Vermont a Top Place to Live – and to Find a Tech Job
A recent ranking by CNBC of “America’s Best Places to Live,” based on quality-of- life measures, gave the top honors for Vermont. The state scored well on factors such as health care, air quality, childcare, voting rights and inclusiveness.
As CNBC notes in its ranking, today’s workers have choices, and many are choosing where they work based on where they want to live. And Gen Z and Millennials, in particular, want to live in places that align with their values.
So, Vermont’s positive ranking on many areas that matter is an opportunity for the state, and in particular for Vermont’s tech businesses. The VTTA has consistently said that Vermont offers the “best of both worlds” for those in tech: a great place to live and great jobs with dynamic and growing tech businesses, as represented by our members.
And if you’re interested in what jobs are available, check out the nearly 300 job opportunities with VTTA members on our Career Center.
Join us for Upcoming Events
The VTTA is hosting some upcoming events and we hope you can attend.
On Aug. 2 were gathering at the Queen City Brewery event space for a Let’s Tech Together Networking Event featuring beer (and other beverages), pizza, and a presentation on marketing strategies for growing businesses. It’s a great opportunity to meet and connect with those in the tech community and others.
Come cruise aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen at our annual Lake Champlain sunset cruise networking event, sponsored by FirstLight. Join VTTA members, friends and supporters for spirits, food, and networking amid the spectacular setting of Lake Champlain.
Jeff Couture
Executive Director
Vermont Technology Alliance
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VTTA Networking Event and Presentation at Queen City Brewery
(Aug 2, 2022)
The Vermont Technology Alliance is hosting a "Let's Tech Together" networking event and presentation at Queen City Brewery Event Space on Aug. 2.
Join us to hear a presentation on marketing strategies for growing businesses, while also enjoying pizza and beer and networking with others who make up Vermont’s Tech ecosystem.
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Vermont Technology Alliance Sunset Networking Cruise
(September 15, 2022)
Come cruise with the Vermont Technology Alliance aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen for our annual Lake Champlain sunset cruise networking event, sponsored by FirstLight. Join VTTA members, friends and supporters for spirits, food, and networking amid the spectacular setting of Lake Champlain.
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2022 Manufacturing Summit: A Virtual Supply Chain Event for Advanced Manufacturing
(September 21, 2022)
The Vermont Chamber has reinvented the format of the Annual Manufacturing Summit offering an engaging, interactive, and content rich virtual edition with a theme of “Rebuilding Supply Chains and Workforce through Content, Collaboration, and Contacts.” This B2B program offers participants the opportunity to meet with OEMs, prime contractors, suppliers, partners from throughout New England and lower Québec,
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MindEdge & VTTA Professional Development Offering |
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Modern business software produces mountains of data, and it’s up to the professional to examine it and draw meaningful conclusions. The Data Analytics certificate and coursework will teach the fundamentals of quantitative analysis so that you can read the trends in your spreadsheets to convert them to thoughtful business decisions.
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Why Data Analytics Training?
Data Analysis is the process of inspecting, cleansing,
transforming and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.
It is among today’s fastest-growing and highest-paid
professions, as organizations increasingly rely on data to drive strategic business decisions. The ability to interpret this data is highly sought after – take the opportunity to be that person in your organization, and make it clear that you’re an asset to your team.
VTTA members receive 10% off all courses
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Sample Course List:
1: Certificate in Data Analytics
2: Data Analysis for Improving Organizational Performance
3: Data Analysis in the Real World
4: Introduction to Data Analysis
5: Statistical Process Control
6: Statistics as a Managerial Tool
7: Tools of Data Analysis
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The Tech Tribune Lists Top 10 Tech Startups in Vermont
(July, 2022 –The Tech Tribune)
The online publication The Tech Tribune released its annual list of the Best Tech Startups in Vermont for 2022, including some names from last year’s list and some newcomers.
The list considers factors such as revenue potential, the leadership team, brand/product traction and the competitive landscape. In addition, all companies must be independent, privately owned, not more than 10 years old and have received at least one found of funding.
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Vermont tops CNBC’s list of America’s Best Places to Live
(July, 2022 – VTTA)
The other states in the top ten list are Hawaii, North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, and Iowa.
