Vantage Ventures

05/02/2023

Small businesses often struggle with their 30 second pitch and other marketing messages. StoryMaker is here to help you! https://storymakerapp.us/ Thank you Cary Landis for helping InnerAction Media get the ball rolling and see the opportunity to help many people with our new SaaS application!
Vantage Ventures

04/08/2022

Congratulations to Vantage Entrepreneur (and WV native) Samuel Chico IV (“Auggie”), founder of Parthian Battery Solutions, for being honored as one of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s Spring 2022 Milestone Makers!

It’s great to see Auggie and Parthian, which reuses old electric car batteries in solar power systems, recognized for their work towards the UN’s SDG #7 Clean and Affordable Energy and #13 Climate Action.

https://bit.ly/3KrF3ZJ

The Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center is thrilled to have the following entrepreneurs in its Spring 2022 Milestone Makers cohort, all working towards the UN’s SDG #7 Clean and Affordable Energy and #13 Climate Action. Milestone Makers is the Center’s flagship program, providing individualized mentor...

04/07/2022

Learn how West Virginia University is emerging from the pandemic stronger than ever thanks to some innovative Mountain State initiatives (including Vantage Ventures) in this insightful interview with WVU President Gee in WVNews.

https://bit.ly/3x9nUR1

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — It takes just a few brief moments to feel Dr. E. Gordon Gee’s excitement when he talks about West Virginia University.

03/11/2022

Don’t miss this The Dominion Post profile of artist and West Virginia University student Cydney Thomas, whom we had the pleasure of showcasing last month!

https://bit.ly/3IbtPHa

MORGANTOWN — Cydney Thomas was always an artistic kid. The West Virginia University senior came to Morgantown to become a lawyer but changed her mind and switched […]

03/03/2022

Join us next week for an interactive panel on how entrepreneurs are blazing a path to a healthier life for all of us with biotechnology, medical, life sciences, and healthcare information technology.

The panel: BioTech and MedTech: The Future of AI, will be moderated by Dr. Brad Price, Assistant Professor at the WVU John Chambers College of Business & Economics, and will feature Vantage entrepreneurs including: Dr. Eric Loeb of DataRobot, Daryl Reynolds and Zachary Wright of SwifTAG Systems, and Dr. Sergiy Yakovenko of Neurowired LLC.

Register for free by clicking below!

https://bit.ly/35l59yB

Panel discussion

03/02/2022

We humbly thank Ken and Randy Kendrick for their foresight, and incredibly generous donation that will allow the WVU John Chambers College of Business & Economics to transform economics education through innovative programs for high-schoolers and educators in West Virginia.

Read more in WVU Today : https://bit.ly/36IRHVi

A leadership gift to West Virginia University from longtime supporters Ken and Randy Kendrick will allow the John Chambers College of Business and Economics to transform economics education through innovative programs for high-schoolers and educators statewide via the new Kendrick Center for an Ethi...

02/28/2022

If you haven't RSVP'd yet for the Meet & Greet today with artist and West Virginia University student Cydney Thomas, now's the time! Email us at [email protected] to RSVP and come by our offices at 3pm ET.

02/23/2022

As we celebrate Black History Month, we’re honored to display the art of West Virginia University student Cydney Thomas in our offices. Please join us for a Meet & Greet with Cydney on Monday, February 28th from 3-5pm ET - you can RSVP by emailing us at [email protected].

02/18/2022

The Securewv InfoSec Conference taking place in Charleston October 21-22, is one of the larger regional cybersecurity conferences, attracting nationally-known Infosec leaders to teach and speak about advanced Information security topics. Save the date!

“West Virginia’s growing tech sector includes many positions that require security clearances. SecureWV will help industry find qualified candidates from across the state. The program will help educate students, and others, on the requirements for obtaining and maintaining clearance.” - Jack Thompson, director of corporate relations at West Virginia University.

https://bit.ly/3JG1rxE

The 304Geeks are just an average bunch of schmoes from West “by God” Virginia that decided to get out from behind computer screens and do stuff.

