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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Find a Job, Make Connections and Learn About Local Innovation at the Vermont Tech Jam
Posted
By 7D Staff
on Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 5:08 PM
Vermont has a national reputation for its snow sports and craft beer. But the state is also home to numerous innovative tech companies that make everything from underwater robots to battery-powered aircraft. And they’re hiring.
You can interact with dozens of these companies at the next Vermont Tech Jam, an annual career and tech expo on Saturday, October 22. Organized since 2008 by the newsweekly Seven Days, with help from the Vermont Technology Alliance, the Jam showcases some of Vermont’s most inventive enterprises at Hula, a coworking campus on the Burlington waterfront.
This year’s free event, presented by Marvell and Hula, starts with a one-of-a-kind job fair, where job seekers, college students, career changers and other professionals can mingle and talk tech. Vermont colleges and technical programs will also be exhibiting at the event. And the Jam includes a daylong robotics demo zone where members of Vermont’s FIRST robotics community display their creations and explain this unique opportunity to help cultivate the next generation of Vermont innovators.
The career fair, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is followed by a 4 p.m. keynote presentation from Boston Scientific cofounder John Abele and Sarah Kalil, CEO of the promising Vermont-based bioscience company CoreMap.
Abele, a Shelburne resident, helped build Boston Scientific into a company worth billions. Now he’s investing in up-and-coming new technologies, and mentoring entrepreneurs like Kalil. CoreMap is based on years of groundbreaking medical research on atrial fibrillation led by University of Vermont Medical Center’s Dr. Peter Spector; Kalil, a native Vermonter, is helping bring his innovations to market. Their company recently secured $23 million in financing.
The Vermont Tech Jam is sponsored by an array of Vermont companies and organizations committed to supporting the local tech ecosystem: Hula, Marvell, Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman, Vermont Information Processing, Vermont Tech Council, Mascoma, Data Innovations, Norwich University, Health Plans Inc., the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Vermont Technology Alliance, WCAX and Vermont Biz.
For more information, a complete schedule and a list of exhibitors, visit techjamvt.com.
You can interact with dozens of these companies at the next Vermont Tech Jam, an annual career and tech expo on Saturday, October 22. Organized since 2008 by the newsweekly Seven Days, with help from the Vermont Technology Alliance, the Jam showcases some of Vermont’s most inventive enterprises at Hula, a coworking campus on the Burlington waterfront.
This year’s free event, presented by Marvell and Hula, starts with a one-of-a-kind job fair, where job seekers, college students, career changers and other professionals can mingle and talk tech. Vermont colleges and technical programs will also be exhibiting at the event. And the Jam includes a daylong robotics demo zone where members of Vermont’s FIRST robotics community display their creations and explain this unique opportunity to help cultivate the next generation of Vermont innovators.
The career fair, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is followed by a 4 p.m. keynote presentation from Boston Scientific cofounder John Abele and Sarah Kalil, CEO of the promising Vermont-based bioscience company CoreMap.
Abele, a Shelburne resident, helped build Boston Scientific into a company worth billions. Now he’s investing in up-and-coming new technologies, and mentoring entrepreneurs like Kalil. CoreMap is based on years of groundbreaking medical research on atrial fibrillation led by University of Vermont Medical Center’s Dr. Peter Spector; Kalil, a native Vermonter, is helping bring his innovations to market. Their company recently secured $23 million in financing.
The Vermont Tech Jam is sponsored by an array of Vermont companies and organizations committed to supporting the local tech ecosystem: Hula, Marvell, Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman, Vermont Information Processing, Vermont Tech Council, Mascoma, Data Innovations, Norwich University, Health Plans Inc., the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Vermont Technology Alliance, WCAX and Vermont Biz.
For more information, a complete schedule and a list of exhibitors, visit techjamvt.com.
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Seven Days Wins 6 First-Place Awards in National Media Competition
Posted
By Corey Barrows
on Thu, Jul 28, 2022 at 9:23 AM
Seven Days, Vermont’s free, independent newsweekly, won six first-place awards at the annual Association of Alternative Newsmedia conference last week at the Medill School of Journalism in downtown Chicago
The AAN Awards recognize work that is "well-written, incisively reported and effectively challenges established orthodoxies."AAN member publications vary in size and circulation, and are based in cities across the continent; the awards contest gives these publications the opportunity to compete against their peers.
From the judges: “Writing that reflects the local food scene beyond its dining rooms.”
LGBT Coverage
Chelsea Edgar, "Vermont Has Endangered Transgender Prisoners. Change Is Coming — but Is It Enough?"
From the judges: “Strong reporting on a topic that gets too little attention.”
Multimedia
Eva Sollberger, "A new Era for the House of LeMay"
From the judges: “This was excellent storytelling; it actually reminded me of something I’d see on CBS Sunday Morning.”
