TechBirmingham Blog

Request for Proposals

November 1, 2019

As our organization grows, so do the programs that we provide to our members and the community. 2020 will mark some major milestones for TechBirmingham, and we are looking for some fresh and exciting ideas for our annual cyber conference. If your company is interested in helping us with our rebrand and revision for our conference, please check out this RFP and follow the instructions on how to submit your proposals. We are extending the deadline to submit proposals to November 5, 2019.

 

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Alabama CyberNow is Rebranding!

October 23, 2019

 

With the growth and success of Alabama CyberNow for the past 4 years, our committee is looking at building the future of this signature event beyond the state of Alabama. We are taking some first steps to get to this audacious goal by rebranding and changing the name to Cyber Now Summit. We are looking for some help to reimagine the marketing for this event. If you want to help our team imagine the possibilities of marketing this event, please read this Request For Proposal and consider submitting it by October 28, 2019.

 

Please contact Christina Smith at christina@techbirmingham.com

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Alabama CyberNOW Announces Afternoon Keynote Speaker

February 1, 2019

The Alabama Cyber Now Committee is proud to announce our keynote speaker for the afternoon session of the Fourth Annual Alabama Cyber Now conference on April 11th, Frank W. Abagnale. Abagnale’s keynote speech is courtesy of ThreatAdvice, a leading cyber education, awareness and intelligence company, and the Presenting Sponsor for the 2019 conference.

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Alabama Cyber NOW Announces Morning Keynote Speaker

January 9, 2019

The Alabama Cyber NOW Committee is proud to announce our Keynote speaker for the morning session of the Fourth Annual Alabama Cyber NOW Conference on April 11th, Katreena Mullican, Cloud Evangelist and Solutions Architect for Technical & Scientific Application, Inc.

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Meet Our Member Company: Terane

September 26, 2018

TechBirmingham is proud to announce our new member company, Terane. We are here with Sean McCroskey, Director of Operations for Terane. Check out what Sean has to say about his company and Birmingham’s growing tech scene.

                    

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3 Not So Obvious Reasons to Join TechBirmingham

September 14, 2018

A membership with TechBirmingham is incredibly valuable.  With over 300 member companies, our growing network of resources and thriving tech community provides an opportunity for growth for you and your company, but a membership with TechBirmingham provides more than just amazing education resources and community involvement.  Here are 3 things you probably didn’t know you could get out of a membership with TechBirmingham.

 

We provide programs focused on education, networking and building up the tech community. Our programs include our monthly tech speaker series, programs focused on information sharing and tech education, member-only networking socials and multiple initiatives designed to improve and grow our technology ecosystem.

Additionally, TechBirmingham works to promote both member companies and the region’s tech ecosystem as a whole through local, regional and national media outlets.

Benefits include:

  • Company recognized as member on the TechBirmingham website
  • Customer referrals to member organizations
  • Social media promotion of your organization through multiple media channels
  • Ability to post job openings on TechBirmingham Jobs page
  • Free admission to monthly TechBirmingham events
  • Access to Members Only networking events and programs
  • Discounted pricing for special events and programs
  • Opportunity to get involved, affect change and help grow the local tech community

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Camp Innovation Recap!

July 5, 2018

It is two weeks after our Kids Code Camp, and I am still feeling so pumped about spending two insane weeks of technology immersion in the basement of Atlas RFID. I still am amazed that of how much we covered in such a short amount of time and blown away at how this came together because of the amazing community of TechBirmingham. This camp would not have been made possible without the financial contributions, and the time our members gave up from their busy work weeks to come and help us with operating camp.

The first week, we had 4 very unique devices prototyped by the kids, which included LED light shows, noise amplifiers, a thermostat, Arduino processors, and 80’s music. In the second week, the kids learned to program in Python to create their own unique games, by Friday we had games that resembled Space Invaders, a Zombie Role Playing Game, a Food Fight Game and a Platform Game. The kids learned how to brainstorm, work in teams, design, QA and so much more. Many of the kids shared that they want to return next year, and the kids who are now too old want to return to be volunteers next year.

Next year, our instructors have expressed that they would like to return as well, and we discussed the possibility of offering a longer game development camp so the kids can have deeper understanding of the material, expanding the program to include one week for upper elementary, and maybe using this year’s camp attendees as the first cohort for creating an academy that will run through the year.

