GSA Technology Council

Immedion, South Carolina and Western North Carolina’s premiere provider of data center services today announces the hiring of Jenny Skipper as Director of Marketing and Communications. Skipper will responsible for all marketing, communications and public relations efforts pertaining to Immedion’s four data center locations in Greenville, Columbia and Charleston, SC and Asheville, NC.

Skipper has more than 8 years of marketing experience including online and traditional marketing, strategic planning, public relations and creative development. Her most recent employment was with PM Digital and UCI Medical Affiliates in Columbia. She is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Communications.

“We are excited to have Jenny join our team,” said Immedion CEO, Frank Mobley. “Jenny’s strategic marketing background will be a valuable asset in effectively communicating our ideas and vision to current and potential clients.”

via Immedion

The Upstate Carolina Angel Network, LLC (UCAN), a group of local investors who support startup and early stage, high-growth businesses in the Southeast, announced today that the organization’s director, Matt Dunbar, has been elected to a three year term on the thirteen member Board of Directors for the Angel Capital Association.

The Angel Capital Association (ACA) is the North American trade association of angel groups and private investors that invest in high growth, early-stage ventures. The Angel Capital Association provides professional development for angel groups, family offices and individual investors and delivers services and benefits to support the success of the portfolio companies of ACA members. The association also serves as the promotional voice for the North American angel community and the public policy voice for the USA professional angel community.

ACA membership includes more than 185 angel groups and twenty affiliate organizations from across North America. Angel Capital Association member angel groups represent 8,500 accredited investors, are funding approximately 800 new companies each year and manage an ongoing portfolio of more than 5,000 companies across North America.

via Angel Capital Association

Technology integrator TSAChoice, Inc., with offices in Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC, is proud to announce that 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of Jeff Lowdermilk with the company. Jeff has been with TSAChoice since 1982 and has helped to grow the business to a staff of more than 60 technology professionals, with offices in Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC. Jeff serves as a Principal with the company.

Jeff was introduced to the technology and business worlds when as a teenager he earned a reputation for being the “go-to” guy for installing sophisticated car stereo systems; he soon had friends paying for his services. Another early job was selling educational books in Texas — an invaluable experience in building his own business in a new market, which fostered a foundation of hard work and integrity. Jeff spent six years in the broadcasting industry, building and managing sales teams.

In 1982 Jeff joined the newly formed Telephone Systems of Asheville, a division of MB Haynes Corporation, which quickly became the dominant telephone equipment, data wiring and fiber optics provider in the area. In 1995, TSAChoice’s original management team of Bill Arledge, Jeff Lowdermilk, and Dan Higgins bought the company from MB Haynes and continue to lead the company to this day, organizing it into the region’s largest business technology integrator in Western North Carolina. 2011 marked TSAChoice’s expansion into upstate South Carolina, serving businesses in Greenville, Greer, Spartanburg, Easley, Anderson, Woodruff, and surrounding areas, from its Greenville, SC office.

via TSAChoice

Worthwhile, a customer-driven digital strategy firm with offices in Greenville, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C., is pleased to announce the hiring of account executive Megan E. Finnern.

As an account executive, Finnern will work to grow relationships so that Worthwhile can serve clients strategically and consistently. She will work out of Worthwhile’s Greenville headquarters. Finnern joins Worthwhile with a background in both digital marketing and communications and in client relations. She is active in Greenville Chamber of Commerce and PULSE, and serves on the social media committee for Greenville Family Partnership.

via Worthwhile

Technology integrator TSAChoice, Inc., with offices in Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC, announces that Voice/IT Field Technician Ben Bruce completed training and exams through TSAChoice’s business partner, Cisco, to earn his Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification.

Ben Bruce received his CCNA certification for Network Specialists, Administrators, and Support Engineers with 1-3 years of network engineering experience, enhancing his ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-sized routed and switched networks. Ben has been with TSAChoice’s Greenville office for one year after working as a Mitel Direct certified technician for four years. He has extensive experience working with Voice over Internet Protocol, web, and data networks.

via TSAChoice

Preparations for the first “IT-oLogy Connections 2013 in partnership with Connect South Carolina” conference are underway as event hosts IT-oLogy and Connect South Carolina recently confirmed two dynamic speakers in James Ashley, expert on Microsoft Kinect for Windows; and Steven Naifeh, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and modern artist for the May 16 event.