Photography
James Buck, "We’re Nobodies’: Residents Describe Life at Burlington’s Notorious Homeless Encampment"
From the judges: “Powerful photojournalism that tells an important story, humanely, with dignity for photo subjects.”
Cartoon
Tim Newcomb
From the Judges:“One entry nudges boundaries for liberal audience. Not always preaching to choir. Nice move.”
Derek Brouwer, Liam Elder-Connors, "Roaches and Broken Locks: Mark and Rick Bove’s Growing Empire of Affordable Rentals Vexes Code Enforcers"
From the judges: “Evidence of how newsrooms can be competitive and still work together on the big stuff that matters to the people they serve.”
Beat Reporting
Colin Flanders
From the judges: “Strong writing and great breadth of health issues covered”
Health Care Reporting
Colin Flanders, Chelsea Edgar, "The Doctor Won’t See You Now: Patients Wait Months for Treatment at Vermont’s Biggest Hospital"
From the judges: “This is important reporting on how the system is broken even under normal circumstances. Seven Days brings out excellent reporting to help make change.”
News Story - Long Form
Chelsea Edgar, "Vermont Publishing House Chelsea Green Is Peddling Coronavirus Misinformation"
From the judges: “In less capable hands, the article would have been filled with cheap shots. But the author knows that deep reporting is the best way to pursue truth.”
Illustration
Sean Metcalf
From the judges: “An illustration in this context should provide additional meaning to the story. Does it…? The answer here is emphatically YES.”
Arts Feature
Dan Bolles, "The Producer | Joshua Sherman spearheads an arts-led revitalization in Norman Rockwell’s Arlington"
From the judges: “Compelling human interest story that connects current development with its place in history.”
Margot Harrison
From the judges: “A book reviewer to follow.”
The AAN Awards recognize work that is "well-written, incisively reported and effectively challenges established orthodoxies."AAN member publications vary in size and circulation, and are based in cities across the continent; the awards contest gives these publications the opportunity to compete against their peers.
1st Place Awards
Melissa PasanenFrom the judges: “Writing that reflects the local food scene beyond its dining rooms.”
LGBT Coverage
Chelsea Edgar, "Vermont Has Endangered Transgender Prisoners. Change Is Coming — but Is It Enough?"
From the judges: “Strong reporting on a topic that gets too little attention.”
Multimedia
Eva Sollberger, "A new Era for the House of LeMay"
From the judges: “This was excellent storytelling; it actually reminded me of something I’d see on CBS Sunday Morning.”
Photography
James Buck, "We’re Nobodies’: Residents Describe Life at Burlington’s Notorious Homeless Encampment"
From the judges: “Powerful photojournalism that tells an important story, humanely, with dignity for photo subjects.”
Cartoon
Tim Newcomb
From the Judges:“One entry nudges boundaries for liberal audience. Not always preaching to choir. Nice move.”
2nd Place Awards
Nonprofit CollaborationDerek Brouwer, Liam Elder-Connors, "Roaches and Broken Locks: Mark and Rick Bove’s Growing Empire of Affordable Rentals Vexes Code Enforcers"
From the judges: “Evidence of how newsrooms can be competitive and still work together on the big stuff that matters to the people they serve.”
Beat Reporting
Colin Flanders
From the judges: “Strong writing and great breadth of health issues covered”
Health Care Reporting
Colin Flanders, Chelsea Edgar, "The Doctor Won’t See You Now: Patients Wait Months for Treatment at Vermont’s Biggest Hospital"
From the judges: “This is important reporting on how the system is broken even under normal circumstances. Seven Days brings out excellent reporting to help make change.”
News Story - Long Form
Chelsea Edgar, "Vermont Publishing House Chelsea Green Is Peddling Coronavirus Misinformation"
From the judges: “In less capable hands, the article would have been filled with cheap shots. But the author knows that deep reporting is the best way to pursue truth.”
Illustration
Sean Metcalf
From the judges: “An illustration in this context should provide additional meaning to the story. Does it…? The answer here is emphatically YES.”
Arts Feature
Dan Bolles, "The Producer | Joshua Sherman spearheads an arts-led revitalization in Norman Rockwell’s Arlington"
From the judges: “Compelling human interest story that connects current development with its place in history.”
3rd Place Awards
Arts CriticismMargot Harrison
From the judges: “A book reviewer to follow.”
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Win a Free Trip to Washington, D.C. by Taking the Good Citizen Challenge This Summer
Posted
By Seven Days Staff
on Wed, May 18, 2022 at 3:30 PM
Looking for some educational family fun this summer — and a chance to win a free trip to Washington, D.C.? Help the kids in your life take the Good Citizen Challenge, an interactive, nonpartisan civics activity. It recognizes and rewards participants for learning about their communities, keeping up with local news and taking action to help others.
