Syracuse Hosts e200/Emerging Leaders Executive-Level Training Initiative for 2012

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has kicked off its 2012 e200 Emerging Leaders executive-level training initiative in 27 cities and communities, including Syracuse, New York. After a successful e200 program was implemented in Syracuse in 2011, the SBA has selected the city for the second consecutive year as an Urban Market to host the program.

Since 2008, the e200/Emerging Leaders initiative has helped approximately 1,000 promising small business owners in underserved communities across the country sustain and grow their businesses. In 2011, thirteen small companies in the Syracuse area completed over 40 hours of advanced management training, transforming them into potential companies for rapid expansion and job creation.

According to a SBA news release, SBA Administrator Karen Mills said, “Graduates of the program have increased their revenue, created jobs and helped drive local economic growth in their communities. Continuing with this year’s lineup of new classes builds on this success and provides even more entrepreneurs in underserved communities with the support, resources and skills to succeed.”

This year’s e200 initiative will kick off at the end of February. Small companies that have been in business for three plus years and looking to grow are encouraged to apply for the program. Eighteen participants will be accepted. Sessions, which will be held at The Tech Garden, are scheduled to start in April and end in October with a November graduation date.

Eligible businesses must meet the following criteria:

• In business for at least three (3) years. (This curriculum is not for start-up companies.)
• Annual revenue between $400,000 and $10 million per year.
• Must have employees
• Must be a C-level manager and the key decision maker in the business.

For more information about e200 Emerging Leaders, or to contact the respective local SBA District office in the area go to www.sba.gov/e200. 

Calling All Entrepreneurs!

The 2012 Venture Forum, a partnership between the Center for Economic Growth's (CEG SmartStart UNYTECH and Western New York’s Bright Forum, is reaching out to venture-ready companies and early-stage university start-ups to present to potential investors  at a Buffalo, NY event scheduled for May 16-17.

Early-stage, high-tech companies are of particular interest for the event. Presenting companies will have the opportunity to pitch their business plans to more than 70 Angel and VC investors from the Northeast, New England, Mid-Atlanta, Niagara-Canadian, Boston and NYC corridors.

For the full release and complete description of eligible companies, view here

Discussion of Nanochip Plant Opening In Central New York

There is recent discussion about opening a nano manufacturing plant at Electronics Park in Salina, the second chip manufacturing plant to open in New York State. According to a news article, APIC Corp., a Los Angeles company that has pioneered the integration of photonics technology with electronics, hopes to open the chip fabrication plat by the end of the year. The new plant is projected to create about 200 high-tech jobs.

Partnered with the Department of Defense and SUNY Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, APIC intends to make a new generation of chips for the U.S. Navy to use in the avionics for ships, submarines and planes. The chips will be lighter, use less power, take up less space and require less updates. 

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is on board with the construction of the plant which is investing more than $1 billion to become a global center of nanotechnology. According to a Post-Standard news article, Sen. Schumer described his vision for Central New York to be a hub for manufacturing nanochips and cutting edge research. “Securing a new high-tech chip manufacturing operation could be a game-changer for Syracuse and would bring a brand new industry home to Central New York,” stated Schumer. 

For the full article view here

Lockheed Martin Wins Contract to Support U.S. Antarctic Program

Lockheed Martin recently won a contract valued at approximately $2 billion to work with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to operate and maintain support infrastructure for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). The program enables universities, research institutions and federal agencies to conduct scientific research in the region.

Lockheed Martin has been contracted to work with the NSF to implement cost-effective, streamlined infrastructure for managing work stations and medical facilities, research vessels, construction projects and remote sites in and around Antarctica. Additionally, they will modernize technologies to transport scientists, staff and supplies to and from the Antarctic region.

According to a Lockheed Martin press release, Linda Goodmen, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) business said, “Lockheed Martin is proud to work with more than 3,000 program participants involved in valuable research in Antarctica. We have a longstanding history of supporting customers in remote locations and logistically challenging environments and are committed to fostering scientific and technological innovations that will benefit the world.”

View the full press release

Cornell and Technion Win Bid to Build Groundbreaking New Campus in NYC

Cornell and partner  Technion -- Israel Institute of Technology was announced the winner of a bid to build a groundbreaking new campus in New York City December 9. The creation of an applied sciences and technology campus will spur economic growth, job creation and high-tech entrepreneurship.

According to a Cornell news article, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg congratulated the winners at a press conference at Weill Cornell Medical College. Bloomberg expressed, “We believe this new land grant can help dreamers and entrepreneurs from around the world come to New York and help us become the world’s leading city for technological innovation.”

The Cornell-Technion proposal was impressive. It included an enrollment of 2,500 students, 300 faculty and 2 million square feet of state-of-the-art classroom and research space. According to Bloomberg, the campus is expected to generate $23 billion in economic activity over the next three decades as well as $1.4 billion in tax revenue. Additionally, building the campus will create 20,000 construction jobs and 8,000 permanent jobs to operate it. 

For the full article, view the Cornell Chronicle

Put Your Business Card on the Web!

Web application firm, We Are Mobile, has launched their newest product, Bitpress.me.

Bitpress.me enables users to create individual virtual business cards as well as virtual business cards for employees. The new product is similar to a mobile optimized website, with all of your professional details perfectly organized for clients and sales prospects to easily interact with on the go. As part of the service, customers receive a QR code. This code can be placed on a physical business card, providing a direct link to their Bitpress.me profile.

Additionally, Bitpress.me allows users to expand their social network by directing people to their Linkedin page, become more social by allowing users to easily add Twitter and Facebook accounts, and create lasting relationships by making it possible for clients to quickly add your contact information to their phone. 

For more info visit Bitpress.me

iSchool Partners with Microsoft to Explore New Social Media Software

Syracuse University’s iSchool has partnered with Microsoft to explore and better understand Microsoft’s new social software, So.cl.. So.cl is a research experiment for students focused on combining web browsing, search, and social networking for the purposes of learning. The partnership will focus on how the software can be used with students who study information science, design, communication tools, and are influenced by a generation prompted by social software.

So.cl derived from Microsoft research arm, FUSE Labs. FUSE Labs works in partnership with product research teams to collaborate, develop, and deliver new social, real-time, and media-rich experiences for home and work. 

According to an iSchool news release, professor of social media, Anthony Rotolo, expressed “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to work with emerging social media tools from our partners at Microsoft. The social media landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, and the iSchool is at the forefront of this area of study. Our students are uniquely positioned to offer innovative ideas and feedback to Microsoft researchers as they develop cutting-edge technologies, and early access to these tools allows our students to develop a forward-looking view of how social media will take shape in the years ahead.” 

For more info view the iSchool's news release