First Chair: November 2024
| Welcome back to First Chair š : Your rundown on Vermontās startup scene brought to you by your friends at VCET. TodayāsĀ gems: š Whoās in your starting five? šĀ Join the waitlist! Female Founders: Outdoor Products šĀ Welcome to the squad, Geoff Robertson š VCET named an Inc. Power Partner  Whoās in your starting five? Building a winning team is a lot like drafting your starting five. Each player has a unique skill set, but success only comes when they play as a team. My old basketball coach always quoted Bear Bryantās famous saying āOffense wins games, but defense wins championships.ā I carry this with me to this day. To me, it emphasizes the importance of defending the foundation your team stands on. A great team is smart, well-balanced, and emotionally intelligent. A great team has your back (defends), and challenges you when you need it most (you miss 100% of the shots you donāt take). VCET has been around for 20 years, and while the team has changed a handful of times, one thing has remained ā the foundation. At VCET, our team is built on trust, empathy, and camaraderie. So without further ado, hereās our starting five: Dave:Ā Point Guard. Daveās leadership sets the strategy and pace. HeĀ makes key decisions that keep us all moving forward. Heās the one who reads the game, sees the big picture, and ensures that the ball is in the right hands at the right time. Sam:Ā Shooting Guard. Samās role is about precision and consistency, providing insights that are as reliable as a great outside shot.Ā Sheās the one who sees things others might miss, offering the expertise and experience needed to execute key plays. Nicole:Ā Small Forward. The versatile player who can do it all. Sheās creative, agile, and adaptable, just like a forward who can shoot, pass, and defend. Her workĀ ensures our message is sharp and resonates with the right audience. She connects our vision to the world, making sure we stand out in a crowded arena. Geoff:Ā Power Forward. Like a dominant presence in the paint, he watches the numbers,Ā making sure we have the resources to stay competitive. His strategic investments are the rebounds and blocks that fortify us and give us more opportunities to succeed. Ema:Ā Center. The backbone of our operations. Emaās role is toĀ build relationships and cultivate a strong sense of communityĀ in and outside of the paint. She is a dynamic connector and resource hub for entrepreneurs and innovators. Thereās no turnovers when Emaās in the game. Sheās our rock. In honor of our baller team, here are some big wins from the last month alone: -Drafted Geoff Robertson, as the Director of Finance and Investments -Added Chief Product Officer, Bashir Abdallah, to the Board -Traded back Morgan Lee as a Venture Associate -Named anĀ Inc. Power PartnerĀ for 2024 -Celebrated ourĀ 10 year anniversaryĀ at 266 Main    Itās inevitable that teams change. Believe me, if the 2015-16 Warriors roster was the same today, the NBA would be so much better. But when you win a game ā or better yet, a championship ā you claim it forever. Now itās the fourth quarterā¦.whatās your teamās record? How are you going to end the year? Do you have the right starting lineup? Iād encourage you to think about your own team through this lens. You got this. Go team! Nicole If you havenāt already, follow me onĀ LinkedIn.  SOLD OUT!  JOIN THE WAITLIST 4th Burlington Hardware Meetup @ BETA Technologies Sponsored by VCET!ā Join us atĀ BETA TechnologiesĀ for our second meetup of the year! Our focus for this event is on the electrification of vehicles.āāāWe’ll have food and drink and there will be a chance for an open mic. All demos are welcome. Thursday, November 215:00 PM – 8:00 PM  Register today!  Need a conference room? We have 5 rooms available for a small fee to support our mission. Capacity ranges from 4-12 people. All rooms equipped with TV screen, adapters/cords, and white boards. Perks:Ā unlimited Brio coffee, tea, high speed internet, located in the heart of Downtown Burlington. We require 7 days advance notice. Book your room here!  A moment of gratitude!š©·š©·š©·š©·š©·š©·š©· Special thanks to our incredible sponsors:   š Verde Technologies OpensĀ New Waterbury Facility š¦¾ Rigorous introduces BOB, theirĀ robotic palletizer, via video šš¼ Lost Lantern announced its expanded distribution into Massachusetts and Vermont, adding to existing availability in New York and California. š Fluency was named anĀ Inc Power PartnerĀ for 2024! Theyāre in good company š šKORE PowerĀ spotlights KAMS, their asset management system š ZymoChem is aĀ Public Benefit Corporation   Scott Bailey / Board Member Scott Bailey believes in ADUās for everyone. In this Q&A, he recounts his journey from Larchmont, New York, to finding a welcoming community at the University of Vermont (UVM). He discusses his role in starting UVMās entrepreneurship program, his work with MassChallenge, and founding his company,Ā Bequall, which builds housing and makes neighborhoods more accessible. Read Scottās Story Stories by VCET Marketing Associate, Blaise Siefer Prefer to listen to stories? Check out our latest Start Here episodesĀ šand donāt forget to follow, rate, review, and subscribe!  Listen to Jayās episode  Growing high-paying jobs in the state of Vermont is central to VCETās purpose. Check out these sweet gigs with some of our portfolio companies. KORE PowerĀ (Waterbury) Mechanical Engineer Senior Account Manager & many more NOMAD PowerĀ (Waterbury) Electrical Engineer Mechanical Engineer Fleet Technician GPMSĀ (Waterbury) Customer Success Representative FluencyĀ (Burlington & Remote) Senior Digital Advertising Strategist Senior Product Manager Senior Software Engineer Are you enjoying First Chair? Do you have a (kindly worded) suggestion for how to make it better?Iām all ears! šĀ nicole@vcet.co  Check out VCETTodayās newsletter was brought to you byĀ Nicole. Forward this email to a friendĀ š¬ Copyright (C) 2024 VCET. All rights reserved. |