Organized by Seven Days and its parenting publication Kids VT — with help from the Vermont Historical Society and the Vermont Community Foundation — the nonpartisan Good Citizen Challenge is open to all K-12 students.
This summer’s Challenge is timed to coincide with an exhibit at the Vermont History Museum, opening July 3, that explores the life and work of the first commercial globe-maker in the Americas, James Wilson of Bradford; he made his first globe in 1810. Wilson’s globes helped people in the U.S. understand more about the world and their place in it.
A Challenge scorecard can be found in the Summer issue of Kids VT, which is inserted into the May 18 issue of Seven Days; Kids VT is available all season long at drop off locations in Northwestern Vermont. Participants can also download the scorecard at goodcitizenvt.com, or pick one up at the Vermont History Museum. The deadline to enter is Labor Day, September 5.
Seven Days and Kids VT organized the first Good Citizen Challenge in 2018 to raise awareness of civics education and help bridge the partisan divide; the most recent Challenge took place during the 2020-2021 school year. More than 400 K-12 students from 43 Vermont towns participated.
“We know from surveying past participants that kids who complete the Good Citizen Challenge learn new things about Vermont history, feel more connected to their communities and are more aware of local news,” said Good Citizen Challenge creator Cathy Resmer, deputy publisher of Seven Days and editor of Kids VT. “Helping your kids take the Good Citizen Challenge is a great way to prompt conversations about what it means to be an informed and responsible citizen. And it gives parents and camp directors ideas for fun day trips or rainy day projects.”
Partners in this summer’s Good Citizen Challenge also include VPR and Vermont PBS, Front Porch Forum and the Vermont State House. Phoenix Books is donating pocket-sized U.S. constitutions as well as gift cards to be used for prizes.
“We’re excited to partner with Seven Days and Kids VT on this Good Citizen challenge to get everyone out and exploring our wonderful state,” said Amanda Kay Gustin, director of collections and access for the Vermont Historical Society. “Learning history is crucial to understanding the world around you, and we hope to see many participants at the Vermont History Museum this summer.”
Said Scott Finn, CEO of VPR and Vermont PBS: "We're thrilled to partner with Seven Days on this initiative, which makes civics fun and real for young people. It strengthens Democracy, in the same way our reporting does."
“Front Porch Forum is delighted to support the Good Citizen Challenge again in 2022,” said Front Porch Forum’s cofounder and CEO, Michael Wood-Lewis. “Helping neighbors connect and build community is more important than ever. The Challenge is a great way to learn about the world, connect with others — and make Vermont a little better along the way. Thank you, Seven Days!”
Organized by Seven Days and its parenting publication Kids VT — with help from the Vermont Historical Society and the Vermont Community Foundation — the nonpartisan Good Citizen Challenge is open to all K-12 students.
This summer’s Challenge is timed to coincide with an exhibit at the Vermont History Museum, opening July 3, that explores the life and work of the first commercial globe-maker in the Americas, James Wilson of Bradford; he made his first globe in 1810. Wilson’s globes helped people in the U.S. understand more about the world and their place in it.
This summer’s Good Citizen Challenge includes 25 activities, such as:
- Visiting the Vermont History Museum (participants and their families get in free)
- Reading an issue of a local community newspaper
- Searching for the deed for a property
- Writing a poem or making a piece of art about Vermont’s state motto: Freedom and Unity
- Listening to a podcast from Vermont Public Radio
- Using Front Porch Forum to organize a donation drive for a charity
- Having a respectful conversation with someone who has opposing views
A Challenge scorecard can be found in the Summer issue of Kids VT, which is inserted into the May 18 issue of Seven Days; Kids VT is available all season long at drop off locations in Northwestern Vermont. Participants can also download the scorecard at goodcitizenvt.com, or pick one up at the Vermont History Museum. The deadline to enter is Labor Day, September 5.
Seven Days and Kids VT organized the first Good Citizen Challenge in 2018 to raise awareness of civics education and help bridge the partisan divide; the most recent Challenge took place during the 2020-2021 school year. More than 400 K-12 students from 43 Vermont towns participated.
“We know from surveying past participants that kids who complete the Good Citizen Challenge learn new things about Vermont history, feel more connected to their communities and are more aware of local news,” said Good Citizen Challenge creator Cathy Resmer, deputy publisher of Seven Days and editor of Kids VT. “Helping your kids take the Good Citizen Challenge is a great way to prompt conversations about what it means to be an informed and responsible citizen. And it gives parents and camp directors ideas for fun day trips or rainy day projects.”
Partners in this summer’s Good Citizen Challenge also include VPR and Vermont PBS, Front Porch Forum and the Vermont State House. Phoenix Books is donating pocket-sized U.S. constitutions as well as gift cards to be used for prizes.
