Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Louisville, KY:

The next GAME Change Summit (October 29) and Workshop (October 30) will be hosted as part of the Kentucky Industry Conference at the Marriott Downtown in Louisville, KY.

Participants will intermingle GAME Change sessions with keynote speakers, vendors, and networking as part of GAME Change’s collaboration with the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2). GAME Change Summit and Workshop agendas will be available soon.

Registration can be done at this link, and those who are registering as part of GAME Change should use this code – GAMEChange2024 – to get a free registration.

From Durham, NC:

WRAL News reports that a new fellowship in Durham is trying to help start-up founders with access to top technology resources, mentorship and an entrepreneurial community. The new program from American Underground (AU) and the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology is named the FCAT Fellowship, and it includes an intensive 10-week hybrid program followed by a 12-month residency at American Underground.

“The FCAT Fellowship embodies AU’s mission to serve innovators, creators and changemakers with the connections, community and support they need to succeed,” said Laura Zabinski, Director of Programs and Partnerships at American Underground. “By leveraging the founder-focused resources and expert network of both the AU and Fidelity, the FCAT Fellowship will open doors for tech startups across the region.”

From Birmingham, AL:

AL.com reports that Goldman Sachs announced on Friday that the investment banker is bringing its business-education program, 10,000 Small Businesses, to Alabama, with a commitment of $3 million to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that serve rural small businesses in the state.

The New York-based investment banking house launched its rural initiative last year in North Dakota, and Alabama becomes the fifth state for the program, which is part of a $100 million initiative to reach rural small business owners in 20 states over five years. The program is focused on helping rural entrepreneurs grow their businesses with training, access to capital and personalized support services.

Since it was launched the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative has reached approximately 15,000 small businesses around the U.S.

From Washington, DC but with Southeast Ties:

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the appointment of four new experts to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC), which advises the President and the White House on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence (AI). They include:

• Aneesh Chopra, Chief Strategy Officer of Arcadia, who previously served as the first U.S. Chief Technology Officer and before that was Virginia’s Secretary of Technology; and
• Angie Cooper, Executive Vice President of Heartland Forward, who previously worked in international and domestic public policy and government affairs for Walmart Stores, Inc., most recently as Senior Director of Global Public Policy.

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