Below you will find the Brain Forest Summer Learning Academy 2018 Application, please follow all instructions within the application. If you have any questions regarding the application, please contact Kayla Warner at 334-647-1700.
ONLY applications from returning students WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THIS POINT. any non-returner application received before monday, april 30 will be rejected and must be resubmitted on april 30.
Starting a Product Development Guild has been a journey that has lasted about two and a half years. The first two years were mainly discussions. The last five months have mainly involved laying the groundwork for the guild. We have now moved into a mode where we are starting to recruit members and look at project submissions.
Tom Vass first mentioned the idea to me two years ago at Carolinas PDMA event. At the time, I really didnt think much of the idea. It took several conversations for me to realize that the problem wasnt with the concept, but rather in the articulation and execution of the concept. So we spent about two years, off and on, discussing the concept and refining how we articulated a complex sounding concept.
One of the critical questions in developing in the Guild is ?why does the concept seem so complex The concept, in the simplest form I can come up with, goes something like this:
Consultants, and other product design professionals, band together in a contractual organization. This aspect of the organization most closely resembles a volunteer fire department. Guild members pay quarterly dues and an initiation fee to join. Guild members are proudly displayed in the Guild directory which is available online and in a print format next year.
Product champions submit project proposals to the guild in a structured format. The Guild evaluates each submission and picks the best submissions. The Guild looks for product concepts that are going to help launch product-driven companies. Products that combine technology from two different industries are given priority.
Once a product concept is selected, the product champion becomes the nucleus of a seven member team. Project champions can be inventors, entrepreneurs, serial entrepreneurs, a designee from a start-up company, or a designee from an existing corporation that has a product concept that they would like to spin-off into a new company. Six of the seven team members are product development professionals. These members could come from disciplines such as industrial design, engineering, software, electronics, business management, marketing or sales.
Projects run for six months. The goal of the project is to complete the fuzzy front end design of the product. At the start of the project, the Guild receives options for the clients stock. These options can only be exercised upon a trigger event such as a sale or initial public offering (IPO). At the end of the project the Guild transfers a portion of those options to team members.
Projects are structured so Guild members spend two to four hours per week on the project. The product champions (client representative) spend fifteen to twenty hours per week on the project.
The team makes a presentation at the end of the project to selected angel investors and venture capitalists. This last step of the project is designed to help the client get funding for the next step in designing and then commercializing their product.
The goal is to complete twenty six month projects per year (ten every six months). This would add twenty new, high-growth companies to the RTP area each year and significantly impact the local economy. This means that the efforts of approximately one hundred and twenty Guild members can help drive the future economy in the regional area for the next ten to twenty years..
I am still struggling with how to present this in a thirty second elevator pitch. This is not an overly complex process when you consider the amount of work to be done. Sometimes I wonder if the previous presentation is trying to explain too much. Maybe the elevator pitch should go something like:
The RTP Product Development Guild is a confederation of product design, and business, who work together to help local entrepreneurs and businesses commercialize their products. The Guild seeks to improve the regional economy in North Carolina by helping create now product driven companies.
Salesmen reading this article are probably wondering why not just use the shorter version first. This is the difference between salesmen and product designers. Engineers and industrial designers often focus on how wonderful, and cool, the details are. A good salesman wants to convey just enough information to close the deal. They know that giving too much information is a possible way to talking your client out of doing business with you. The role of President of the Guild requires me to live in both worlds. This can be challenging at times. Product developers must always keep in mind that successful products find a balance between design and execution.
The chicken, or the egg, syndrome is alive and well at the RTP Product Development Guild. On one hand, we need a strong portfolio of consultants to attract product concept submissions. One the other hand we need strong product concepts to attract consultants. This means that there is going to be slow progress between now and the kick-off of the first project. We have spent the last month lining up product submissions and potential Guild members. The first inquiries about memberships are mostly coming from sales and marketing professionals. Another high interest area is the service providers. We have a class of Guild memberships that are designed to allow service providers to participate in the Guild without having to participate in a project team.
Another concurrent action item is to promote the Guild within the economic development community. North Carolinas economic development community is heavily focused, and politically invested, in the mode of using massive tax incentives to bring existing companies to North Carolina. There are other efforts that focus on using the universities and community colleges as concentrators of innovation. The Guild believes that there is enough talent, dedication and ambition in the local community to create new product-driven companies. This ?believe in the people? approach is counter-culture. The Guild isnt relying on tax incentives or government grants to drive new products to market. We are relying on our members to work together and help lift new companies from the stage of ?I have an idea? to the stage of ?we just rented office space?. Dreams are best pursued by the dreamer. It is hard to pursue someone elses dream. Product champions rev up your dreams, because you now have a home.