“We’re excited to partner with Seven Days and Kids VT on this Good Citizen challenge to get everyone out and exploring our wonderful state,” said Amanda Kay Gustin, director of collections and access for the Vermont Historical Society. “Learning history is crucial to understanding the world around you, and we hope to see many participants at the Vermont History Museum this summer.”
Said Scott Finn, CEO of VPR and Vermont PBS: "We're thrilled to partner with Seven Days on this initiative, which makes civics fun and real for young people. It strengthens Democracy, in the same way our reporting does."
“Front Porch Forum is delighted to support the Good Citizen Challenge again in 2022,” said Front Porch Forum’s cofounder and CEO, Michael Wood-Lewis. “Helping neighbors connect and build community is more important than ever. The Challenge is a great way to learn about the world, connect with others — and make Vermont a little better along the way. Thank you, Seven Days!”
Find more information and a Challenge scorecard at goodcitizenvt.com.
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Seven Days Wins 23 First-Place Awards, Including General Excellence, in Regional Media Competition
Posted
By Corey Barrows
on Wed, May 4, 2022 at 11:27 AM
Seven Days won 23 first-place awards — our best showing ever — at the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) convention in Boston last weekend — including General Excellence and Reporter of the Year.
Nearly 2,000 entries were submitted and evaluated by New England Newspaper & Press Association’s distinguished panel of judges. Seven Days competed against dozens of other newsweeklies around the region in the large-circulation weekly category.
Chelsea Edgar
General Excellence
Seven Days staff
Best Coverage of Coronavirus
Best Human Interest Feature Story
Chelsea Edgar, "Mother Load: A Year in the Life of Three Single Moms in Vermont"
Science/Technology Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Flight Path: BTV's Beta Technologies Is on the Cusp of a Breakthrough for Electric Aviation"
From the judges: "Top shelf reporting on an emerging Vermont startup Beta Technologies. Well written and thorough reporting."
Climate Change or Weather Reporting
Kevin McCallum & Ken Picard, "Trickle to Torrent: The Climate Crisis Brings Both Deluges and Droughts to Vermont"
From the judges: "McCallum and Picard’s reporting on the aging water systems and potential for indoor farming is top notch."
Coverage of Protests and Rallies
Chelsea Edgar, "'Torn Apart': Fault Lines Over Trump, Racism and Justice Divide the Town of Johnson"
From the judges: "This entry excels by bringing in a multitude of voices and perspectives that reveal the many nuances of the community's divide. Well-crafted, empathetic and even-handed writing."
Crime and Courts Reporting
Colin Flanders, "Case Dismissed? Questions Persist About Police Investigation Into Ralph Jean-Marie's Disappearance"
From the judges: "This story exemplifies the importance of accountability journalism. The journalist moves beyond the official story from police to point to unexplored paths — and then delivers the evidence-driven story in a way that cannot be ignored."
Education Reporting
Alison Novak & Courtney Lamdin, PCBs at Burlington High School
From the judges: "While the subject matter can be technical, the writers took great pains to make the information clear and understandable. An impressive effort on a huge community story."
Environmental Reporting
Kevin McCallum, "Beekeepers Worry Pesticide-Treated Seeds Contribute to Hive Deaths"
Environmental Reporting
Margaret Grayson, "The Vermont Wild Bee Survey Finds and Identifies Hundreds of Species"
From the judges: "The stories feature solid reporting on a vitally important issue that threatens the food chain — as well as steps that officials are considering in order to deal with the issue."
Food Page or Section
Jordan Barry, Melissa Pasanen & Sally Pollak, Food + Drink section, March 3, 2021
From the judges: "This is local food journalism at its best: Timely, inclusive and compelling."
Government Reporting
Courtney Lamdin, Colin Flanders & Sasha Goldstein, "Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation"
From the judges: "Seven Days delivers a textbook example of excellent enterprise reporting, uncovering plagiarized passages of a "blue ribbon" report on police reform. This story should hang in every newsroom as an example of what municipal reporters can (and should) do."
Investigative /Enterprise Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Investors With Questionable Records Want to Buy Five Vermont Nursing Homes. Will the State Let Them?"
Local Election Coverage
Courtney Lamdin, Burlington's Mayoral Race
Obituaries
Colin Flanders, "COVID-19 Claims a Hardwick Couple Married for Nearly 68 Years"
Arts & Entertainment Reporting
Dan Bolles, "Banjo Great Gordon Stone Celebrated With Posthumous Album"
From the judges: "A good feature can lead the reader to learn something, to become more appreciative of a subject or genre — and in rare occasions open a door to a whole new level of appreciation of a particular art form or subject they never knew, understood, or heard of before. This writer accomplishes all three in this informative, easy reading tribute that probably helped expose the subject to new audiences in his own home state and neighborhood."