Sessions provided by the speakers include:

• The use of gesture-based control systems for computers using skeletal recognition, facial recognition, and/or voice recognition. This portion of the summit will be presented by Ashley and introduced and sponsored by Microsoft.
• Naifeh’s modern art is based on geometric abstraction and he will show how he uses technology to make the planet more beautiful. Naifeh’s session will mark the opening of his gallery exhibition, Found in Translation: The Art of Steven Naifeh, and will be introduced and sponsored by the Columbia Museum of Art.

“We couldn’t be happier with the lineup that is taking shape for Connections 2013,” said IT-oLogy’s Director of Grow IT Initiatives, Jim Stritzinger. “This event is designed for technology professionals and highlights innovative uses of technology across a variety of industries. Our goal is to have everyone walk away seeing something that they’ve never seen before.”

This event, a collaborative effort between IT-oLogy, an IT talent and workforce development collaborative and South Carolina’s State Broadband Initiative grantee, Connect South Carolina, will share advances in hardware, software, infrastructure, and processes across a variety of industries and highlight efforts to increase broadband access, adoption, and use. Morning segments will feature a variety of guest speakers, including Ashley and Naifeh, and afternoon sessions will dive deeper into best practices, success stories, and product demonstrations.

“IT-oLogy Connections 2013 in partnership with Connect South Carolina” will be held on Thursday, May 16, from 9 am – 5 pm EDT at the IT-oLogy Theater located at 1301 Gervais Street, Suite 101, in Columbia, South Carolina. Register here.

via IT-oLogy

Upstate-based A.T. LOCKE, which provides accounting services, business analysis and financial and strategic guidance to emerging and mid-sized organizations, has added Adeana Elvin as an accounting analyst on the firm’s rapidly-growing team.

A certified public accountant with more than two decades of experience concentrated in manufacturing, distribution/logistics and banking, Ms. Elvin is originally from the Caribbean, and holds a B.S. degree in Accounting from Bob Jones University, along with an MBA from Webster University.
Prior to joining A.T. LOCKE, she served in a variety of roles with Abitibi Bowater, the most recent being that of Sr. Financial Analyst; and has also served in accounting and finance capacities with ScanSource and Southern National Bank. She currently is an adjunct professor at both Furman University and at Greenville Technical College, serving on Greenville Tech’s Accounting Advisory Committee in addition to her teaching duties.
Ms. Elvin will work with a variety of A.T. LOCKE clients across the Upstate from the firm’s Greenville headquarters, and currently resides in Greer.

“Adeana is a skilled and experienced CPA who provides outstanding accounting and financial analysis skills, along with an exceptional customer service mindset, to assist A.T. LOCKE clients,” said Anna Locke, President of A.T. LOCKE. “We are delighted to welcome her to the A.T. LOCKE team as we focus on delivering timely, accurate, and relevant financial insight and information to every client.”

InnoVenture 2013 announces initial presenters and panelists organized into five focus areas at the 10th annual InnoVenture 2013 Conference in Greenville on May 8 and 9, 2013. Registration and additional information is available at InnoVentureConference.com. 

Featured Presentations

“Light” Manufacturing will be presented by John Ballato, Director of the Clemson University Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), to develop and commercialize industrial applications for lasers and other optics technologies. The objective is to make the “Light” Manufacturing collaboration the US leader in lasers/optics for manufacturing.

“Aerospace Industry” will be presented by Bill McLendon, President & CEO of PEROT Aerospace LLC, focused on investing capital and expertise in the growing number of aerospace-related companies in the Southeast USA. Perot Aerospace is actively seeking growth investments in excellent aerospace companies in this region. Other aerospace leaders will also be featured, as this industry sector has become such a growing force in the Southeastern USA.

Infrastructure Rehabilitation will be presented by Jeff Strahan, Research Chemist at Milliken & Company, featuring products designed for the rehabilitation of civic and transportation infrastructure. Among the innovative products highlighted will be Concrete Cloth.

GreenVillages will be presented by Fred Payne, Greenville County Councilman, to develop and commercialize livable, connected, sustainable, multi-modal transportation innovations. GreenVillages has potential partners across the country around the world who would like to first provide innovative solutions for Greenville County, and then to commercialize those solutions across the country and globally.