Vermont ranked high for Voting Rights, Childcare, Health Care, Air Quality; inclusiveness was noted as strong, but not compared to the other metrics.
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Gov. Scott Announces $48 Million in Broadband Grants to Communications Union Districts
(July 22, 2022 – VTDigger)
Gov. Phil Scott announced $48 million in new grants to the state’s communications union districts, the municipal organizations working to connect homes that are without a reliable wireline connection to fiber-optic cable.
Vermont has an ambitious plan that combines private investment and public funds to connect every resident with fiber-optic cable.
For the largely rural regions of the state without access to high-speed internet, Vermont is relying on a strategy of allowing municipalities to band together into communications union districts to build fiber-optic service.
Christine Hallquist, executive director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, said including the $48 million announced Friday, the organization has awarded $96 million in grants to these communications union districts since last August.
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Governor Announces $57.9 Million Investment Creating Venture Capital for Vermont Entrepreneurs and Startups
(July 18, 2022 – Press Release)
Governor Phil Scott, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) announced that Vermont will receive $57.9 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to provide more access to capital for Vermont entrepreneurs and small business startups. Vermont’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program will include access to low interest loans and early-stage venture capital investments.
Vermont’s SSBCI program will receive nearly $29 million allocated to venture capital that will focus on seed fund investments; leveraging accelerator programs to make small investments in rural, pre-seed stage companies; and investments in high-growth, technology innovation companies in the healthcare sector.
Vermont will also allocate another $29 million to a loan participation program, administered by VEDA, which will leverage private funds to help small businesses grow, create good paying jobs and serve underserved markets.
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Tracking the Beverage Industry: Vermont Information Processing
(July, 2022 – Vermont Business Magazine)
It is 1972 in Burlington, and a man named Howard Aiken has just created a new service for collecting and processing billing data. Based on that, the company he starts, Vermont Information Processing, soon has six employees. In 2001, Aiken sells the company — now 45 workers strong — to the employees. Since then, VIP has grown into a stealth behemoth, so secretive that its CEO won’t sit for an interview and its top-level employee-owners squirm when asked to quantify the company’s revenue.
Today, Aiken’s little company, now located in Colchester, is celebrating its 50th year in business. It has grown to 600 employee-owners and is widely credited with revolutionizing the national beer, wine and soda industry. Its recent yearly revenues, according to ZoomInfo Technologies, a leading go-to-market intelligence platform for sales and marketing teams, reached $99 million.
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Burlington City Council Approves 75-year BETA Technologies Lease at Burlington Airport
(July 19, 2022 – Vermont Business Magazine)
The Burlington City Council gave unanimous approval to a 75-year lease between the Burlington International Airport and BETA Technologies to help ensure that the innovative, electric aviation company remains a vibrant part of the region’s economy for the long term. The agreement will enable BETA to construct and operate a 355,000-square-foot building on airport property to design, produce and assemble electric aircraft.
Under the lease, the rent paid by BETA will be fair market rent, consistent with the rent paid by other tenants of BTV.
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Vermont’s Beta Technologies is Growing Fast. But it Faces Challenges on its Path to Electric Flight
(June 29, 2022 – Vermont Public)
A company in South Burlington wants to revolutionize the future of flight. Beta Technologies is part of a fast-growing industry working to build electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
It’s growing at a rapid clip. Just five years after Beta was founded, it has nearly 300 employees in Vermont, with plans to hire hundreds more. But the company is still several years away from launching its product, and it faces obstacles and uncertainty ahead.
Beta is in a competitive field. According to one industry-watcher, nearly 700 companies are trying to get into the eVTOL business. Many in this prospective industry are looking to get into what’s known as “urban air mobility.”
Think electric flying cars, ferrying those who can afford it above city traffic. But Beta is not banking on carrying passengers right away. For the most part, it’s focused on selling its planes to transport cargo, COO Blain Newton said.
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UVM’s Participation in Medidata’s Groundbreaking Sensor Network Could Lead to Better Patient Care
(July 13, 2022 – UVM)
A reduction in the number of falls that multiple sclerosis patients experience could someday be among the outcomes of the University of Vermont’s participation in Medidata’s Sensor Cloud Network.
