Webinar Library

Webinars are a great way to stay up to date on the newest developments. They offer timely information from experts and have the flexibility of being viewed at your convenience without the expense of travel. SSTI's Webinar Library puts SSTI webinars at your fingertips — when you want them.

Most SSTI webinars are available for purchase, while events hosted by SSTI's Tech-based Economic Development Community of Practice and others are available to the general public.

TBED Community of Practice Webinars

With support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), SSTI's Tech-based Economic Development (TBED) Community of Practice builds the capacity of EDA grantees to achieve greater impacts for their regional innovation economies. Webinars hosted by the community are free of charge and just require registration to view the recording or slides.

For quick video explanations of programs, visit the Federal Funding Video Library.

Measuring the success of state commercialization programs

Mar. 20

How do you know if your technology commercialization programs are working? What are the right metrics for the type of initiative you're proposing? What sort of data should you be collecting? How are results presented in meaningful ways to stakeholders? In this TBED Community of Practice webinar, John Hardin, Executive Director of the Office of Science, Technology & Innovation at the NC Department of Commerce and Vinit Nijhawan, Managing Director of MassVentures, shared insights on how to measure and demonstrate the success of state programs designed to move innovations out of the lab and into the marketplace.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

A conversation on the pros and cons of Salesforce for grant reporting
Feb. 21

Salesforce is the most widely-used customer relationship management platform, but it has limitations. Even with free nonprofit licenses, impactful add-ons can be expensive. During this webinar, SSTI's Susan Niple and Jason Rittenberg shared their process of using Salesforce for tracking, reporting, and communicating about TBED initiatives, and BioSTL's Courtney Shaw and Taylor McCabe explained how they use the platform for grant management.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Build innovation and entrepreneurship into CEDS
Jan. 18, 2024

New technologies and entrepreneurs are important to a thriving regional economy – and strong infrastructure, housing, and economic resiliency are important to attracting investments in innovation. Despite mutual needs and benefits, many regions do not exhibit deep collaboration between Economic Development Districts and organizations supporting tech-based economic development (TBED) strategies. This joint webinar from SSTI and NADO Research Foundation begins to explore one area of mutual interest: EDA’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). This plan is required both to establish an Economic Development District and to apply for most funding from EDA. David Ives, Deputy Director, Performance, Research & National Technical Assistance Division at EDA discussed the CEDS purpose, and then Padmini Roy-Dixon, Economic Development Director & Regional Innovation Officer with one of the country's most recently-approved districts, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, discussed their recent CEDS plan and implementation with one of their TBED partners, Alicia Oddi, Managing Director, Entrepreneur Programs at Rev1 Ventures.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Lessons learned in TBED grant management
Dec. 5, 2023

Congratulations on winning federal funding! Are you ready to manage it? A first federal award can be a significant challenge for organizations, and even experienced groups can find efficiencies or hit challenges when new agencies have different expectations or definitions. The Tech-based Economic Development (TBED) Community of Practice held this conversation with Erin Burcham, President of Verge, and Kris Khalil, Executive Director of New Orleans BioInnovation Center, about lessons learned in handling requirements around federal awards.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Communicating Tech-based Economic Development
Oct. 31, 2023

How do you explain your work to others? Explore this important and challenging topic with your peers during a TBED Community of Practice webinar. SSTI's Jason Rittenberg shared findings about public perception and interpretation of common TBED activities, such as that people think tech transfer means moving files to a new device, and facilitated a discussion with Bryan Barnhouse of the Arkansas Research Alliance and Lindsey Cox of LaunchTN about effective strategies to build public awareness and stakeholder support. View to gain new ideas for how to communicate your work to partners, funders, legislators, and even your family.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Measuring impact beyond jobs
June 22, 2023

Compelling metrics are a critical component of explaining how tech-based economic development (TBED) initiatives make a difference in your region. Jobs created, new licenses or follow-on investment have the advantage of being straightforward measures but do not always convey a good sense of where your region is and how your work is helping it to advance. During this TBED Community of Practice webinar, we dove into the Illinois Innovation Index -- a three-part analysis of entrepreneurship, research and workforce -- with Colleen D. Egan and Austin Green from the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition to discuss their methodology, costs and staffing, and impacts of the measurement and reporting process itself.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Speed and scale: One organization leverages its CRM for web, and ecosystem visibility
April 12, 2023

During this TBED Community of Practice webinar, Amy Beaird with the Florida High Tech Corridor discussed how the organization has implemented AirTable as a flexible customer relationship management platform and leverages off-the-shelf and custom tools to add functionality to its website and to rapidly advance its ecosystem visibility and project goals.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Webinar: Federal TBED Funding: CHIPS & the FY23 budget
Feb. 1, 2023

During this TBED Community of Practice webinar, EDA's Chivas Grannum and Amanda Kosty discussed programs within the agency's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and SSTI's Jason Rittenberg provided an overview of new and expanded federal funding from the FY 2023 budget and CHIPS & Science Act that can help you launch or scale support for your regional innovation economy.

