Stafford RIoT Partnership
Launching the Stafford Entrepreneurial Tech Ecosystem
Stafford County is a pro-business community with an ambitious intent to grow entrepreneurship in rising cyber and tech investments. Through partnership with RIoT, Stafford is creating an Entrepreneurial Technology Community welcoming anyone interested to join the conversation and future of Stafford’s technology culture. The Stafford Regional Entrepreneurial Technology Community programing is designed to engage business leaders, seek out opportunities for new investments, and foster talent development in the technology industry.
RIoT is here to help support Stafford’s economic development by capturing emerging markets and accelerating startups—creating IoT opportunities for the region.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Get Connected with RIoT
Join us now on Meetup as we work to enrich our regional business economy.
Calling all innovators and entrepreneurs to join our friends at RIoT and the Virginia Meetup page! Join us to exchange ideas, learn new technologies, and create new opportunities.
Participate in our
COVID-19 Business Support Programs.
Attend the COVID-19 Entrepreneurial Support Program
Customer Discovery Workshop
VIRTUAL Program
December 9th & 10th, 330-630 PM
Event Details
This two day workshop teaches entrepreneurs and business owners to strategically identify market-driven problems and establish solutions with market pull. COVID-19 has changed most market verticals in fundamental and permanent ways. Learn a tactical approach to understanding these shifts and re-discovering customer needs.
It is more critical than ever to validate problem/solution fit before spending time and money to pivot your business model or build new products. This workshop prepares entrepreneurs to avoid these common pitfalls that lead to wasted resources and ultimate business failure.
** ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS PROGRAM? YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS BRIEF INTEREST APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED. **
Interest FormIf you are chosen to participate in the workshop, you will be emailed Zoom connection details for the two day workshop, which will run:
– December 9th, 3:30-6:30pm
– December 10th, 3:30-6:30pm
*** Attendees must participate in both days of the workshop. ***
Participate in our
Entrepreneurial Tech Series
Mapping the Future of King George, VA
VIRTUAL EVENT
Dec. 3rd at 4:00 PM
Event Details
Join this virtual event to make your voice heard and offer suggestions for mapping the future of King George. Hear from community leaders and participate in active discussions that will be used to influence economic growth of the region.
Featured Speakers Include:
– Amber Cobb, Director of Partnership, RIoT
– Nick Minor, Director of Economic Development & Tourism, King George
– Alan Black, Director of Corporate Communications, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Register in advance for this meeting:
Register HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Virtual Town Hall Event | July 30, 2020
July, 30th 2020
We began our journey, by hosting an Interactive Town Hall on July 30th. The goal of our Town Hall was to engage the Fredericksburg region in our initiative and solicit feedback on future programs for expanding business opportunities. The Town Hall featured local and outside business leaders in cyber and smart tech and include virtual break-out sessions designed to develop and program future events. Breakout sessions included:
- Cybersecurity
- Doing Business Post Covid-19
- Entrepreneurship
- Smart Cities
- Business Innovation
- IoT and Technology
View Townhall RecordingVirtual Town Hall Event Synopsis
Smart Infrastructure & Cybersecurity | Sept 24, 2020
Smart Technology is a growing industry in the Stafford region. With this in mind, the Smart Infrastructure and Cybersecurity event focused on Smart Military Bases, the cybersecurity of these infrastructures and development in defense contracting for the Smart Industry.
This program was made possible in partnership with Stafford County Economic Development Authority, Cyber Bytes Foundation, and RIoT for a panelist discussion with industry leaders to direct your business and entrepreneurial ambitions into the future of Smart Technology, cybersecurity and Defense Contracting.
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
In partnership with RIoT, our mission is to create an innovative and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Stafford and our region. RIoT represents a network of technologists, engineers, business leaders, academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, all of whom have a stake in the Internet of Things (IoT) industry.
RIoT is a 501(c)(3) brought to you by the Wireless Research Center and its sponsors.
RIoT has grown significantly since starting as a Meetup group in 2014, and while RIoT continues to serve as a convener for the IoT community, RIoT also offers a startup accelerator, R&D lab, educational programs, and more.
All thanks to a GO Virginia Grant!
In March 2020, the GO Virginia Board awarded the Stafford County Economic Development Authority $75,000 in GO Virginia funding to assess the market demand for a Cyber and Smart Tech Entrepreneur program.
Our program launched in July of 2020 with our vision to include opportunities for entrepreneurs to participate in networking events, seminars and workshops, lunch-and-learns, and competitions. Events will be held across the Fredericksburg Region and will engage businesses, non-profits, and educational institutions.
The Stafford Department of Economic Development and Tourism paired these unique attributes and identified an internationally recognized nonprofit partner to launch this program, RIoT.
Other key partners of this program include King George County, the City of Fredericksburg, University of Mary Washington, Germanna Community College, Cyber Bytes Foundation, and many other private partners.
GO Virginia is a bipartisan, economic development initiative that provides project-based funds to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education, and government partners to create higher paying jobs.