MassTLC Tech & Innovation Community March 2021

Hello Tech Community Members,   I know we had a tough 2020 as a world, but with all that we learned last year, I am optimistic as we enter into spring that 2021 will prove to be much brighter. And I am looking forward to a year full of promise and building out of the Tech & Innovation Community! We've already held our first CTO/VP of Engineering Virtual Connect bringing together peers to ask questions and share insights on the issues they face as engineering executives. And we will have our first professional development session focused on leveraging low code coming up at the end of the month, along with a program on cloud optimization happening later in May. We've also been continuing along with our efforts to deliver thought leadership, tech-focused content, and value through a number of ways beyond just events. In this issue we have pieces on low code and edge computing, as well as spotlights on Ed Chin, the CTO of Allego, and Hakan Satiroglu, CEO of XR Terra. If you have something you would like to have spotlighted, please let me know! Finally, I am happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Macronet, who joins our other sponsors: Chewy, InterSystems, MIT Professional Education, Progress, Red Hat, and Rocket. And as always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to set up some time to talk, please reach out to me. Best regards,

Sara Fraim Sr. Director MassTLC Email

Stay Informed and Get Involved

MIT’s Blade Kotelly on Innovation – and How it Can be Mastered by All: Blade hosted a webinar based on his course "Mastering Innovation and Design Thinking," where students learn to conceive of radically innovative solutions, to create a vision that gains buy-in, and to develop solutions that people embrace, emotionally and intellectually. Read more and listen here. Tech & Innovation Community – Leveraging Low Code: Low code, no code, and citizen development. What do they mean, why are they different, and when is it most appropriate to use them. In this session our panelists will explore how low code can accelerate application development and implementation time. Register here.  Inspire Future Generations of Black Innovators & Leaders: NSBE Boston Professionals is proud to announce the 3rd Annual INSPIRE STEM Gala taking place on Saturday, March 20th at 6:30pm. This year’s theme to “Re-envision STEM for the future” addresses the growing inequalities for Black students in underserved communities and places a special focus on the tools and resources that are being made available to increase access for students in STEM. More information here.

Industry News & Resources

Capitalizing on the AR/VR Opportunity by Building a Talent Pipeline. XR Terra, a Boston-based company, “empowering the next generation of XR talent,” is not just a training company. I sat down (virtually, of course) with XR Terra Founder and CEO, Hakan Satiroglu, and Vice President of Product, Kachina Studer, to learn more about the company and its mission. Getting to Know Allego’s CTO, Ed Chin. Over the past few years, I have been excited to watch the fast-growing learning, content, and collaboration platform company Allego based in Needham, MA. So, I was very excited to grab some time with their Chief Technology Officer, Ed Chin, to get some of the Allego back story and learn more about him. Top 5 Benefits of Low-Code. The top 5 benefits of low-code is a tricky topic. Today, more than 300 vendors and platforms offer various flavors of low-code. However, the majority of these low-code tools are really no-code tools that benefit individuals or small groups who are trying to solve a specific business problem. As Edge Computing Expands, Trust is at the Center. Edge computing is on the verge of a breakthrough. So, how can companies connect it to value? The answer is a critical mix of technology and trust. Exclusive Book Excerpt: Boston Made From Revolution to Robotics –Innovations That Changed the World. Dr. Robert Krim, co-founder and executive director of the Boston History & Innovation Collaborative and a long time champion of the Boston area’s history of innovation and entrepreneurship, has shared an excerpt of his latest book. Read more here.

DEI Initiatives and Offerings

DEI Business Strategy Leadership Program: This case-study focused workshop, featuring Harvard Business School faculty members and industry executives, will provide you with the analytics and tools needed to identify and evaluate DEI strategic opportunities and to develop an action plan that enables you to make the systemic change needed to drive business value and impact, including to your bottom-line performance. More information and register here.  Board-Ready Bootcamp. This award-winning program is designed to improve the quality of board governance and composition at tech companies by providing a high-impact curriculum on board fundamentals, strategy and governance. Given the lack of diversity in the tech boardroom, the bootcamp is focused on preparing underrepresented tech leaders, including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and women tech executives. Learn more and apply here. MassTalent. This is a platform designed for organizations that provide training, placement, and funding for pipeline and workforce development. The organizations and programs listed here have a core mission of helping those in underrepresented or non-traditional populations move into the tech industry. Learn more about MassTalent here.

Thank You to Our Community Sponsors

Thank You to Our Co-Chairs

Lovee Garg Director of Engineering and Product Development Pluralsight

Nausheen Moulana VP, Software Engineering and Operations Kyruus

Paiman Nodoushani CTO Examity

Thank You to Our Global Sponsors