Building on a previous statewide initiative to boost technology entrepreneurship, a group of Rhode Island organizations have combined resources to launch a new effort called the Founders League. The idea is to assemble a treasure trove of support from universities, a mentorship-driven accelerator, and the Chamber of Commerce to provide resources and connections for established and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Rhode Island has released its 2012 Benchmarking the Rhode Island Knowledge Economy, a follow-up to the inaugural report published last year. Produced by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council, Benchmarking is a comprehensive report of the state's innovation capacity and a method of measuring over time Rhode Island's innovation economy in comparison to the region and the country.

SSTI is pleased to welcome Reese Neader to our team as a research associate. Reese is the former policy director for the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network and is a political science graduate from Denison University.

Renée Winsky has been appointed the executive director of the Chesapeake Innovation Center.

Mark Kvamme has resigned from JobsOhio effective Nov. 1. He is succeeded as president and CIO by John Minor, formerly the managing director at JobsOhio.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee has nominated Deputy Director William Parsons to lead the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. as president and chairman of the Texas Economic Development Corp.

Gov.-elect Steve Bullock tapped Meg O'Leary to be the Montana Commerce Department director.

The second installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Our first installment was in the Jan. 9 Digest.

Upbeat revenue forecasts and shared economic principles have Republican governors in four states requesting more funds for higher education tied to performance metrics or workforce outcomes. Recent budget proposals introduced in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas focus on competing for talent and jobs through efforts to encourage STEM learning and teaching and incentivizing outcomes such as graduating more students in high-demand fields, conducting research and more. College affordability is addressed through measures that would freeze tuition or cap increases.

In July 2009, President Obama challenged community colleges to graduate an additional five million students by 2020. According to the president's speech, community colleges uniquely are positioned to fuel the future of U.S. competiveness by developing an educated, skilled workforce to address the needs of a 21st century workplace.

On Thursday, the Obama administration announced it had selected the TechBelt region, encompassing northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, to host the pilot institute of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The new National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) will operate as a partnership of more than 60 companies, research universities, community colleges and nonprofit organizations from the region.

A new report from the Ohio Board of Regents proposes a statewide commercialization ecosystem to create jobs, promote economic growth and increase wealth in the state. According to the report, recent research suggesting that, when compared to other states, Ohio lags behind in the commercialization of technology. In The Condition of Higher Education in Ohio: Advancing Ohio's Innovation Economy, there are several recommendations to improve the state's technology transfer pipeline to turn academic research into market-ready products and services including:

Caren Franzini, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, stepped down after leading the agency for 21 years. Michele Brown, Gov. Chris Christie's appointments counsel, will take over as CEO.

JobsOhio, the private, nonprofit corporation authorized to replace Ohio's economic development system, would administer state funded programs and services that have a direct, high-impact on job creation such as business loans, infrastructure grants and deal-closing funds, according to a report to the Ohio General Assembly. At the same time, a newly named Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) would focus on programs with a more indirect impact on job creation, including federally funded programs and services geared toward communities and individuals.

The Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council seeks to hire a program manager to oversee activities of the RI Research Alliance.

SSTI is pleased to announce that John Fernandez, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce, will participate in a plenary session on the changing role of the federal government in TBED at this year's Annual Conference. SSTI's Annual Conference is the only economic development conference this fall with the senior leaders of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) speaking.

SSTI is thrilled to announce that Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee will be the Keynote Speaker. Dr. Gee has held more university presidencies than any other American. He is the co-author of eight books and the author of numerous papers and articles on law and education. He is both an insightful and entertaining speaker that you won't want to miss.

This year's opening reception will be unlike any other. COSI is designed to enlighten, entertain, and amaze you. Attendees will experience science, technology and innovation at work through more than 300 interactive exhibitions and more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space, including the country's only high-wire unicycle. One of the newest exhibits is the Labs in Life, a state-of-the-art laboratory where researchers from The Ohio State University conduct studies on physical activity, nutrition, and body composition using cutting-edge equipment.

No longer limited to a niche group of practitioners, promoting growth through innovation and technology has achieved widespread acceptance as the key to our economic prosperity. You'll find it in blog posts and opinion pages from across the political spectrum, and in virtually every corporate or civic dialogue today on revitalizing America's economy.

SSTI's Annual Conference is the only economic development conference this fall with the senior leaders of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) speaking. John Fernandez of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Sean Greene of SBA and Phillip Singerman of NIST will kick off an important dialogue among all conference attendees on how we communicate the value of investments in innovation, encourage collaboration, and adapt to changing economic and fiscal conditions.

This year's conference will kick off with an Opening Reception hosted by TechColumbus at COSI. Attendees can experience science, technology and innovation at work through more than 300 interactive exhibitions and more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space while reconnecting with colleagues and networking with conference attendees, speakers and our local host over drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The reception will begin Monday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 PM.

Beyond the numerous breakout sessions and insightful plenary sessions, SSTI's 15th Annual Conference offers attendeesseveral activities that other conferences typically don't offer including networking with other practitioners at some of the city's finest restaurants (Dine A-Rounds), maintaining your normal exercise regimen (a morning 5k run/walk) and sharpening your mind (morning Hatha Yoga).

This year's SSTI Annual Conference will provide attendees with many opportunities to explore the issues that drive technology-based economic development. When planning your conference experience, make sure to check out our breakout sessions, which will allow participants to focus on the topics that interest them.

Featured topics at this year's conference include:

As an SSTI conference sponsor, you have the chance to showcase your organization with the decision makers responsible for crafting and implementing local and state-level policies and programs that directly contribute to the nation's competitiveness. Today's marketplace is about belonging and staying connected. No other event brings together so many of the nation's top players in the TBED community.

Now in its fifth year, SSTI's Excellence in TBED awards program has recognized 20 of the most effective, innovative and transferable initiatives for growing tech-based economies from across the country.

This year, six new programs will be crowned winners of this prestigious award, held as models of best practice worthy of emulation. Join your friends and colleagues for a special ceremony celebrating this outstanding achievement following our keynote speaker on Nov. 8. Our first ever recipient of the "Most Promising TBED Initiative" also will be announced.

You've registered for the conference; booked your travel and hotel; made sure your iPod is charged... but have you told your friends and colleagues you'll be attending SSTI's biggest event of the year?

Don't forget to RSVP and look for updates on our social media sites.

This year SSTI is linking with the Ohio Early Stage Summit to offer the unique opportunity for attendees to maximize their time by attending two conferences, three receptions and endless networking opportunities in just three short days and all in the same location.

Renée Winsky, chief executive officer of the Technology Council of Maryland (TCM), has been elected to the board of trustees of SSTI. Prior to joining TCM in 2009, Winsky served as the president and executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation. An SSTI member since 1999, Winsky has been a speaker at SSTI conferences and accepted the 2008 Excellence in TBED award for Commercializing Research Category on behalf of the Maryland Technology Transfer Fund.