TECNA NOTES

TECNA Highlights - April 2015

Dear members,

This issue, I’d like to start by highlighting a few important upcoming items:

First, our Call for 2016 event hosts closes May 8. If you would like to be considered as a host of the CEO Retreat or Summer Conference, please let us know.

We are also seeking names of consultants who can help us research and validate a TECNA initiative around workforce development. Consultants with knowledge of the technology industry and this issue are preferable. Please email leads to me ASAP.

U.S. members will soon start receiving policy updates/action emails via CompTIA’s online advocacy tool, CapWiz. Over the next two weeks, keep an eye out for alerts on the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act and Export-Import Bank Reauthorization. You may opt out of receiving these messages, but we want to give all U.S. members the opportunity to increase your awareness of these policy issues, even if you’re not a TechAmerica Alliance Partner.

 

Taking a look back, we made progress on several policy issues. TechAmerica Alliance Partners signed on to two letters supporting the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act and Export-Import Bank reauthorization. These letters will be strategically released in the coming weeks as events unfold on the Hill.

The TECNA board also issued a release calling for federal non-discrimination protections for LGBT individuals. As you may be aware, the recent Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) in Indiana created quite the firestorm, much like it did in Arizona last year. While AZTC helped to successfully defeat it, Indiana wasn’t as proactive until receiving significant backlash. Since this time, more than 100 tech companies have signed onto a growing list of supporters of federal non-discrimination for LGBT employees through the Human Rights Campaign. While half of states have RFRAs on the books, they either have built in non-discrimination clauses or the state has separate legislation protecting LGBT individuals. Since there is a growing trend of RFRAs that present an opportunity for discrimination if such compendium protections are not included or available, TECNA had an opportunity to proactively act. This has the potential to affect technology industry business and workforce development in certain states.  Secondly, our tech councils in these states with pending RFRAs will need to start discussing how they would like to address the situation. Please feel free to share this release with your members and local media channels.

I’d also like to thank, once again, the Chattanooga Technology Council and planning committee for hosting a terrific CEO Retreat. 91% of attendees found the conference a valuable/very valuable use of their time. Great job!

 

Until next month’s post,

Bob Moore, CAE

TECNA, Executive Director

TECNA Highlights - April 2015

Dear members,

This issue, I’d like to start by highlighting a few important upcoming items:

First, our Call for 2016 event hosts closes May 8. If you would like to be considered as a host of the CEO Retreat or Summer Conference, please let us know.

We are also seeking names of consultants who can help us research and validate a TECNA initiative around workforce development. Consultants with knowledge of the technology industry and this issue are preferable. Please email leads to me ASAP.

U.S. members will soon start receiving policy updates/action emails via CompTIA’s online advocacy tool, CapWiz. Over the next two weeks, keep an eye out for alerts on the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act and Export-Import Bank Reauthorization. You may opt out of receiving these messages, but we want to give all U.S. members the opportunity to increase your awareness of these policy issues, even if you’re not a TechAmerica Alliance Partner.

 

Taking a look back, we made progress on several policy issues. TechAmerica Alliance Partners signed on to two letters supporting the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act and Export-Import Bank reauthorization. These letters will be strategically released in the coming weeks as events unfold on the Hill.

The TECNA board also issued a release calling for federal non-discrimination protections for LGBT individuals. As you may be aware, the recent Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) in Indiana created quite the firestorm, much like it did in Arizona last year. While AZTC helped to successfully defeat it, Indiana wasn’t as proactive until receiving significant backlash. Since this time, more than 100 tech companies have signed onto a growing list of supporters of federal non-discrimination for LGBT employees through the Human Rights Campaign. While half of states have RFRAs on the books, they either have built in non-discrimination clauses or the state has separate legislation protecting LGBT individuals. Since there is a growing trend of RFRAs that present an opportunity for discrimination if such compendium protections are not included or available, TECNA had an opportunity to proactively act. This has the potential to affect technology industry business and workforce development in certain states.  Secondly, our tech councils in these states with pending RFRAs will need to start discussing how they would like to address the situation. Please feel free to share this release with your members and local media channels.

I’d also like to thank, once again, the Chattanooga Technology Council and planning committee for hosting a terrific CEO Retreat. 91% of attendees found the conference a valuable/very valuable use of their time. Great job!

 

Until next month’s post,

Bob Moore, CAE

TECNA, Executive Director

TECNA Member Spotlight - April 2015: Dhruv Patel

Dhruv Patel, Director of Investor Relations, Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED)

Bio: Dhruv Patel is the Director of Investor Relations at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development - the largest and longest-running network for tech-based companies in the country. He has been working with North Carolina entrepreneurs for over 10 years. In his current role, Dhruv is responsible for the building key relationships with leading investors including venture funds, angel investors and strategics around the country.

Prior to CED, he was a part of launch team for the Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurs Network and was a Licensing Associate at UNCG’s Office of Innovation Commercialization, which evaluates the commercial feasibility of technologies. Prior to arriving in North Carolina, Dhruv was a part of ICICI Bank’s sales team in Mumbai, India.

He currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Rex Health Ventures – a $10 million strategic investment fund that invests in healthcare. In addition, he served on the Leadership Council of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a grant making foundation supporting public education, community-based economic development, environmental sustainability and racial & gender equality in NC. 

 

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your tenure at the CED? How has CED responded to this challenge/opportunity?

As our entrepreneurial community has grown we’ve seen a number of great resources emerge to help early-stage startups gain a foothold and have a shot at success.  What CED has noticed is that there isn’t much formal support for companies who are scaling up from that startup phase.  Those scaleups are where we really start to see the economic and other benefits of successful entrepreneurship, so CED has decided to step in and become a resource for those “scaleup” companies.  We’re leveraging our network to help these companies form better relationships with investors, especially those who are out-of-market, and we’re helping to promote companies and our entrepreneurial ecosystem to national media and other audiences.  CED is perfectly positioned to fill this role as a connecting network, helping companies with traction to take that next step and truly build out our entrepreneurial community in North Carolina. 

 

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

Our two marquee conferences, Tech Venture and Life Science, have really grown over the past few years and now attract national attention from media, investors, companies, and entrepreneurs.  The Life Science Conference counts over 30% of its attendees from out of state and Tech Venture has become a key showcase event in the Southeast where companies are announcing product releases, partnerships, and other key milestones.  We see these events continuing to grow in both attendance and prestige over the next few years.

 

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time?

The best thing you can do as an organization like ours is to “talk to your customer.”  Our main customer is the entrepreneur, so we are constantly engaged in dialogue with them and adjusting our approach and offerings based on their feedback.

 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

We have transitioned our entire database and many of our operations to salesforce.com and it has transformed our organization.  It’s rare for a non-profit to be data-driven but we have embraced that strategy using Salesforce and we’re already seeing results – becoming a more efficient, outcomes-based organization.

 

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time?

I enjoy running.  I also enjoy a good quality beer… usually post-run.