Vermont Office of the Creative Economy

Vermont is, according to the national ranking Opportunity Nation, the state where a resident's prospects in life are among the best. Measuring indicators across economic, civic, and educational dimensions the index provides an interesting look at regions across the United States.

The folks at WDMF2014 are really excited about the day they've got planned for WDMF14 on  November 7th and are looking forward to seeing you there!  With 200+ already registered they're anticipating the best Festival yet. Check out the details here: http://www.woodstockdigital.com/

A few practicalities as you develop your plans:

-- The day will start with free coffee and muffins at 8:30 am at the Woodstock Inn and Resort, at 14 The Green in Central Woodstock.  We recommend parking in the Inn's parking lots, since the nearby on-street parking is metered.  

-- The morning session will be taken up by talks and presenations from festival speakers. Smaller, informal workshop sessions will take place in the afternoon.  The Workshops will be held in several spaces in the Inn and nearby -- all are walking distance.  We'll present the schedule and locations during the morning -- no need to choose in advance.

-- At the end of the day, Yonder  -- Woodstock's hometown digital media company -- has generously agreed to host a "afterparty" with drinks at a local establishment.  More details will be announced.

Our Housing and Community Development Commissioner asked that I make a quick presentation about startup spaces; here are my notes. I'd love to hear thoughts.

What Are Startup Spaces? Physical places where otherwise unconnected people gather to work out their ideas, get work done, and connect with others.

Are there different kinds of startup spaces? Yes, we can differentiate at least three:

Makerspaces

Coworking spaces

Accelerators

What is a makerspace? Makerspaces emphasize hands-on design and fabrication through the use of workspaces and shared equipment. Makerspaces are ideal for taking ideas through the prototyping process, even serving as a hub for small-scale manufacturing runs. They can be inclusive of many industries including the arts and crafts. They are often typified by a strong do-it-yourself ethos and a collective aptitude in electronics and engineering.

What is a coworking space? Coworking spaces are open work environments where freelancers, telecommuters, entrepreneurs and others in the independent workforce work together. Coworking spaces can be highly fluid, with startups “graduating” through expansion and freelancers coming and going on a month-to-month basis. Coworking spaces tend to be inclusive of many sectors, emphasizing the ability of members to carry out their principal work using a laptop.

What is an accelerator? An accelerator is a curated workplace environment where many, often tech-related startups are seeded by low overhead, investment capital, close mentorship and a fixed timeframe in which to grow their enterprise. The word “curated” is used to describe the often competitive entry requirements. Startups typically “exit” an accelerator with at least three things: a minimum viable product, basic business infrastructure, and a well-defined go to market strategy.

All of these spaces seek to nourish social aspects of work while fostering the success of independent endeavors.

So what's the big deal? Each of these archetypes of a shared work environment offers a solution to the problems of the startup economy: diffusion, access to talent, reduced overhead, concentration of resources, access to expertise, marketing, etc. One of the most important aspects of startup spaces is that they lower the risk associated with failure, including costly capital investments, fostering the kind of “churn” necessary for innovation in the marketplace.

What do startup spaces look like in Vermont? The first accelerator, VCET (vermonttechnologies.com) was founded in Burlington in 2005. The first coworking space in Vermont, Office Squared (http://officesquaredvt.com) was established in Burlington in 2009. Today, we know that:

There are at least 6 maker spaces, in Burlington, White River Junction, and

There are at least 9 coworking spaces, in Burlington, White River Junction, Middlebury, and Montpelier

There are at least 3 accelerators in Vermont and 1 in Hanover, NH

Where do startup spaces work best? Startup spaces have different needs, and are really driven by the culture and the opportunities identified by their founders. They tend to pop up where people want to gather anyway – for example, healthy downtowns – and where there is a sufficient energy and momentum behind new ideas – for example around colleges and universities. The most successful tend to be powered by institutions with strong research centers. Finally, startups spaces tend to work where there is enough slack in the local real estate market to make sites affordable.

So how can state government help? State government can play a few important roles, but they might not be what you expect. Here are three ways state government can help:

Carry the message: champion and promote these spaces to the right audiences. Encourage entrepreneurs to seek them out and experience them directly. Serve as a marketing platform to get the word out; this also goes a long way to legitimize the model and the movement.

Foster density: through efforts like the Downtown Program, fiber policy, tax credits, and commuting programs help drive development in areas where it becomes easier for startups to concentrate and feed off of one another – through ideas, talent and networks.

Network: help connect these spaces to markets of ideas, talent and capital by fostering activities such as angel and VC tours, innovation and business plan competitions, and TED style celebrations of audacious people, ideas and companies.

Everything sounds groovy. What should I be worried about?

There are a few ways the state can overshoot its role in supporting startup spaces; as with everything, the right touch is key. Here are three cautionary rules:

If your first interaction with someone is, “I need a grant,” be suspicious. Chances are it’s a non-profit or local government entity that has gotten religion and wants to create a startup space. These spaces need to led by entrepreneurs solving their own problem.

