Southeastern Regional Opportunity Zone Summit
2019-09-30 - 2019-10-01 | Jackson Convention Complex, 105 E. Pascagoula Street, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
The purpose of this two day event is to examine how the new federal Opportunity Zone incentive can accelerate regional efforts to build a stronger, more vibrant and resilient Southeast economy, and strengthen equitable growth in communities across Mississippi, the region and the country.
Opportunity Zones is a new initiative created under the 2017 Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which provides incentives for qualified investors to invest capital gains in distressed communities across the United States. The idea is based on bipartisan legislation originally introduced by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Corey Booker (D-NJ). According to estimates from the U.S. Treasury Department, up to $6 trillion in sidelined capital could move into 8700 eligible census tracts.
Day 1 of the event will address a known gap inhibiting future Opportunity Zone (OZ) program success: the lack of a robust, investable pipeline of projects that Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds can invest in and achieve desired returns. Training will be offered to help Southeastern communities be OZ-ready and promote cross-sectoral collaboration leveraging Opportunity Zones to drive local economic development.
Day 2 of the event will feature elected officials, economic developers, community leaders, private investors, and U.S. administration officials to discuss the power and promise of the new federal Opportunity Zone incentive.

Details

WHEN
September 30 & October 1, 2019
Day 1 | State & Local Opportunity Zone Boot Camp
Day 2 | Regional Opportunity Zone Strategies Summit
*Option to choose to attend single days or both.
WHERE
Jackson Convention Complex
105 East Pascagoula Street, Jackson, Mississippi
COST
Free to attendees

For more information, agenda and to register, please click the link below:
Opportunity Zone Summit 2019

Mississippi New Venture Challenge 2019
2019-10-03 13:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Clyde Muse Center, 515 Country Place Parkway, Pearl, MS, 39208, United States
Innovate Mississippi will present it’s 11th Annual Mississippi New Venture Challenge on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at the Clyde Muse Center on the Hinds Community College Campus in Pearl.
If you would like more information, please contact Tasha Bibb at 601.960.3624 or tbibb@innovate.ms.
Date: October 3, 2019
Location: Clyde Muse Center, 515 Country Place Parkway, Pearl, MS 39208; 601-936-1860.

Mississippi Capital Conference
2019-10-24 | Rick House, 717 Poplar Boulevard, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
McLaughlin, PC’s inaugural Mississippi Capital Conference will be held October 24, 2019 . This event will provide attendees with an opportunity to hear about the upswing in early stage finance for technology and innovation-based startups and emerging companies located in Mississippi. Attendees will also learn about what early stage finance opportunities exist in Mississippi, how to prepare for a successful investor pitch, and the nuances of the fundraising process.
Topics will include:

Where to find early stage capital in Mississippi
How to prepare for the fundraising process
The mechanics of closing the deal
What investors are looking for in investable companies

The Mississippi Capital Conference will be held at the Rick House located at 717 Poplar Boulevard in Jackson. The event will begin with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and include a keynote address from Joel Bomgar, the founder of Bomgar Corporation, a Mississippi based remote support solution.
The Mississippi Capital Conference will conclude late afternoon with a networking reception where company founders and investors will have an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. Attendees must preregister and space is limited. Click Here to register!

Oceans in Action Workshop
2019-11-04 - 2019-11-06 | Courtyard Marriott Beachfront, 1600 Beach Blvd, Gulfport, MS, 39501, United States
The local Section of the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET) invite you to attend the annual Oceans In Action Workshop. The event will take place at the Courtyard Marriott Beachfront in Gulfport, MS on Nov 4-6, 2019. Visit www.mtsociety.org/oceans-in-action/ to learn more about this event.
What’s Oceans in Action All About?
It’s the premier Gulf Coast regional marine technology event focusing on emerging technologies – bringing together federal, state, local, and private organizations for presentations, business-to-business/business-to-government meetings, exhibits of the latest technology, and pier-side demonstrations in association with the Advanced Naval Technology Exercise Gulf Coast.
NEW this year!

Expanded pier-side demonstrations supporting the Advanced Naval Technology Exercise Gulf Coast
High-level presentations and panels by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
More panels and meetings focused on how to do business with these and other federal agencies

To learn more contact Laurie Jugan at 228-688-1192 or at lajconsulting@bellsouth.net

Graphene Innovation & Research Conference
2019-11-19 08:00 - 2019-11-20 17:00 | The Westin Jackson, 407 South Congress Street , Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
This two-day conference will bring together leaders from academia, industry, and government funding agencies to focus on recent advances in graphene innovation and research, bridging the gap between lab and industry and enabling graphene-focused technologies.

During the event, leaders from the government, universities, national labs, and industries will convene to discuss strategies through which graphene can be leveraged to elevate already existing industries, create new high paying jobs, attract new companies and businesses and nurture and support spin off companies from the graphene academic and university network.
The conference will also incorporate a design competition with $15,000 in prizes for five companies. More info on the competition page.