Crowdfunding will be presented by Mark Knight, an securities attorney with Nexsen Pruet, focused on developing a network of partners to benefit from the crowdfunding provisions of the recently enacted JOBS Act, which is a game changer for entrepreneurial companies seeking to raise capital.

Initial Presenters and Panelists

Aerospace and Aviation Innovation

• Bill McLendon, President & CEO, PEROT Aerospace LLC – featured presenter
• Issac White, Engineering Manager, Stevens Aviation, Inc.
• Charlie Farrell, Director, SC Department of Commerce Aerospace Task Force
• Steve Townes, President and CEO, Louis Berger Services, Inc.
• Sam Havelock, CEO, Federated Precision Inc.
• Jim Stike, Founder, MIT-RCF

Sustainable Materials, Systems & Energy

• Jeff Strahan, Research Chemist, Milliken & Co – featured presenter
• Yoav Silber, Regional Director, Clariter
• Mohamed El Batanouny, Postdoctoral Fellow Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Carolina
• Marek Urban, J.E. Sirrine Foundation Endowed Chair and Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University
• Tom Iseley, Director, Construction Engineering Management Technology, Purdue University
• Sami Rizkalla, Dist. Professor of Civil Engineering, NC State University
• Kevin Weir, Innovation and New Business Development, Milliken & Co
• Murray Dodd, P.E., COO, Greenville Water

Manufacturing and Supply Chain Innovations

• John Ballato, Professor, Clemson University – featured presenter
• Jerome Foster, CEO, Emerald Endeavors
• Sam Blackman, Special Business Solutions, Flextronics
• Stefan Bude, President and CEO, Draexlmaier Automotive
• Lewis Gossett, President/CEO, SC Manufacturing Association

Intelligent Transportation & Mobile Services

• Fred Payne, Greenville County Council – featured presenter
• Peter Muller, President, PRT Consulting

Crowdfunding

• Mark Knight, Nexsen Pruet, LLC – featured presenter
• Dirk Brown, Director, Faber Entrepreneurship Center at the University of South Carolina
• Albin Bajramovic, Co-Founder and CEO, CrowdEndowed
• Peter Barth, Managing Director, The Iron Yard
• Stanfield Gray, Executive Producer, Dig South

About InnoVenture 2013
The 10th Annual InnoVenture 2013 Conference will discover new business opportunities and help those big ideas develop by connecting them with the resources they seek – customers, capital, talent and technology. Those attending will benefit from discovering opportunities they would otherwise not see, connecting with influential people who can be referral sources, and learning from a smart community of people. InnoVenture’s audience is highly educated, affluent and informed, and includes CEOs, Presidents, Managers, decision-makers and thought leaders. Over 500 people attended last year. Register here.

via InnoVenture

Mike Pfohl has joined A.T. LOCKE, an Upstate business providing accounting services, business analysis and financial and strategic guidance to emerging and mid-sized organizations, as a financial analyst on the firm’s rapidly-growing team.

A native of Camden, South Carolina, Mr. Pfohl holds a B.S. degree in Financial Management as well as an MBA, both from Clemson University.  Prior to joining A.T. LOCKE, he served as chief financial officer for Perceptis, LLC, a help-desk and IT consulting provider to higher education, and as vice president of finance for Level One, a strategic support solutions provider to the multi-family industry.  He also has served in leadership roles with Avery Dennison, NewSouth Communications and Electric Power Board of Chattanooga during his professional career.

Mr. Pfohl’s experience has included a range of operations, accounting, financial reporting, risk management, payroll, tax, treasury and key account management roles.  He will work with a range of A.T. LOCKE clients across the Upstate from the firm’s Greenville headquarters.  Married with three children, he currently resides in Greenville.

“Mike brings exceptional strategic and analytical abilities, along with broad industry experience and outstanding customer service skills, to benefit A.T. LOCKE clients,” said Anna Locke, President of A.T. LOCKE.  “We are committed to providing timely, accurate, and relevant financial insight and information, along with quality service and insight, to every client.  We expect Mike to be a wonderful addition to our team.”

via A.T. LOCKE

Raleigh, NC Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Winston Salem, NC Monday, April 22, 2013

InnoVenture 2013 Annual Conference Tue-Wed, May 8-9, 2013

via InnoVenture