TECNA Summer Conference 2023

TECNA Board of Directors Meeting

**All Summer Conference Sessions are on the Seattle University Campus**

12:00pm – Registration/Badge Pick Up Opens
Student Center Lobby, Seattle U

12:00pm – Shuttle 1 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

12:20pm – Shuttle 2 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

1:15pm – Welcome
Student Center Room 160

2:00pm – Flash Talk: Funding the Council
Student Center Room 160

Identifying new and creative ways to sustainably fund non-profit associations and tech hubs are often the driving force behind decisions regarding programming, direction and sometimes mission.  This session will provide attendees with various mechanisms to deliver mission-driven value to organizations as well as a means for a good night’s rest.

2:45pm - Breakouts

• 2:45pm – Breakout - Events as a Product
  Student Center Room 130
  Events are a way for associations to deliver value to members and provide the organization an ongoing revenue source. Perfecting the events puzzle is a science as they often require significant internal resources to pull off successfully.  What is the secret sauce?  Join Elise Cambournac, President and CEO of the Nashville Technology Council and her team as they walk participants through a behind-the-curtain view of their hugely successful major events and some revenue generating programs that may surprise you!
• 2:45pm – Breakout - Sustainable Service/Revenue Opportunities
  Student Center Room 160
  Ongoing grant applications and renewals can be a churn on staff.  What if there was an income source that provided a product to your members that was not only mission-driven but created an ongoing, growing revenue source?  Join April House, President of Portalus, and the team at the Technology Association of Oregon, speaking to how they’ve met a critical member need and created a sustainable revenue source for their organization that grows larger with time.
• 2:45pm – Breakout - Membership
  Student Center Room 210
  A hallmark of membership organizations is their service to their members.  Though understanding the membership is of the utmost importance, organizations struggle with knowing how to track member engagement and staff outreach.  The team at the Pittsburgh Technology Council will present their in-house developed outreach and retention program that retained their 1000-company membership at 86% last year.  Back by popular demand!

4:15pm – Cocktails and Uncommon Connections
Speaker: Thom Singer, CEO, Austin Technology Council
PACCAR Atrium & Pigott Auditorium
When people connect and build relationships there is incredible potential. Harnessing the power of human connections is not easy, but inside a company or externally in your industry, creating engagement leads to  more opportunities. When people establish friendships in the workplace, they stay at their company longer, work harder, and are more satisfied.

6:05pm - Shuttle 1 departs Seattle U to Westin
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

6:30pm - Shuttle 2 departs Seattle U to Westin
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

7:30pm - Dinner in Seattle

TECNA members will descend on various Seattle eateries according to pre-assignment to make “uncommon connections” with fellow TECNA members.  Fun details to follow!  Attendees should plan for $30-$50 individual checks and individual transportation via cab, Uber or Lyft.

7:05am – Shuttle 1 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

7:25am – Shuttle 2 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

7:30am – Continental Breakfast
Student Center Lobby

8:00am – Welcome
Student Center Room 160

8:30am – Flash Talk: Advocacy
Student Center Room 160

One of the primary reasons for an association’s existence is advocating for a common goal on behalf of the like-minded coalition.  In many cases, the companies TECNA members serve depend on their technology council or their tech hub to advocate or relay issues of critical importance to their business to policy makers. This session and breakouts are dedicated to advocacy experience of all levels: from organizations that currently do not advocate, to highly sophisticated lobbying councils.

9:15am – Breakouts

• 9:15am – Breakout - Coordinating Policies Across States and Provinces
  Student Center Room 160
  The TECNA US Policy Committee has found its stride in advocating on the federal level in Washington, D.C.  Coordinating policies like privacy, right to repair, and antitrust among others on a state-by-state or province-to-province level can really take the power of the TECNA advocacy network to a new level of impact.  Kelly Fukai, VP of Government and Community Affairs at the Washington Technology Industry Association will lead this important discussion on how TECNA can be more effective in our state and province ground game.
• 9:15am – Breakout - Building a Policy Committee and Establishing Policy Priorities
  Student Center Room 130
  So your organization wants to advocate for policy that supports your members, and/or perhaps your organization has been doing so without a lot of structure previously.  You need to establish priorities that represent your membership with a goal of attracting your members to the table for their input and advocating more formally in your state/province or in DC/Ottawa.  It may seem like a bit of a daunting task, especially if you don’t have anyone on your team who has experience in advocacy work previously. Mollie Ross, Vice President of Operations for the Technology Association of Iowa, will take participants through her organization’s evolution of building a policy committee, setting policy priorities, and ultimately getting a data privacy bill passed in Iowa in 2023.
• 9:15am – Breakout - How to Educate without Lobbying
  Student Center Room 210
  Not all TECNA members are advocacy organizations by mission or by tax status.  Even still, bad business policy and government regulations still get in the way of your member business’ success.  Sometimes it is necessary to ensure your members understand how policy and regulations are affecting their businesses and what they can do about it if they choose to take action.  Lindsay Ries, TECNA’s Director of Government Relations, will take participants through how your organization can be helping your members understand policy while maintaining your organizations integrity and mission.