Reporting on Religious Issues
Chelsea Edgar, "In Enforcing Pandemic Precautions, Vermont Treads Lightly in Houses of Worship"
Entertainment Video
Eva Sollberger, "Winter Dipping With Katharine Montstream and the Red Hot Chilly Dippers"
From the judges: "Beautifully shot and captures the intensity of this community of dippers."
Feature Video
Eva Sollberger, "Founders Hall on Saint Michael's Campus Is Selectively Dismantled"
News Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: The Tran Family Patriarch Gets Vaccinated"
Sports Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: 'American Ninja Warrior' Amir Malik Trains in Essex"
Headline Writing
Seven Days staff
Nearly 2,000 entries were submitted and evaluated by New England Newspaper & Press Association’s distinguished panel of judges. Seven Days competed against dozens of other newsweeklies around the region in the large-circulation weekly category.
Related From the Deputy Publisher: Trusted Sources
From the Deputy Publisher: Trusted Sources
From the Publisher
1st Place Awards
Reporter of the YearChelsea Edgar
General Excellence
Seven Days staff
Best Coverage of Coronavirus
Best Human Interest Feature Story
Chelsea Edgar, "Mother Load: A Year in the Life of Three Single Moms in Vermont"
Science/Technology Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Flight Path: BTV's Beta Technologies Is on the Cusp of a Breakthrough for Electric Aviation"
From the judges: "Top shelf reporting on an emerging Vermont startup Beta Technologies. Well written and thorough reporting."
Climate Change or Weather Reporting
Kevin McCallum & Ken Picard, "Trickle to Torrent: The Climate Crisis Brings Both Deluges and Droughts to Vermont"
From the judges: "McCallum and Picard’s reporting on the aging water systems and potential for indoor farming is top notch."
Coverage of Protests and Rallies
Chelsea Edgar, "'Torn Apart': Fault Lines Over Trump, Racism and Justice Divide the Town of Johnson"
From the judges: "This entry excels by bringing in a multitude of voices and perspectives that reveal the many nuances of the community's divide. Well-crafted, empathetic and even-handed writing."
Crime and Courts Reporting
Colin Flanders, "Case Dismissed? Questions Persist About Police Investigation Into Ralph Jean-Marie's Disappearance"
From the judges: "This story exemplifies the importance of accountability journalism. The journalist moves beyond the official story from police to point to unexplored paths — and then delivers the evidence-driven story in a way that cannot be ignored."
Education Reporting
Alison Novak & Courtney Lamdin, PCBs at Burlington High School
From the judges: "While the subject matter can be technical, the writers took great pains to make the information clear and understandable. An impressive effort on a huge community story."
Environmental Reporting
Kevin McCallum, "Beekeepers Worry Pesticide-Treated Seeds Contribute to Hive Deaths"
Environmental Reporting
Margaret Grayson, "The Vermont Wild Bee Survey Finds and Identifies Hundreds of Species"
From the judges: "The stories feature solid reporting on a vitally important issue that threatens the food chain — as well as steps that officials are considering in order to deal with the issue."
Food Page or Section
Jordan Barry, Melissa Pasanen & Sally Pollak, Food + Drink section, March 3, 2021
From the judges: "This is local food journalism at its best: Timely, inclusive and compelling."
Government Reporting
Courtney Lamdin, Colin Flanders & Sasha Goldstein, "Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation"
From the judges: "Seven Days delivers a textbook example of excellent enterprise reporting, uncovering plagiarized passages of a "blue ribbon" report on police reform. This story should hang in every newsroom as an example of what municipal reporters can (and should) do."
Investigative /Enterprise Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Investors With Questionable Records Want to Buy Five Vermont Nursing Homes. Will the State Let Them?"
Local Election Coverage
Courtney Lamdin, Burlington's Mayoral Race
Obituaries
Colin Flanders, "COVID-19 Claims a Hardwick Couple Married for Nearly 68 Years"
Arts & Entertainment Reporting
Dan Bolles, "Banjo Great Gordon Stone Celebrated With Posthumous Album"
From the judges: "A good feature can lead the reader to learn something, to become more appreciative of a subject or genre — and in rare occasions open a door to a whole new level of appreciation of a particular art form or subject they never knew, understood, or heard of before. This writer accomplishes all three in this informative, easy reading tribute that probably helped expose the subject to new audiences in his own home state and neighborhood."
Reporting on Religious Issues
Chelsea Edgar, "In Enforcing Pandemic Precautions, Vermont Treads Lightly in Houses of Worship"
Entertainment Video
Eva Sollberger, "Winter Dipping With Katharine Montstream and the Red Hot Chilly Dippers"
From the judges: "Beautifully shot and captures the intensity of this community of dippers."