Our team was lead Week 1 by Keiah Shauku and Vinny Chiaramonte who provided instruction on basic circuitry and programming Arduino processors the first week along with Team Leaders Amrita Lakhanpal, Robert Pique, Akili Shauku, Viraj Kaker, Hampton Walker, Anisha Ali, and Nicole Mubarak. Week 2 was lead by Nicole Mubarak, Shehzan Maredia, and Team Leaders, Akili Shauku, Andrew Gelderman, Viraj Kaker, Maya Leonard, Taylor Bowser, and Ami Gelderman in teaching the kids game development programming in Python. We also had over 40 volunteers that rotated throughout the week representing many of our member companies such as DST Health Solutions, BBVA Compass, Regions, Kinetic Communications,

We would like to recognize our sponsors for their generosity and their support of our program. Atlas RFID provided us for two whole weeks making us feel at home in their office space. DST Health Solutions awarded a grant that made it possible for us to purchase Elegoo Circuit kits for campers and develop curriculum to teach these campers, AND they sent eight of their interns who helped with organizing supplies and encouraging the kids. Shipt and Planet Fundraiser provided scholarships, meals, and funds to purchase supplies, and sent speakers to come and inspire the kids to continue growing in their thirst for learning technology skills. We had members of the Protective Enterprise Team rally together to provide scholarships for three students. Maynard Cooper & Gale, Seven Nine Foundation, McLeod Software, Sigao Studios, Groveland Baptist Church, Screenshots for Kids, and several private donors provided scholarships for campers. We had over 40 kids apply for scholarships, and we were able to award 27 scholarships. Hopefully next year, we’ll be able to increase that number and increase our impact on the community!

If you didn’t get to join us for the fun this year, please consider helping next year! There are so many kids in our community that need programs like this in order to gain the skills needed for a brighter tomorrow.

-Christina Smith

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New Member Profile: Pegasystems

May 24, 2018

TechBirmingham is proud to announce our new member company, Pegasystems. Today we are here with Wanda Andrieni, Senior Account Executive of Pegasystems.   Check out what Wanda has to say about her company and Birmingham’s growing tech scene.

We are so glad to have you here today Wanda.  Where are you from originally? 

Atlanta, GA.  I actually commute to Birmingham.

How long has the company been around? 

We’ve been around for 35 years.

So tell us more about Pegasystems. What’s an average day look like for you and what kind of work are you doing? 

I work with customers to discover opportunities to deliver process efficiencies and better customer engagement, so they can achieve breakthrough business results. Pega’s mission is to change the way the world builds software. We love software. It’s the lifeblood of business. It can transform customers into loyal fans. It can turn employees into productivity ninjas. It can make you a master of change and a disruptor of markets. But today’s enterprise can’t run on software designed for yesterday’s small or mid-size business – you need software built for scale and complexity, and that’s what we do.

 

 

What do you think is the biggest challenge in your industry?

 

The biggest business problem we see today are point solutions that were deployed years ago and still being deployed, that result in gaps between systems and processes.

 

What is the most exciting trend you see in the Birmingham Tech Scene?

The collaboration of tech leaders, as well as engagement from the next generation of leaders, is really exciting to me. A continuing trend is the formation and development of collaborative partnerships and alliances between established companies, educational institutions, and early stage start-ups to accelerate innovation.

 

How do you see the Birmingham Tech Scene evolving? 

Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeast and as one of the largest banking centers in the United States. Like most metropolitan cities in the country, significant investments are being made in technology, such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation in all industry sectors.

 

What exciting news or product/service announcements does your company have on the horizon?

 

Pega is making an exciting product announcement at our annual user conference PegaWorld 2018 in Las Vegas June 3-6; this is just a short time away, and it is unequivocally shaping up to be our biggest event yet. With Digital Transformation being at the forefront of this year’s program, you’ll spend four days listening, learning, and networking with over 5,000 business and tech leaders from the world’s most powerful brands. We’ll also be making the most exciting product announcement in Pega’s history and it’s going to be big.

What kind of impact do you want to make with your involvement in TechBirmingham? 

I want to offer new ideas and a fresh approach to solving business problems that deliver results rapidly, cost-effectively, and that supports the need to change quickly. As a result, we can help Birmingham based enterprises achieve phenomenal business results, and gain a competitive edge. We can also help local tech talent develop new insights and skills.

 

What advice would you give to a person starting out in your industry or in the workforce? 

 

Look for and maintain opportunities to network and learn from peers, mentors, and leaders. Groups like TechBirmingham allow you to expand your horizons beyond your current field. I have found that the many people I have encountered along my career journey have provided valuable insights.