Connect: Networking for Entrepreneurs
2020-01-09 16:30 - 18:30, 2020-02-06 16:30 - 18:30 | Cultivation Food Hall, 1200 Eastover Dr Suite 125, Jackson, 39211, United States
Innovate Mississippi Presents: Connect, an opportunity for entrepreneurs, mentors, and innovation ecosystem leaders to network, connect and form meaningful relationships.
Connect will be held the first Thursday of every month at the Cultivation Food Hall in The District. Cash Bar and plenty of food options will be available for you to purchase while you mingle. Due to the holidays, the first event will be January 9th (second Thursday) from 4:30 – 6:30. Please RSVP!

LUNCH WITH THE SOURCE - Tupelo | Before You Press Send
2020-02-19 11:30 - 12:30 | Community Development Foundation, 398 East Main Street, Tupelo, MS, United States
Description from the Source: Many professionals today tend to multitask with email. Any emailed correspondence bearing your name must be absolutely error-free. Even a careless mistake in an email can damage a leader’s reputation and make an entire workgroup look bad. Solutions lie in this fast-moving interactive lunch-and-learn targeted for anyone responsible for overseeing outgoing correspondence and email throughout the business day.

Participants will learn:

* The top seven credibility-robbing email mistakes and how to avoid them
* The importance of a complete email subject line—and how to write one consistently every time
* How to get a grip on your inbox with a few email management tips
* How to make sure your e-messages are absolutely error-free with no embarrassing typos or mistakes
* BONUS: You’ll walk away with three tangible writing tools you can use immediately back at the office.

NOTE: Membership in The Source is required. Click here for more info.

LUNCH WITH THE SOURCE - Desoto | Before You Press Send
2020-02-20 11:30 - 12:30 | 1 Memphis Street, 2467 Memphis Street, Hernando, MS, United States

The MENT Event
2020-02-28 - 2020-02-29 | The Lyric Theater, 1006 Van Buren Ave, Oxford, Mississippi, 38655
What is MENT?
Ment is a conference for the modern woman looking to construct her own future & career.
What will I experience at MENT?
Our panelists and one-to-one mentors will address and talk through issues holding women back and how to overcome them.
From forming an LLC & learning how to use QuickBooks, to digital/social media marketing & approaching influencers – attendees will walk away from our time together prepped with valuable business understanding & skills.
Attendees will also experience opportunities for less formal social events with panelists and other attendees. Sip complimentary cocktails with like-minded women and open the door for collaborations, mentorships and overall networking.

Webinar: Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)
2020-03-26 18:00 - 19:30
Please join us on March 26, 2020, at 6 pm for the Economic Injury Disaster Loans Seminar.
The Entrepreneur and Innovation Center
Mississippi Development Authority
Whitney Jackson
Date and Time: March 26, 2020 from 6:00p to 7:30p
Presenters:

Mitch McDowell – Host
Nancy McKee – Presenter
Jon Zieren – Presenter
Derek Stephens – Presenter

Please register in advance for this meeting: https://olemiss.zoom.us/meeting/register/v5cof-6rqj0jVIvwVlNZ9TAarazKLD5r4A
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Note: We will be sending out registration invitations to those attendees who registered for last night’s presentation. Feel free to forward this email, capacity for registration is limited to 300 attendees so make sure to go ahead and get registered.

2020 Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum
2020-04-02 - 2020-04-03 | Vicksburg Convention Center, 1600 Mulberry Street, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, United States
The 2020 Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum will be held Thursday and Friday, April 2-3, 2020 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. The event will bring together leading entrepreneurs, economic developers, innovators, and future business owners to learn more about the current entrepreneurial climate and the future of entrepreneurship in Mississippi.
For the first time, the MEF will host a Student Business Pitch Competition that will take place on April 2, 2020.
Sponsored by the University of Mississippi’s McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement, the event is part of the Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) initiative which is funded from a generous financial gift from the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation. Now in its sixth year, the Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum will provide working opportunities for aspiring business owners and thriving entrepreneurs to share practical and immediately useful information about building a business.
Additionally, attendees will hear best practices of successful case studies and learn more about resources and strategies available to entrepreneurs from institutions of higher education in Mississippi and other key organizations.
Panels on technology and innovation, student entrepreneurship, and the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem also will be conducted on April 3, 2020.
Previous Forums have been held in Clarksdale, Tupelo, Greenwood, Oxford, and Jackson.
MEF planning committee members include Allyson Best (University of Mississippi); Tasha Bibb (Innovate Mississippi); John Brandon (Mississippi College); Dr. Marty Brock (Mississippi University for Women); Ty Durham (Millsaps College); Saundra McFarland (Jackson State University); Janice Karcher (ERDCWERX); Dr. JR Love (University of Mississippi); Nash Nunnery (Mississippi Development Authority); Dr. Sheriece Robinson (Mississippi Community College Board); Jeffrey Rupp (Mississippi State University); Will Tabor (Mississippi Community College Board); James Wilcox (University of Southern Mississippi), and Dr. Glendscene Williams (Delta State University).
For more information about the 2020 Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum, please go to meforum.olemiss.edu, or contact JR Love at jrlove@olemiss.edu or Tasha Bibb at tbibb@innovate.ms.