Feature Video
Eva Sollberger, "Founders Hall on Saint Michael's Campus Is Selectively Dismantled"
News Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: The Tran Family Patriarch Gets Vaccinated"
Sports Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: 'American Ninja Warrior' Amir Malik Trains in Essex"
Headline Writing
Seven Days staff
Monday, October 18, 2021
United Therapeutics CEO Martine Rothblatt and Beta Technologies Founder/CEO Kyle Clark to Speak In Person at Vermont Tech Jam
Posted
By Cathy Resmer
on Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 8:30 PM
Vermont startup Beta Technologies has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund its drive to pioneer electric aviation. On Saturday, October 23, Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark and its first customer, Martine Rothblatt, CEO of United Therapeutics, will speak in person during a special keynote presentation at the end of the 2021 Vermont Tech Jam.
About Beta and Kyle Clark
Based at Burlington International Airport, Beta Technologies is trying to do something that’s never been done before: manufacture a fleet of battery-powered aircraft capable of transporting people and cargo, and design the battery-charging infrastructure to support it.
Hundreds of companies around the world are racing to build battery-powered planes; air travel is a significant source of the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. Beta is one of the leaders of the pack. It has already received orders for planes from customers including United Parcel Service, aka UPS.
Vermont native Kyle Clark founded Beta in 2017. He’s a pilot, engineer and former hockey pro who had a vision for an electric aircraft that could take off and land like a helicopter, then fly like a fixed-wing plane. One of the company’s other competitive advantages? Martine Rothblatt, Beta’s first customer, who now serves as one of the company’s directors.
About Martine Rothblatt
Rothblatt has been blazing trails for decades. A regulatory attorney, she cofounded Sirius Satellite Radio and helped develop the technology that made it possible. In 2013, she was the highest-paid female CEO in the U.S., earning $38 million. She’s also a pioneer in the field of digitizing human consciousness. The ambassador for her efforts in that realm, Vermont-based Terasem Movement Foundation, is a robot, Bina48, created using the downloaded memories of her wife, Bina.
In the 1990s, one of the couple’s daughters was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a fatal disease. In an effort to save her daughter’s life, Rothblatt researched possible treatments and started a biotech firm, United Therapeutics, to pursue them. Today the company sells five FDA-approved medicines that treat the disease; her daughter now works for the company.
Still, the only cure for the disease is a lung transplant, and there’s a severe shortage of available organs. So United Therapeutics plans to manufacture them. To deliver the organs to recipients in time, the company needs a special kind of aircraft. That’s where Beta comes in.
A July 31 Bloomberg Businessweek article about Rothblatt and her quest outlines the challenges and Martine’s extraordinary background as a lawyer and a trans woman who came out in her forties. The story quotes Liana Moussatos, an analyst at an investment firm, who’s been tracking Rothblatt’s work. “Martine is a different kind of person in general,” said Moussatos. “Once she has her mind set on something, she’s going to figure it out.”
In a special keynote presentation, Seven Days writer Chelsea Edgar will moderate an in-person conversation between Clark and Rothblatt about how they met, what led them to work together, and how their unique partnership has the potential to change Vermont — and the world.
More than 40 local employers will be hiring at the Tech Jam, which takes place at Hula, a lakeside tech campus in Burlington. The job fair portion of the event runs from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Beta Technologies will also be hiring at the event. Tech Jam attendees can try its MobileDome flight simulator, which will be parked outside Hula.
The presentation begins at 4 p.m., and requires a ticket for Session #2 of the Tech Jam, $10 in advance, $15 on the day of the event. A reception will follow with light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Register for the event, and find more information, including a list of Tech Jam exhibitors, at techjamvt.com.
Masks will be required indoors at the Tech Jam in accordance with CDC guidelines.
Friday, September 24, 2021
Local Employers Recruit and Reconnect — in Person — at the 2021 Vermont Tech Jam
Posted
By Cathy Resmer
on Fri, Sep 24, 2021 at 10:55 AM
Find a great job, meet collaborators and be inspired at the 2021 Vermont Tech Jam. This annual career and tech expo, powered by Seven Days newspaper, is back — in person, and in Burlington — on Saturday, October 23, at the new Hula lakeside tech campus.
Dozens of local startups and technology companies will be exhibiting and hiring, including:
This year’s event is divided into two sessions. Admission is free for the first session, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. A ticket for session two, from 1:30 to 6 p.m., costs $10 and includes the keynote presentation: an interview with BETA CEO Kyle Clark and BETA adviser and client Martine Rothblatt, entrepreneur, futurist and CEO of United Therapeutics. The pair will discuss how their partnership evolved, and how it’s transforming the field of electric aviation. (Note: Rothblatt was previously scheduled to appear virtually, but will now be presenting in person.)