02/18/2022

Entrepreneurs cannot ignore cybersecurity. According to Sean Plankey, director of cyber missions at DataRobot:

“When growing your company, cybersecurity may not be your top priority. Unfortunately, it can’t be overlooked either, as ransomware and other cyber-attacks could stop your business in its tracks. Thankfully, simple things can be done to protect your work. Use multi-factor authentication, don’t reuse passwords, and ensure you know who your users are. These simple tactics will significantly help to protect your business.”

02/18/2022

Heads up! Next Tuesday, 2/22, at 1pm ET we’ll continue our Vantage Ventures Entrepreneurship Series with a live, interactive panel discussion with our fintech entrepreneurs.

The panel, Fintech: Perspectives for the Future, will be hosted by Steven Saab, director of portfolio management at MVB Edge Ventures, and will feature Vantage fintech entrepreneurs Lee Farabaugh, Jason Tortorete, and Jacob Lysick, who will discuss their journeys and the big ideas that they’re tackling in fintech.

You can register to join (it’s free!) here: https://bit.ly/3rVKDga

02/17/2022

We are excited to highlight our cybersecurity entrepreneurs for National Entrepreneurship Week, starting with Scott Swann, CEO of Rank One Computing. Scott is also an alum of West Virginia University and a former FBI Criminal Justice Information Services executive.

Rank One Computing provides facial recognition algorithms to U.S. military, law enforcement, and commercial organizations.

According to Scott: “Today’s remote, mobile-obsessed workforce is on a collision course with traditional network security. Relying on trusted users and endpoints within a protected perimeter just doesn’t work any longer. Zero trust identity proofing is the next vanguard that small business owners need to understand. It requires all users, whether in or outside the organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated.”

Read more about Rank One Computing here: https://rankone.io/

02/16/2022

Noah Johnson is one of the best Madden players in the world. He also was one of the first recruits for West Virginia University's burgeoning esports program.

We look forward to exploring the critical intersection between digital gaming and cybersecurity in the future.

https://bit.ly/3uZeXsf

West Virginia University student, Noah Johnson, has wowed the nation by becoming one of the best Madden players in the world, spearheading WVU’s rising esports program.

02/15/2022

Today's the day! If you haven't yet RSVP'd for our cybersecurity panel at 1pm ET, now's the time.

Join us tomorrow at 1pm ET in our offices for an informative panel discussion on the latest trends in cybersecurity (with a special focus on startups and protecting your business against cyber threats), featuring Major General James Hoyer of West Virginia University, Sean Plankey of DataRobot, and B. Scott Swann of Rank One Computing. You won’t want to miss this illuminating event, showcasing the best in cybersecurity!

Register here: https://bit.ly/3oE3nyU

02/14/2022

Join us tomorrow at 1pm ET in our offices for an informative panel discussion on the latest trends in cybersecurity (with a special focus on startups and protecting your business against cyber threats), featuring Major General James Hoyer of West Virginia University, Sean Plankey of DataRobot, and B. Scott Swann of Rank One Computing. You won’t want to miss this illuminating event, showcasing the best in cybersecurity!

Register here: https://bit.ly/3oE3nyU

02/11/2022

In celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week, we’re hosting a series of events next week, including an open house of our offices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a virtual coffee hour and in-person cybersecurity panel on Tuesday.

We can’t wait to see you there!

02/10/2022

On Tuesday, we’re kicking off National Entrepreneurship Week with a live, interactive panel discussion on the latest trends in cybersecurity.

Join us on February 15, at 1pm ET in our offices, for a conversation featuring Major General James Hoyer, Vice President for Economic Innovation for West Virginia University, Sean Plankey, director of cyber missions at DataRobot, and B. Scott Swann, CEO of Rank One Computing and a former FBI CJIS executive (and West Virginia University alum).

Register here: https://bit.ly/3oE3nyU

Join us as we kick off National Entrepreneurship Week with a live, interactive panel discussion with our entrepreneurs in cybersecurity.

02/01/2022

We applaud Gayle Manchin for her forward-leaning leadership with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and support its strategic plan to build Appalachia’s businesses, workforce ecosystem, infrastructure, regional culture and tourism, and leadership and community capacity.

Read her op-ed in The Hill, detailing the great strides that have been made in Appalachia and what needs to be done to reach even greater heights. https://bit.ly/34r2QZX

While great strides have been made throughout Appalachia, however, too many citizens and too much of the region still lag behind and underperform when compared to the rest of the United States.