 

Where can we find your company online? 

 

www.pega.com, @pega on Twitter, and Pegasystems on LinkedIn.

 

And where can we find you online? 

 

LinkedIn  at www.linkedin.com/in/wandaandrieni

Twitter @wandaandrieni

 

Anything else about you or your company you want us to share?

Pegasystems is the leader in software for customer engagement and operational excellence. If you’ve driven a car, used a credit card, called a company for service, opened an account, flown on a plane, submitted a claim, or performed countless other everyday tasks, chances are you’ve interacted with Pega. For the past 30 years, our technology – CRM, digital process automation, robotics, AI, and more – has empowered the world’s leading companies to achieve breakthrough results. Industry analysts Gartner and Forrester say Pega ranks •#1 in Digital Process Automation, Dynamic Case Management, BPM Platform, •#1 in CRM frameworks and Omni-channel Service for enterprise organizations #1 in Real Time Interaction Management Leading analyst say Pega applications are deployed 6.5 times faster than traditional methods and changes are delivered 8 x faster.

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Meet Our Member Company – Pluralsight with Patrick Madden

May 17, 2018

TechBirmingham is proud to announce our new member company, Pluralsight. Today we are here with Patrick Madden, Enterprise Account Executive of Pluralsight. Check out what Patrick has to say about Birmingham’s growing tech scene.

We are so glad you joined the TechBirmingham Community Patrick! Tell us about your company Pluralsight.
We at Pluralsight are dedicated to helping tech professionals learn, acquire, skill up, and stay up to date on the latest technology platforms.  Pluralsight is also for organizations to get unprecedented insight into skills strengths and weaknesses and to align learning to what matters.
What do you think is the biggest challenge in your industry?
Keeping up to date with all the latest and changing technologies.   Pluralsight helps with that.
What is the most exciting trend you see in the Birmingham Tech Scene?
Birmingham has a very smart and dynamic workforce.  We need to close the technology skill gaps that exist in our community so we can attract and keep the best talent.
How do you see the Birmingham Tech Scene evolving?
With next-generation education (see www.pluralsight.com)
What exciting news or product/service announcements does your company have on the horizon?
We just released PluralsightIQ.  It allows you to know where your tech skills stand and how to get yourself from where you are now to where you want to go
What kind of impact do you want to make with your involvement in TechBirmingham?

We plan to help provide tech learning to people that don’t traditionally have access to it. We will also sponsor events to make sure the community is up to date with what is hot in technology.  We are excited about our membership!

What advice would you give to a person starting out in your industry or in the workforce?
The best thing to do is figure out what you want to do and then work hard to do it better than everyone else.  Involve yourself in the community and make a positive difference.  Be nice, you can be successful and still help others
Where can we find your company online?
And where can we find you online?
We are so excited to have Pluralsight as members!  To learn more about how to become a member, click here

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Alabama Cyber Now 2018

April 25, 2018

The Alabama Cyber Now Conference, hosted by TechBirmingham, The Central Alabama Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (CAISSA) and the InfraGard Birmingham Members Alliance, was quite a hit.  With over 500 attendees, two keynote speakers, and over 20 breakout sessions, it was a conference filled with education and growth.  We also added 3 training sessions, requested by many of our attendees from last year, and our “Birds of a Feather” sessions which allowed attendees to collaborate with other like-minded cybersecurity individuals.

The morning of ACN began with a wonderful keynote speaker session.   Sadik Al-Abdulla, Director of Security Solutions, CDW,  spoke about the state of security from his many security assessments while we enjoyed breakfast sponsored by Bradley Law Firm.   From there, our attendees were able to attend one of the many breakout sessions and browse the vendor booths to learn about cutting-edge solutions and best practices in the industry.  We came together again for lunch, where Tina Meeker, Owner & Principal of Beacon Information Security, LLC, spoke about how the diversity gap hurts the cybersecurity field as a whole.  After more breakout sessions and education opportunities, we finally wrapped our day with our Birds of a Feather sessions, allowing for networking and conversation amongst our attendees.

As the evening came to a close, we were pleased to hear from many that this conference was “one of the largest and most educational” resources out there for those in the cybersecurity sector.  We fully anticipate an even larger event next year with more educational opportunities, speakers, and resources.

This event could not have been possible without the contribution of so many sponsors, who we have had the honor and privilege of working with.  To learn more about who sponsored this event, visit our sponsors page.


 

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