Tech Jam organizers are encouraging attendees to be vaccinated and will be following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention masking guidelines for indoor events. For more information, tickets and registration, visit techjamvt.com.
Dozens of local startups and technology companies will be exhibiting and hiring, including:
- Electric aviation startup and Tech Jam sponsor BETA Technologies
- Benchmark Space Systems, maker of propulsion systems for small satellites
- Wireless charging innovator Resonant Link
- Large local employers such as sponsors GlobalFoundries, Marvell, BioTek/Agilent, VIP, Data Innovations, C2 and OnLogic
This year’s event is divided into two sessions. Admission is free for the first session, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. A ticket for session two, from 1:30 to 6 p.m., costs $10 and includes the keynote presentation: an interview with BETA CEO Kyle Clark and BETA adviser and client Martine Rothblatt, entrepreneur, futurist and CEO of United Therapeutics. The pair will discuss how their partnership evolved, and how it’s transforming the field of electric aviation. (Note: Rothblatt was previously scheduled to appear virtually, but will now be presenting in person.)
Tech Jam organizers are encouraging attendees to be vaccinated and will be following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention masking guidelines for indoor events. For more information, tickets and registration, visit techjamvt.com.
Friday, April 23, 2021
Seven Days Wins 25 Awards in Regional Media Competition
Posted
By Corey Barrows
on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 5:12 PM
Seven Days, Vermont’s free, independent newsweekly, won nine first-place awards in this year’s New England Better Newspaper Competition — including top honors in investigative, history, social issue and religious issue reporting. The paper also won nine second-place and seven third-place awards — 25 total.
The contest is organized by the New England Newspaper & Press Association; winners were announced at NENPA’s annual convention — held virtually this year — on April 8. This competition is the largest and most comprehensive journalism recognition program in New England.
Seven Days’ first-place awards included:
The contest is organized by the New England Newspaper & Press Association; winners were announced at NENPA’s annual convention — held virtually this year — on April 8. This competition is the largest and most comprehensive journalism recognition program in New England.
Seven Days’ first-place awards included:
- Investigative Reporting: “Guarded Secrets: Claims of Sexual Misconduct, Drug Use Plague a Vermont Prison for Women” by Paul Heintz
- Arts and Entertainment Reporting: “Public Libraries Adapt to the 21st Century … and Uphold Democracy” by Seven Days staff
- History Reporting: “Refugee Who Survived the 'Voyage of the Damned' Says 'People Haven't Learned Anything'” by Colin Flanders
- Excellence in Newsroom Collaboration: “Worse for Care” by Derek Brouwer and Andrea Suozzo
- Social Issue Feature: “HOWLing at the Moon: A Women's Collective Grapples With a Gender-Fluid Future” by Chelsea Edgar
- Reporting on Religious Issue: “Good News? Evangelicals Are 'Planting' Dozens of Churches in Vermont's Rocky Soil” by Chelsea Edgar
- Headline Writing: Seven Days Staff
- Sports Video: “Stuck in Vermont: Green Mountain Athletic Association 10K in Scenic Charlotte” by Eva Sollberger
- Feature Video: “Stuck in Vermont: The Downes Family Recovers From COVID-19” by Eva Sollberger
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Keep The Kids Busy Over Winter Break With the Good Citizen At-Home Challenge
Posted
By Cathy Resmer
on Wed, Dec 23, 2020 at 10:30 AM
Looking for fun, educational projects to keep the kids busy over winter break? Help them take the Good Citizen At-Home Challenge!
This statewide youth civics initiative is organized by Burlington-based Seven Days newspaper and its parenting publication, Kids VT, with support from the Vermont Community Foundation. Since 2018, the Good Citizen Challenge has encouraged young Vermonters to learn about history, government and news literacy, as well as ways they can pitch in to help out their communities.
Adult-child teams are encouraged in the new Challenge, which launched December 9. It includes more than 40 activities designed for this pandemic winter — many of them provided by Good Citizen partners. Participants choose which activities to do. All of them can be completed at home or from a safe social distance.
At-Home Challenge activities include:
This statewide youth civics initiative is organized by Burlington-based Seven Days newspaper and its parenting publication, Kids VT, with support from the Vermont Community Foundation. Since 2018, the Good Citizen Challenge has encouraged young Vermonters to learn about history, government and news literacy, as well as ways they can pitch in to help out their communities.
Adult-child teams are encouraged in the new Challenge, which launched December 9. It includes more than 40 activities designed for this pandemic winter — many of them provided by Good Citizen partners. Participants choose which activities to do. All of them can be completed at home or from a safe social distance.