Montie Roland is President of the Carolinas Chapter of the Product Development Management Association. Roland is also President of Montie Design, a product development and prototyping firm in Morrisville, NC and the RTP Product Development Guild. You can reach Montie by email at: montie@montie.com
Recently, supporters worked to raise nearly $8,000 to assist a South Georgia man paralyzed in a car accident. Supporters are working hard to raise additional funds so as to help this avid outdoorsman return to nature. They hope to raise $13,000 to buy a track chair that would allow him to go into the woods and hunt.
At Montlick and Associates, our car accident lawyers understand the devastating nature of a spinal cord injury. We have assisted a number of clients who found themselves paralyzed after a car accident and unable to return to life as they knew it. These accident victims require the assistance of a knowledgable attorney to obtain the compensation they need to heal from the accident.
A spinal cord injury results from trauma to the spinal cord itself or the vertebrae, vessels, or soft tissues surrounding it. Any injury that directly impacts the spinal cord can cause, among others:
Paralysis occurring below the point of injury on the spine. Spinal cord injuries can generally be divided into high or low injuries, which refers to where they are on the spinal cord. Such injuries can also be complete or incomplete, meaning that some function remains or the accident victim has no function or sensation below the injury point.
A high spinal cord injury can result in paralysis to the trunk, arms, legs, chest, or pelvic organs. Those who experience this injury are often referred to as quadriplegic or tetraplegic. A low spinal cord injury can cause paraplegia, which is the loss of function in all or part of the legs and pelvic organs.
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries. The force of a car accident, which will often jerk the victim's body back and forth, can result in serious injury to the spinal cord. Other common causes of spinal cord injuries include accidents involving motorcycles, trucks, bicycles, boats, slip and falls, and sports accidents.
The lifetime medical and living costs for a victim with a spinal cord injury can total in the millions, dependent upon the severity of the injury and the victim's specific needs. When combined with other losses, including lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and other emotional damages, it becomes clear that the losses associated with this catastrophic type of injury are tremendous.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car or other traffic accident, contact the Georgia Car Accident Lawyers at Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law. Our law firm is dedicated to assisting injured accident victims across Georgia and in the Southeast. We bring over 30 years of experience to your automobile accident case, providing you with the knowledgeable representation you need to obtain the best possible outcome. The sooner you act after your injury, the greater your chances of obtaining a full recovery will be. As such, it is important that you seek the assistance of a licensed lawyer as soon as possible. Call Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law, 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
The Swiss Snow Kids Village is the perfect place for children's first skiing experiences. And don't worry, Snowli, our goofy mascot, will be there to make everyone dance and laugh!
From the age of 3, Montreux Riviera Swiss Snow Kids Village welcomes your children to initiate them into winter sports: thanks to different teaching circuits focused on precise goals, your children will quickly learn how to handle their skis or snowboard. The Swiss Snow Kids Village and the learning piste are located at the Vallon de Villard ski lift.
Contact Geoff Bingham (07 5438 3808) for competitive group insurance rates available only to members.
The next event will be the Annual General Meeting, to be held in Ararat, Victoria, from March 28 - April 1, 2019.
AMPA has a set of specialised Mooney tools that are available to members. The tools are stored with Smartair in Albury and available for loan to members for only the cost of the return freight and a small handling charge from Smartair.
The Australian Mooney Pilots Association - AMPA - was established in 1991 with purpose of supporting Mooney owners in Australia, fostering goodwill and comradeship, safety and Mooney specific aircraft performance and operations through fly-ins, safety seminars and other activities.
AMPA runs an annual Pilot Safety Program, alternating between the eastern states and Western Australia. The program is designed to share knowledge and experiences among Mooney pilots, provide refresher training on Mooney specific operations and performance and improve the flying skills of members.
Our Events Calendar includes at least 2 fly-ins each calendar year. The first is held early in the year and coincides with our AGM. It usually incorporate a follow on flying adventure for several days. The second is usually held later in the year.
Other fly-ins occur when there is an event of particular interest, or spontaneously when members simply get together for fun and camaraderie.
Moore Supply Houston is proud to present this r finished item, by Amerock. The BP4454R2 is made from premium materials, this Item offers great function and value for your home. This fixture is part of Amerock's decorative Forgings? Collection, so make sure to check out other styles of fixtures to accessorize your room.