Resist the “build it and they will come” mindset. Chances are, if the initiative is being led by an entrepreneur or group of entrepreneurs, they should be able to demonstrate with hard numbers that there is a real market opportunity for the startup space they propose. Ensure that you have good evidence of critical mass.

You are invited to a special Creatives Mixer sponsored by Vermont PBS, the Vermont Office of the Creative Economy and the Vermont Media Alliance

Saturday, Oct 25, 2014, 12pm - 1:30pm at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center Atrium, 3rd oor, 60 Lake Street, Burlington

Please stay for the 1:30pm screening of Granito: How to Nail a Dictator and 4:00pm launch of Vermont Film S.O.S. initiative: Saving and Digitizing Vermont Films

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2014

Stowe Illustrator’s Aviation Art to be Sold at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Gift Stores

Tod Gunter, owner of Plane Profiles studio in Stowe, Vermont, announced today that prints of his aviation artwork will be sold at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum’s gift stores, located on the National Mall in Washington DC, and at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, near Washington Dulles International Airport. The prints are renderings of aircraft included in the museum’s collection.

The initial offerings are illustrations of an F4U-1D Corsair, a WWII fighter, and the post Vietnam era fighter/bomber, the F-4S Phantom II. More pieces are destined for the collection as they are completed. A rendering of the famous WWII fighter, the P-51D Mustang, is in progress and will be included later this fall. Prints of other aircraft illustrations Gunter has created will round out what will be available from the NASM gift shops. All of Gunter’s prints will be sold matted and ready to frame. The NASM artwork will be open-edition digital prints, measuring 10" x 20."

Gunter specializes in technical illustration of aircraft, particularly the side view. Every aircraft he illustrates is extensively researched and requires three to four months to complete. His artwork is created on a computer, but no 3D applications are used—everything is rendered “by eye,” as if he was painting on a canvas in the traditional manner.

In June 2005, prints of Gunter’s artwork were the official souvenir of a commemorative air show titled, "Corsairs Over Connecticut," held in Stratford, CT. Three of Gunter’s illustrations were published in the book Swashbucklers and Black Sheep, by historical author Bruce Gamble, in September 2012. Gunter’s first art exhibition was in spring 2013 at Burlington International Airport, and was sponsored by Burlington City Arts.

A designer for the past 36 years, Gunter’s experience includes graphic design, consumer packaging, website creation and industrial design. He has been awarded four US patents for his product designs.

Gunter will be opening a gallery for his aviation artwork at his current location in Stowe, tentatively this November. The Plane Profiles gallery will sell premium, limited-edition giclée prints, which will be matted and signed by Gunter. Prints will measure 12" x 24" and 16" x 40." Another press release will be issued when the gallery preparations and an opening date have been finalized.

Media Contact:  Michael Metz, Board Chair, [email protected]

Creative economy champion will lead Generator, Burlington's maker space

Generator, Burlington's downtown maker space, welcomes Lars Hasselblad Torres as its new Executive Director.

Lars will join the Generator on October 27 from Vermont’s Agency of Commerce where he served as Director of the Office of the Creative Economy. During his time at the Agency Lars established a presence, visibility and standing for the Office by fostering strategic partnerships, putting support behind key events around the state, directing research and policy efforts and developing a communications platform.

Lisa Gosselin, Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development which oversees the Office, cited the Agency's loss while acknowledging "the right move for Lars and a great opportunity for Generator and for emerging Vermont businesses."

Lars brings an extensive knowledge of, and connections across, Vermont’s innovation ecosystem. “This understanding of the spirit and role of maker spaces,” observed Generator board chair Michael Metz, “combined with his seasoned experience in technology and the arts, education and entrepreneurship makes Lars a great fit for the Generator at a time when we are laying new groundwork for our future direction and growth.”

“As a widely respected leader in innovation thinking, Lars brings the skills and experience needed to take Generator to the next level as a makers hub of entrepreneurial energy, creativity, and education,” added Mayor Miro Weinberger.  “The City looks forward to working with Generator and Lars to accelerate Burlington's creative economy and leverage new job opportunities.”

Generator is a design and fabrication hub at the intersection of art, science and technology that fosters a community of collaboration between artists, engineers, entrepreneurs and artisans. Located in Memorial Auditorium on Main Street, Generator offers a full suite of tools including electronic fabrication, rapid prototyping, jewelry, metal shop, and (forthcoming) wood working. Generator members (50 strong and growing) and the community at large benefit from shared learning, companionship, and the cross-fertilization of ideas.

Prior to joining the Agency of Commerce, Lars served as Innovation Prize Advisor to the Office of Science and Technology at the US Agency for International Development; before that he led the design and development of the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge (http://globalchallenge.mit.edu). He was a founding faculty member of the Booker T. Washington Public Charter School for Technical Arts (http://btwschool.org), where he developed an award-nominated urban studies curriculum that integrated technical and fine arts frameworks to explore and understand the evolution of urban form. In 2012 he founded Local 64, Central Vermont's first coworking hub, in Montpelier.

“I count it as a privilege to have been able to serve the State of Vermont,” said Torres, “And I am thrilled to roll up my sleeves and work with the Generator board, staff, members and allies to steer the growth and success of this remarkable asset in the months and years ahead.”