Maine’s leading technology innovators featured in MTI’s biggest event ever
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BRUNSWICK, ME – Maine Technology Institute’s (MTI) annual TechWalk will be held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Thursday October 2, 2014. The theme of TechWalk 2014 is “Connecting Through Technology,” and will feature Victor Hwang, Founder and CEO of T2 Venture Creation, as the keynote speaker. Hwang is the author of the well-known book, The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley. The event will feature 90-100 MTI portfolio technology ventures, with over 800 entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and others interested in innovation from Maine and New England expected to attend.
Bob Martin, President of MTI, stated: “TechWalk is MTI’s signature event, showcasing our investments in innovative technology companies in Maine, connecting entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, legislators and business services from across Maine and New England. We are thrilled that Victor Hwang will join us.”
The day will begin at 9:00 am with the regional Midcoast Magnet JUICE Business Plan competition which will run until 12:00 noon, and is expected to draw 80-90 participants. Finalists will be invited to pitch at the JUICE Business Plan competition in Camden in November.
The TechWalk 2014 noon luncheon is sponsored by MTI’s partner organization, Blackstone Accelerates Growth. T2 Venture Creation is a Silicon Valley firm that builds startup companies and designs the ecosystems that foster entrepreneurial innovation. “Victor has an enormously influential impact on the creation of entrepreneurial communities,” said Martin. “He will challenge our thinking.”
Following the luncheon, a series of workshops beginning at 2:00pm will cover topics of interest to early-stage and growth companies in Maine, and include an interactive roundtable discussion led my Mr. Hwang. As space is limited, registration for all workshops will be required. Workshop topics and registration instructions will be posted on the Maine Technology Institute Web site (www.mainetechnology.org) as plans are finalized.
Exhibition hours for TechWalk are being extended this year. The Exhibition will take place from 2:00pm to 8:00pm and will showcase many of MTI’s portfolio ventures, as well as organizations supporting entrepreneurs and innovation in Maine. Featured exhibitors include Jackson Laboratory, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, and Kennebec River Biosciences. Also exhibiting will be growing companies such as Kepware Technologies, Acadia Harvest and Freeport Metrics, as well as innovative start-ups like Bixby & Company, Chimani and Ecoshel. Several Cluster Initiative Programs–E2Tech, The Maine Composites Alliance, and the Sustainable Agricultural Food Society–will also be exhibiting, as along with MTI partner organizations such as SCORE, Manufacturers Association of Maine, Maine International Trade Center, and the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) of Maine.
For more information about TechWalk 2014, visit www.mainetechnology.org/news-events.
The Maine Technology Institute is a publicly-funded, not-for-profit, independent venture fund whose mission is to identify and invest in Maine ventures who engage innovative technologies, connect them with resources needed to help them grow. For more information, visit www.mainetechnology.org.
Blackstone Accelerates Growth (BxG) is an initiative of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation of New York to stimulate entrepreneurial development in Maine through the acceleration of companies, connections, and the next generation of entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.blackstonegrowth.com.
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