Access the webinar recording and slides here.

Webinars Available for Purchase

Many episodes from the SSTI Inspiring Thought webinar series are available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Prices are just $29 each or $75 bundled for members and $49 each or $95 for non-members. Following your purchase, a link to the recorded presentation including all audio, slides and questions will be sent immediately to your inbox. The presentation is not available for download. The link will be active for 60 days following your purchase. Speakers or headphones and an internet connection are required. Contact Susan Niple (niple@ssti.org | 614-901-1690) with any comments or questions and be sure to check out our Upcoming Webinars and mark your calendar to join us for a future event!

Research Universities and the Public Good - A Conversation with the Author
Presented February 2019

Should America invest more in top R&D universities? How are social and political forces changing the context in which universities operate? Join SSTI for a conversation with Jason Owen-Smith, author of Research Universities and the Public Good. We will talk about his book and have a broader conversation about some the outside forces exerting pressure on universities and the impact those forces are having.

Speakers:

Jason Owen-Smith, executive director, Institute for Research on Innovation and Science, University of Michigan
Jason Rittenberg, policy & development director, SSTI

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Building an Innovation Network in Rural Areas
Presented August 2018

Rural areas face unique challenges in their economic development efforts. Tune in to this joint webinar between SSTI and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) to learn about winning strategies and key elements to consider when creating an innovation network to strengthen your economy. Our panel of experts will share their lessons on developing partnerships and growing innovative collaborations to strengthen communities in rural areas, with a segment on agricultural outreach as well.

Speakers:

Stephanie Cook, Idaho National Laboratory’s manager of Technology Based Economic Development and Technical Assistance Programs
Dan Ripke, past director of the Center for Economic Development, California State University, Chico, and current board president of the University Economic Development Association
Jay Olsen, director of agriculture and farm business management at Snow College and chair of the Rural Community College Alliance agriculture group

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Prior awardees' tips on a successful RIS program
Presented June 2017

In 2017, EDA issued a $17 million funding opportunity for the Regional Innovation Strategies program, which supports networks that strengthen the transformation of innovations into new products, businesses and jobs. SSTI and a panel of previous RIS winners discuss their strategies and lessons learned on application development and program implementation.

Speakers:

Danielle Blount, Project Manager, Launch NY
Kevin Lunke, Entrepreneur Trailblazer, Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota
Bob Starzynski, Director of Business Development, Innovation Works

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Evidence for Workforce Interventions
Presented January 2017

From assessment of worker skill-available position matches, to apprenticeship programs and corporate-identified needs, workforce initiatives throughout the country are increasingly focused on evidence-driven training. In this SSTI Inspiring Thought webinar, a panel of researchers and practitioners discussed recent research and investments related to workforce programs and the outlook for these initiatives in 2017 and beyond.

Speakers:

Ted Bauer, director workforce development strategies, MassMEP
Susan Helper, Carlton professor of economics, Case Western Reserve University
Ryan Noonan, economist, U.S. Department of Commerce

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

SBIR State Matching Grants: Who, What and Why
Presented September 2016

More than a dozen states have programs that provide a matching grant to companies that win a federal award. There are some key differences across states in program structures, and few states report useful impact metrics. On this SSTI Inspiring Thought webinar, John Hardin with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Lauren Lanahan from University of Oregon discussed what one state has strived to achieve with their program and what research tells us about the opportunity to influence SBIR's effectiveness.

Speakers:

John Hardin, Executive Director, North Carolina Board of Science, Technology and Innovation
Lauren Lanahan, Assistant Professor of Management, University of Oregon

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Back to School: How is your region teaching entrepreneurship?
Presented August 2016

Universities throughout the country are increasingly interested in providing entrepreneurship education to undergraduate students. There are many forms for these efforts, including degrees and certificates, club activities, and mentorship or other partnerships with regional accelerators and venture development organizations. During this SSTI Inspiring Thoughts webinar, experienced practitioners discussed what it takes to make a student entrepreneurship program successful.

Speakers:

Laura Frerichs, Director, University of Illinois Research Park
Elizabeth Lemmonds, Director of Talent Programs, EPIcenter
Jed Taylor, Director of Operations, Technology Entrepreneur Center

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Making Innovation More Inclusive
Presented July 2016

In recent years, the Pittsburgh region has gained national attention in its transition from an economy built on steel and heavy manufacturing to one that focuses on innovation, education, healthcare and cutting-edge research and development. As Pittsburgh continues to develop, however, new challenges have occurred, prompting civic leaders to make a concerted effort to view their innovation-led economic growth through a lens for inclusivity. In this Inspiring Thought webinar, hear how Pittsburgh is reinventing its regional economy, developing a roadmap for inclusive innovation, and building capacity to make sure that growth and opportunity occurs throughout the entirety of the region.

