I recently competed in an international contest for a guest blogger slot at EmTechMIT 2013, a globally recognised showcase of emerging technologies. The event is held at MIT Media Lab on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, MA.

To make a long story short…I won, and spent last week at MIT remembering why I am so impassioned about innovation and climates of “yes” brimming with brilliance, hope, and a collaborative ship with no other interest beyond forward movement and visions to achieve and collectively thrive. To add to this exciting privilege, I won a Kindle Fire HD at the end of the event.

If you want a quick but comprehensice recap, view my blogs about Day 1 and Day 2 of EmTechMIT 2013 can be found below. A final blog summarising the entire experience will appear in the next few days at the Executive MIT blog space. read more »

Because of WSTA’s upcoming Western Washington Summit with a keynote by Museum of Flight’s CEO Doug King and Raisbeck Aviation High School, I was engaged in several email threads the other day regarding science, technology, enginnering, and math (STEM) initiatives in the Kitsap region.

At the end of one communique, an economic development professional concurred with a WWS2013 speaker about addressing Prosperity Partnership priorities, including education reforms and workforce skills which emphasised high value contributions of STEM students to our knowledge based / innovative regional economy. He ended with “This ain’t Kansas, Dorothy!”

Indeed. read more »

NOTE: In an effort to bring valuable high tech related content to the community-at-large, I’ll occasionally feature advice and thoughts from industry leaders in our region. Brian Morkert, president and founder of Audit West IT Risk & Compliance Advisory Services, has graciously agreed to address the critical topic of securing your strategic assets. Morkert will co-present “Information Security in Today’s Business Environment ” with Michael Hamilton, City of Seattle’s Chief Information Security Officer, on March 21, 2013 at Poulsbo City Hall, 5:30p - 7:30p.

—Doña Keating

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Keeping Pace with the Changing Face of Security

With internal and external threats growing exponentially, protecting your information assets, operational performance and reputation are critical. read more »

I was all set to write a blog post about Understanding Technology. As I began the fourth paragraph, writer’s block hit me straight between the eyes. Below is from a President’s Corner recently sent to the community by Charles Keating, president of West Sound Technology Association. It was worth sharing forward. I’ll get back to you on that other post…

Visioning Forward
by Charles Keating

As we look back on 2012, there is much to be grateful for. The holiday season and New Year are opportunities to re-evaluate our mission, progress towards goals, and future plans.

A week ago, we held our holiday celebration and visioning event at the Yonder Retreat Center. We are grateful the owners make this beautiful facility available to non-profit organizations like WSTA, just as we are for the contributions of current and past WSTA board and member volunteers since the inception of the association. read more »

Last night, I attended West Sound Technology Association’s (WSTA) annual summit on Innovation and Leadership (WWS2012) at Kitsap Conference Center. The speaker lineup was impressive and included:

• US Congressman Norm Dicks: The Growing Threat Landscape: Cyber Security Initiatives that Safeguard American Business and Intellectual Property 
• State Senator Derek Kilmer: Technology, Innovation and the Changing Economy
• Egils Milbergs, Washington Economic Development Commission: Building a World-Class Innovation Ecosystem
• Patty Lent, Mayor of City of Bremerton: The New Bremerton: Doing More With Less
• John Powers, Kitsap Economic Development Alliance: Kitsap — The Most Competitive Community in a Globally Competitive Region   

The keynote, Gary Shapiro, is CEO of Consumer Electronics Association — an organisation which hosts read more »

I experienced an epiphany spike in early June while writing a short book, and it’s been one of the best ones in years. Consultant Dave Allen and his GTD (Getting Things Done) reminder about focusing on the most important thing “now” and avoiding distractions couldn’t have been more timely.

Yes, I know…there is still that contingent which will equate “I’m so busy!” with “I’m so important!”

I’m over it.

I like to play hard and work hard, and in that order. To do so requires an almost neurotic level of time management skills, which I possess. Once in a while, obligations from several businesses, civic activities, and personal life converge into the perfect storm of ‘whoa!’. I go into a mode where my biggest priority is getting the important stuff done as quickly and efficiently as possible so I can get back to… read more »

On October 10, West Sound Technology Association (WSTA) will welcome an international icon, Gary Shapiro, to our shores.

Who?

You know…Gary Shapiro. The CEO of The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), a preeminent trade association which promotes growth in the $173 billion U.S. consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. Its annual International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the stuff of legend.

That’s not all.

He writes for Forbes and Huffington Post, and has appeared on CNN, C-SPan, MSNBC, PBS, and anywhere else they’re fortunate to have him. read more »

[Full disclosure: The blog subject doesn’t know I’ve written this. Nor did he ask me to…]

I’ve known Harry Brelsford for over twelve years, and what I like about him most is his ability to reinvent himself and offer continued value to the small and medium business (SMB) channel. We’ve shot the breeze on several occasions regarding ‘what ifs’ in the industry, and often agree regarding the ubiquitous role of technology as a critical platform and tool in 21st Century society.

Lest one thinks he’s yet another self-appointed expert capitalising on recent trends with rehashed or borrowed content, it might be useful to know he’s written 17+ SMB technology books as author and/or co-author. read more »