At-Home Challenge activities include:
- Listening to episodes of VPR’s “But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids” and "Brave Little State," as well as “Before Your Time,” a podcast from the Vermont Historical Society and Vermont Humanities
- Shoveling snow for neighbors
- Reading five articles in a local newspaper
- Making a poster for Green Up Day
- Organizing a donation drive for a local charity using Front Porch Forum
- Streaming films including The Social Dilemma, Boys State, Coded Bias, Ethan 2018 and The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Monday, December 7, 2020
Seven Days Wins “Newspaper of the Year” Recognition in Regional Media Competition
Posted
By Corey Barrows
on Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 10:09 AM
Seven Days, Vermont’s free, independent newsweekly, is a New England Newspaper of the Year. The paper bested dozens of other regional large-circulation newsweeklies in a competition organized by the New England Newspaper & Press Association. The results were announced in a virtual award ceremony last month.
The judges were impressed by the ”tremendous amount of content” in Seven Days — both in print and online — and praised everything from the presentation of obituaries to the web design and navigation. “I could spend hours on the site!” one observed.
As for story selection, another noted, “They appear to cover stories that are controversial and that other papers may not cover. Lots of … important local issues but also interesting and thought-provoking articles.” The judges hailed the paper’s hallmark feature stories, food and drink section and “extensive coverage of all types of entertainment."
Asked what struck them most about Seven Days, the judges answered; “The investigative reporting;” “Tons of ads and classifieds;” “The amount of content;” and “I would read this every week.”
The recognition is well-timed, according to Seven Days publisher Paula Routly. “Everyone on the team can celebrate this one,” she said, “and that’s just what we all need to keep going in this pandemic.”
Seven Days also received two “Publick Occurrences’” awards in the competition — named after America’s first newspaper in 1690 Boston. NENPA presents up to 16 Publick Occurrences awards annually for “the very best work that New England newspapers produce each year.”
The judges selected "Worse for Care," a joint investigation by Seven Days and Vermont Public Radio that exposed safety violations in Vermont’s state-regulated eldercare facilities. One judge noticed the “smart and convincing reporting and editing” in the series, produced by VPR’s Emily Corwin and Mark Davis, and Seven Days’ Derek Brouwer, Matthew Roy, Candace Page, Andrea Suozzo and James Buck.
The second award went to "Guarded Secrets," an investigation into Vermont’s prison system written by Paul Heintz. One judge called it “a top-notch investigative report.”
The judges were impressed by the ”tremendous amount of content” in Seven Days — both in print and online — and praised everything from the presentation of obituaries to the web design and navigation. “I could spend hours on the site!” one observed.
As for story selection, another noted, “They appear to cover stories that are controversial and that other papers may not cover. Lots of … important local issues but also interesting and thought-provoking articles.” The judges hailed the paper’s hallmark feature stories, food and drink section and “extensive coverage of all types of entertainment."
Asked what struck them most about Seven Days, the judges answered; “The investigative reporting;” “Tons of ads and classifieds;” “The amount of content;” and “I would read this every week.”
The recognition is well-timed, according to Seven Days publisher Paula Routly. “Everyone on the team can celebrate this one,” she said, “and that’s just what we all need to keep going in this pandemic.”
Seven Days also received two “Publick Occurrences’” awards in the competition — named after America’s first newspaper in 1690 Boston. NENPA presents up to 16 Publick Occurrences awards annually for “the very best work that New England newspapers produce each year.”
The judges selected "Worse for Care," a joint investigation by Seven Days and Vermont Public Radio that exposed safety violations in Vermont’s state-regulated eldercare facilities. One judge noticed the “smart and convincing reporting and editing” in the series, produced by VPR’s Emily Corwin and Mark Davis, and Seven Days’ Derek Brouwer, Matthew Roy, Candace Page, Andrea Suozzo and James Buck.
The second award went to "Guarded Secrets," an investigation into Vermont’s prison system written by Paul Heintz. One judge called it “a top-notch investigative report.”
Monday, October 19, 2020
Seven Days Wins Five First-Place Awards in National Media Competitions
Posted
on Mon, Oct 19, 2020 at 7:11 PM
Seven Days, Vermont’s free, independent newsweekly, won four first-place awards from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia in a virtual ceremony on September 18. One of the winning entries, a joint project with Vermont Public Radio about Vermont’s state-licensed assisted living and residential care homes, received a national Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting from the Radio Television Digital News Association on October 10.
The AAN Awards recognize the most artful, compelling and courageous journalism produced each year by the alternative newsmedia. AAN member publications from cities like Austin, Chicago, Boston and Burlington compete against each other. This year’s contest included entries submitted by 55 publications in the U.S., Canada and Norway.
The AAN Awards recognize the most artful, compelling and courageous journalism produced each year by the alternative newsmedia. AAN member publications from cities like Austin, Chicago, Boston and Burlington compete against each other. This year’s contest included entries submitted by 55 publications in the U.S., Canada and Norway.
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