The Ballston Innovative Initiative was recently launched by multiple entrepreneur-focused organizations in the Greater Washington region. The three-month initiative takes place between April and June of this year and is intended to foster a vibrant technology ecosystem that brings together entrepreneurs, university researchers and students, government program managers, and a supportive business community.
Amplifier Ventures and Arlington County are directors of the program, while community partners include FounderCorps, Marymount University, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, Arlington Public Schools and George Washington University among others.
“Our Department of Defense and intelligence agencies are always looking for best-in-class solutions, and yet they don’t always have the visibility into the people that truly create powerful solutions in cyber security, big data and other key technologies,” said Jonathan Aberman, founder of Amplifier Ventures and executive director for this initiative. “We plan to bring together the critical members of the ecosystem such as government agency program managers, entrepreneurs, academia and business leaders to grow this community.”
Some of the program’s community connections include the April 18th launch party, which will be headlined by Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard (HP). Other events throughout the three-month program include the following:
- National Security Deal Day: taking place June 12th, this event provides small businesses the opportunity to pitch technology products to government program managers and potential investors.
- Ballston Innovative Initiative Bootcamp: taking place May 11th, this event will provide small businesses with a foundation on how to do business with the government.
- FounderCorps University: a regional not-for-profit based on entrepreneurial development, has agreed to offer classes in two four-week sections beginning on April 22, 2013. Planned classes include but are not limited to: Business Formation, Corporate Finance for Startups, Strategies to Manage Growing Pains, Lean Startup Mechanics, Sales and Marketing and Digital Marketing.
For more information, go to: www.ballstoni2.com