“We are leveraging the tools and technology available in the Medidata Sensor Cloud Network to advance and accelerate our work in the development of fall risk detection algorithms in the multiple sclerosis population,” said Ryan McGinnis, director of UVM’s M-Sense Research Group.
UVM, along with eight other organizations, is joining Medidata’s Sensor Cloud Network, a cross-sector collaboration focused on solving the challenges related to sensor integrations, standardization of sensor data, and the development of novel digital biomarkers and algorithms. These will help to create new digital endpoints that could translate into more effective treatments and better healthcare for patients.
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Comcast Expands Services to More Than 2000 Addresses in Vermont
(June 28, 2022 – Vermont Business Magazine)
Comcast announced it will expand its fiber network to five new communities – Elmore, Eden, Hubberdton, Stratton and Wardsboro – and further into four communities it already serves – Jamaica, Sudbury, Wolcott and Morristown – as part of its latest project to make broadband available to more Vermonters.
This network expansion delivers Comcast’s innovative portfolio of Xfinity and Comcast Business services, including residential broadband speeds up to 6 gigabits per second (Gbps) and business speeds up to 100 Gbps, to more than 2,000 additional residents and businesses in the Green Mountain State
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Vermont Technology Alliance Membership Update
The Vermont Technology Alliance works on behalf of its members and is able to carry out its mission through the support of its membership.
Renewing members include Data Innovations and Instrumart as Partner Member/Sponsors. We are thankful for the foundational support of our annual Member/Sponsors.
Not a VTTA member yet? Then why not join now? Find more information and register here. You can also contact us at admin@vtta.org.
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NPI is an innovative technology management consultant and a provider of comprehensive IT support services based in South Burlington, Vermont. For over 30 years, we have provided clients across New England with technology solutions that make their systems into powerful, reliable contributors to their success. Our work begins by ensuring that our clients have the best possible system and network — and as these evolve, we’re their trusted advisor and trouble-preventer.
Our services are strategic, and they build on our clients’ staff’s knowledge and expertise. We listen closely, focus on results, and continually look ahead to ensure our clients’ technology does all they need it to do. As our clients’ businesses grow, we keep their systems working smart and productively. If issues arise, we’re right there to prevent and minimize downtime. And when it comes to security, we stay ahead of potential threats, to keep our clients’ IT online and their data clean and safe. We build a relationship that links our clients’ system performance to their business results — and we help them get there, every step of the way.
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Useful Information & Links |
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Upskill Vermont Scholarship Program at UVM
For the second year in a row, the state has enabled UVM to offer free educational opportunities to eligible Vermonters.
To participate and receive two (2) free courses through UVM Professional and Continuing Education, applicants must be a Vermont resident and meet one of the following criteria:
- You are unemployed or underemployed
- You are seeking to transition to a job that provides better opportunities for economic advancement
- You have incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines (FPG) by household size.
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I-Corps Short Course to be offered through UVM in August
UVM will be hosting an I-Corps short course in August.
In the I-Corps regional course, STEM researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs get out of their comfort zone and learn from potential customers. The goal is to determine if they are solving a real-world problem with a sizable market opportunity. In addition to entrepreneurial training, this program helps researchers identify new ways to apply their research to solve real-life challenges.
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Online Professional Development Courses
The VTTA has partnered with MindEdge to offer easy-to-access, affordable, online professional development courses. Whether you are looking to expand your skill set, earn professional credits, or learn something new, these courses are an option to gain essential and in-demand skills on your own time, at your own pace, and from any location. As a bonus, VTTA members save 10% on all offerings.
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VTTA Career Center
Vermont Technology Alliance member companies are hiring, and when you visit the Career Center on the Vermont Technology Alliance website you can browse and search for these job openings and subscribe to updates. The Career Center on average features 200+ tech and non-tech jobs with Vermont Technology Alliance member businesses. Jobs available from VTTA members are listed at no charge in the Career Center as a member benefit.
Find the Career Center here.
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The VTTA Thanks Its Member/Sponsors
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