Speakers:

William Generett Jr., President and CEO, Urban Innovation21
Debra Lam, Chief of Innovation & Performance, City of Pittsburgh

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Applying P3 Models to University Entrepreneurship
Presented June 2016

Institutions of higher education throughout the country are playing a growing role in their regional innovation economies. Rather than operating independently, many institutions are forming partnerships with the private sector and other external stakeholders to achieve greater leverage and impact for their programs, centers and funds. SSTI and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Grants Resource Center jointly hosted this Inspiring Thought webinar to discuss the practical, legal and financial considerations required to make these models work.

Presenters:

Tim Bour, Executive Director, Innovation Center of the Rockies
Eric Braun, Vice-President for University Advancement, Shawnee State University
Chris Shaffer, Director of Institutional Research and Sponsored Programs, Shawnee State University

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Identifying New Partners to Support Innovative Companies
Presented May 2016

Innovative companies in every region are looking to use or develop the latest and greatest tech, research and talent. Federal agencies are working with these companies more frequently and efficiently, whether by facilitating licensing, providing access to unique equipment, or through other efforts. During this Inspiring Thought webinar, a panel of federal officials discussed new initiatives and how organizations throughout the innovation ecosystem can work with the agencies to better support tech-based development.

Presenters:

Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer Program Executive, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Sanjiv Malhotra, Director of the Clean Energy Investment Center, U.S. Dept. of Energy Office of Technology Transitions
Eric Padmore, Scientific Program Analyst, National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute
Paul Zielinski, Executive Board Chair, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

University Pre-Accelerators New Hot Trend, But What Are They?
Presented April 2016

Since 2014, a number of universities across the country have launched pre-accelerator programs to support entrepreneurial growth among faculty and students. The growing popularity has raised several questions among economic development professionals including, “How are they structured?,” “What services do they provide?” and “How do they fit within an innovation ecosystem?.” During this month’s Inspiring Thought webinar, a panel of experts addressed these important questions about pre-accelerators and much more.

Presenters:

Maggie Brickerman, Director of gBETA, Gener8tor
Donald McCandless, Director of Business Development, Ben Franklin Transformation Services
John Vidmar, Director, Ben Franklin Transformation Services

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Cultivating Entrepreneurs in Rural Communities
Presented March 2016

Enacting a successful tech-based economic development strategy poses unique challenges in rural areas. Yet, with educational attainment rates lower and poverty rates higher than metro areas, there are clear motivations for striving to improve rural prosperity. During this webinar, SSTI hosted a conversation with some of the country’s successful and innovative rural TBED programs.

Presenters:

Bruce Gjovig, Entrepreneur Coach & Director of the Center for Innovation, University of North Dakota
Catherine Renault, Principal and Owner, Innovation Policyworks LLC
Heather Stafford, Assistant Director Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Business Oregon

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Crowdfunding Entrepreneurial Programs
Presented February 2016

Consumer products are not the only initiatives that can benefit from America’s growing acceptance of crowdfunding – organizations supporting entrepreneurs are also learning how to tap into this trend. Join this month’s Inspiring Thought webinar to hear about some of the successful projects across the industry and to learn the nuts and bolts of the Launch NY experience.

Presenters:

Marnie Lavigne, President and CEO, Launch NY
John Timmerman, Founder and CEO, Good Monster

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Communicating Innovation Policy to the Public
Presented January 2016

The general public is overwhelmingly positive about supporting innovation, but how we talk about relevant policies and programs has real impacts on this support. Whether advocating for new policies or funding, tech-based economic development organizations must communicate their impacts and needs successfully to elected officials and other public stakeholders. This Inspiring Thought webinar discussed a national survey SSTI conducted about innovation policy and provide practical advice for practitioners.

Presenters:

Jill Allen Murray, Managing Director, The Sheridan Group
Ben Johnson, Vice President, Programs, BioSTL

Available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Order now.

Publicly-Available Webinars

The following webinars are available for free to the public.

Regional Innovation Strategies: Strengthen your region's economy

This webinar offered a conversation about how to access funding to help you strengthen your regional innovation economy. EDA's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship explained the Regional Innovation Strategies program -- including some important changes for the FY 2020 funding program (currently set for $30 million in the House and $31 million in the Senate). Past recipients New Jersey Innovation Institute and Massacusetts Life Sciences Center talked about their experience in using the program to support entrepreneurship and commercialization in their regions.