10:45am – Break

11:00am – 2023 TECNA Membership Survey Review  & Tech Worker Migration Study Review
Student Center Room 160

12:30pm – Lunch

2:00pm – Flash Talk: Supporting Innovators & Startups
Student Center Room 160

For years, the deep value a community reaps when they support innovators and founders has been documented. Founders, more often than not, give back to their communities in more ways than just job creation and investment.  In the years that follow a failed or successful business, a founder gives back to their community more than they ever benefitted through mentorships, financial investment in other funders/companies, or access to their networks among many other things.  It behooves tech hubs and technology councils to support our founders as they are often the catalyst for ongoing regional economic growth.

2:45pm – Breakouts

• 2:45pm – Breakout - Venture in/Venture Out
  Student Center Room 210
  Access to capital is paramount to startups, consuming huge amounts of founders’ time trying to navigate the venture capital and Angel Investor world.  The Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Venture In/Venture Out program fast-tracks an investment-ready founder’s VC and Angel networking journey by providing them with introductions to some of the world’s largest and most well-known VC firms as well as some of the not-known, well-connected Angel Investors.  Brian Kennedy, SVP Operations and Government Affairs at the PTC will take you through their in-bound and out-bound venture and angel missions and the secret sauce on how you can recreate this program for your founders.
• 2:45pm – Breakout - Scaleup Accelerator
  Student Center Room 160
  WEtech Alliance’s award-winning ScaleUP Accelerator program provides intensive growth coaching, expert insight, strategic planning, and financial assistance to tech entrepreneurs looking to scale their business.  The program boasts of bringing 141 new products/services to market, creating 172 jobs, and generating 26 million in revenue for companies who have graduated the program.  Adam Castle, Director of Venture Services for WEtech Alliance will take attendees on a tour of this innovative way their serving their entrepreneurs.
• 2:45pm – Breakout - Founder Cohort Program
  Student Center Room 130
  The Washington Technology Industry Association’s Founder Cohort program helps 30-35 venture-scale, seed-stage startups grow and scale over the course of 6 months.  WTIA and their partners provide a roadmap intended to guide founders through increasing revenue, securing investment, and growing the team.  Join Nick Ellingson, WTIA’s Director of Programs and Startup Ambassador to learn about this highly effectual program that boasts of successfully helping their graduates raise $300 million.

4:15pm – Break

4:15pm – Shuttle 1 departs Seattle U for Westin
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

4:35pm – Shuttle 2 departs Seattle U for Westin
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

6:25pm - Shuttle 1 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

6:45pm - Shuttle 2 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

7:00-9:00pm – Dinner & 2023 TECNA Innovation Awards
Campion Ballroom

It’s time to celebrate YOU!  TECNA member teams work hard every day all year serving their members and celebrating their successes.  The TECNA Innovation Awards celebrates outstanding work done by TECNA member councils in their communities. 

9:00pm – Shuttle 1 departs Seattle U for Westin
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

9:15pm – Shuttle 2 departs Seattle U for Westin
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

8:15am - Shuttle 1 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

8:35am - Shuttle 2 departs Westin for Seattle U
**There are 50 seats on each shuttle. Don't wait for the second shuttle, ride not guaranteed**

8:30am – Continental Breakfast
Student Center Lobby

9:00am – Welcome
Student Center Room 160

9:15am – Flash Talk: Workforce
Student Center Room 160

The struggle to attract and retain tech workers pervasively impacts every region TECNA members serve.  Three workforce areas associations and tech hubs can effectively remedy this problem: Advocating for public policy and/or funding to support K-12 STEM education; Connecting the employers’ workforce needs and the educators in curriculum development; and reskilling and providing alternatives for the workforce to meet the needs of employers.  This session will deep-dive into each of these areas and work with participants in helping TECNA members to identify which area best suits their associations’ capabilities   and/or help to provide new insight into these areas where councils and tech hubs are already serving their members.

10:00am – Breakouts

• 10:00am – Breakout - Public Funding & Policy for K-12 STEM Education
  Student Center Room 130
  Getting computer science into the curriculum in Minnesota’s K-12 schools is a goal MnTech has set forth to accomplish by advocating with fervor in St. Paul.  Jeff Tollefson, CEO, MnTech, will walk attendees through their successes and setbacks of getting computer science education throughout the state and partnering with & CSforAll to build the curriculum for students in Minnesota within five years.
• 10:00am – Breakout - Curriculum development
  Student Center Room 210
  Bridging the gap between employers and educators is a vital key to successfully meeting workforce demands.  While it seems like a no-brainer for employers and educators to be working together, it rarely happens without a connector.  Dr. Loretta Daniels, Director, Bridge Builders at the Technology Association of Georgia, will lead a discussion on project based learning and how to successfully connect colleges and universities with industry.
• 10:00am – Breakout - Adult Reskilling & Higher Education
  Student Center Room 160
  Many TECNA members are directly meeting employers’ workforce needs by serving as the lifeline to the workers through the facilitation of tech internships, project based learning, coding bootcamps, and diverse resume databases.  This session will provide attendees with options and ideas on how to directly meet employers’ hiring needs through alternative methods outside of the traditional education system and hiring methods.

12:30pm – Closing & Box Lunch