrick Henry High School, where he was twice named PH Teacher of the Year and founded an award-winning forensic science team. He holds degrees from Virginia Tech and Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Levy, an RVGS alumnus, finds deep meaning in serving his students and school.
- Fermi Energy Corporation | Rising Star in Technology Award, which recognizes early-stage technology companies. This award highlights the importance of small and medium-sized businesses in the region's technology economy. Fermi Energy, Inc. was founded by a team of battery scientists and engineers at Virginia Tech to develop fundamentally disruptive cathode technologies that help build the U.S. battery manufacturing supply chain. The cathode accounts for over 50% of a battery's cost and is the central component that stores and releases energy. Fermi provides low-cost, sustainable cathodes for high-energy vehicle batteries. The company's breakthrough processing technology and innovative materials reduce cathode costs by 50%, fueling innovative battery manufacturing in the United States and improving electric vehicle performance.
- Dr. Sarah Snyder, BEAM Diagnostics | Rising Star in Biotechnology Award; This award recognizes early-stage biotechnology companies. This award highlights the importance of small and medium-sized businesses in the region's technology economy. BEAM Diagnostics, a digital health company; Inc. is leading the way in destigmatizing screening for substance use disorders and promoting proactive patient care. Dr. Sarah Snyder, her CEO and co-founder of BEAM, embodies the perseverance and leadership required to take innovative ideas and turn them into products that can improve lives and communities. She developed the research in her laboratory and applied it to her testing laboratory. beaconis a digital diagnostic platform that helps facilitate patient and provider conversations without the stigma typically associated with drug use and other behavioral health conditions.
- Dr. Reed Montague, VTC's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute | Innovator Award, recognizes individuals, teams or organizations that are blazing new trails in the field of research and innovation. Dr. Reed Montague is Director of the Human Neuroscience Research Center at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI). He is a world leader in computational psychiatry and has contributed to the development of this field, now a major funding initiative of the National Institute of Mental Health and FBRI. Research in his laboratory focuses on computational neuroscience, the relationship between the physical mechanisms present in real neural tissue and the computational functions that these mechanisms embody.
- Rob Day tech lab | Regional Leadership Award, recognizes members who lead by example by not only succeeding in the workplace, but also by making significant contributions to the RBTC community. TECHLAB® designs, develops, and manufactures intestinal diagnostics sold worldwide. Rob Day, TECHLAB's Chief Operating Officer, is passionate about the benefits of medical technology and is passionate about advancing the industry and supporting the professional community. He has provided board leadership for VA Bio and Verge, provided industry leadership for the region, and is unstintingly dedicated to mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs.
- adam donato card aisle | Entrepreneur of the Year Award, recognizes leaders who exemplify what it means to take risks in technology. Card Isle provides a turnkey solution for selling real paper, personalized greeting cards through e-commerce, grocery delivery, or curbside pickup sites. The card aisle under Adam's leadership is the definition of “shit.” In his role as CEO of Card Isle, Adam embodies entrepreneurial leadership, guiding teams through pivots, digging deep during slow periods and seizing growth opportunities to create a company that is respected and long-lived in the local ecosystem. has been established.
- Site Recovery | Major Small and Medium Enterprisesrecognizes Roanoke or New River Valley companies that are committed to advancing the region's technology community and demonstrating excellence in people, programs, and projects within the industry. CytoRecovery is a dynamic startup company working to commercialize new cell isolation and recovery technologies to advance our understanding of disease onset, progression, and treatment.
- Elbit Systems of America—Night Vision | Leading technology company Recognizes Roanoke or New River Valley companies that are committed to advancing the region's technology community and demonstrating excellence in people, programs, and projects within the industry. Elbit Systems of America is a leading provider of high-performance products, system solutions, and support services focused on the defense, homeland security, civil aviation, and medical device markets. Elbit Systems of America has facilities across the United States and is dedicated to supporting the people who contribute to the safety and security of America every day.
- Hal Irvin, VTC Fralin Biomedical Research Institute | Ruby Award, which recognizes outstanding members who have proven themselves to be outstanding and valuable additions to the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. Dr. Hal Irvin is Vice President of Health Sciences and Technology Outreach at Virginia Tech Carilion's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, where he promotes partnerships between companies and researchers. An active member and advocate of the Roanoke-Blacksburg innovation ecosystem, Mr. Irvin is a member of RAMP's advisory board, the Roanoke Innovation Corridor Planning Committee and the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Scholarships and Foundation Grants Committee.
Thank you to all the sponsors and businesses that contributed to the success of the 2024 event: Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black Attorneys at Law, City of Roanoke, Member One, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, Montgomery County Economy Development, Cox Business, Roanoke County Economy Development , TechLab Inc, Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, Boattourt County, Glo Fiber, and Arctic Wolf. RBTC, part of the Verge Alliance, exists to foster the growth of Roanoke and Blacksburg's tech community, with a vision for the region to be recognized globally for its innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent assets. is listed. The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council is a member-driven association working to foster the growth of the region's technology-based economy. The organization is an essential business resource for technology entrepreneurs and companies looking to achieve greater success, with members ranging from emerging technology companies to the region's largest employers.