Magnolia JS Event
2020-04-15 - 2020-04-16 | Jackson Convention Complex, 105 E. Pascagoula Street, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
Last year was our inaugural year for MagnoliaJS, and it was amazing. Planned in only 2 months, we still had 130+ attendees and top-tier speakers who flew in from all around the country to take part.
This year we are returning to continue our mission of growing the developer community in Mississippi and putting Mississippi “on the map” in tech.
Another novel thing about MagnoliaJS – everything is planned in public! You can always see our todos in our GitHub repo.
Speakers (more to be announced soon)

Nashlie Sephus, Amazon / The Bean Path – (@nashlie_s)
Jay Phelps – (@_jayphelps)
Tejas Kumar, G2i (@TejasKumar_)
Kayla Sween (@_KaylaSween)
Nader Dabit, AWS Mobile – (@dabit3)
Chris Ball, Echobind – (@cball_)
Tyler Clark – (@iamtylerwclark)
Michael Liendo, John Deere – (@mtliendo)
Chris DeMars, Tuft & Needle – (@saltnburnem)
Justin Samuels – (@ThugDebugger)

Additional Speakers
Additional speakers will be announced soon!

Technology Finds a Way! MSTUG 8th Annual Technology Expo - April 22, 2020 - REGISTRATION OPEN!
2020-04-22 09:00 - 15:00 | MS TradeMart, 1200 Mississippi Street, Jackson, MS, 39202, United States
On behalf of the officers and members of the Mississippi Technology User Group (MSTUG), I am pleased to announce registration is open for our annual Technology Expo for 2020. The date is Wednesday, April 22nd at the Mississippi Trade Mart in Jackson, MS from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. This year’s theme is based on Jurassic Park/Jurassic World™ – “Technology Finds a Way.” We are encouraging vendors to decorate their booths with this dinosaur park theme in mind. This will be a competition and the attendees will vote on the best themed booth throughout the day. There will be a prize awarded!

Outbound Sales Strategies for Challenging Times
2020-04-29 12:00 - 13:00
Learn outbound sales strategies and tactics that will land your business more sales meetings with ideal prospects during these uncertain times.
Innovate Mississippi is launching a series of webinars for startups and small businesses. Join us Wednesday, April 29, 11:00AM-12:00PM for the first webinar in this series featuring Jonathan Sellers.
Jonathan is CEO and Founder of Spark Outbound, a digital marketing agency focused on helping startups, B2B businesses and franchises build efficient and scalable lead generation programs. Throughout his career, Jonathan has led digital marketing programs for companies ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. He’s taken those combined experiences to help Spark Outbound clients identify and implement digital marketing strategies and tactics that will provide maximum impact to their bottom lines.
Register here >>

Connect Online - Virtual Networking
2020-05-07 16:30 - 18:30
Join us Thursday, May 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 for CONNECT fully remote. Like our previous CONNECT gatherings, this is an opportunity for entrepreneurs, mentors, and innovation ecosystem leaders to network while staying within the CDC’s recommended guidelines for social distancing.
We hope to continue our monthly CONNECT gatherings at Cultivation Food Hall in June, but for now, grab your favorite drink and join us from home. We hope to see you there!
The event is FREE, but registration is required.

Finding Top Tech Talent For Your Startup: Dr. Nashlie Sephus
2020-05-13 10:00 - 11:00
Join us for a chat with Dr. Nashlie Sephus to discuss how to find and hire a good Chief Technology Officer for your early-stage startup and how to navigate the CEO/CTO relationship. She’ll also answer your questions about building your base of technical talent for your organization.

Raising Capital in a Pandemic: Mike Morgan
2020-05-27 11:00 - 12:00
Raising capital as a start-up CEO or founder can be challenging. Distracting. Time-consuming. And that was before COVID-19 changed the economic landscape. Mike Morgan will discuss how to start and continue conversations with angel investors about raising capital during these times of uncertainty.

Optimizing Your Brand - Natalie Sharma
2020-06-10 11:00 - 12:00
Learn how to assess and consolidate your existing marketing and brand assets and turn them into an efficient visual system that scales with you, your team, and your business.

Webinar: Securing your Data without Sacrificing Convenience
2020-08-19 11:00 - 12:00
Brent Upton of Upton Technologies presents this webinar for entrepreneurs and organizations securing your data.
Securing your data and communications in this current environment is more important than ever. Join us to learn ways to ensure your business is productive while remaining safe from cyber-threats.
Register here >>

Procuring Technology for Your Business
2020-09-02 11:00 - 12:00
Carrie Goetz of StrategITcom presents a special webinar on procuring technology for the Innovate Mississippi entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Join us for a robust discussion on procurement strategies for purchasing technical solutions to support and/or run your business. Starting down the wrong path with the wrong technology can hinder your business and not provide the results that you expect. This webinar will discuss the RFI process, including authoring, evaluating, finding the best solution, benefits of using a broker or outsider, due diligence, and the iterative processes that follow. We will also discuss the buzzwords in tech right now and why they may or may not be relevant to a new business.

Register now >>

Global Oceans 2020: A Virtual Conference
2020-10-05 - 2020-10-30
Announcing: Global OCEANS 2020
A Virtual Conference combining OCEANS Gulf Coast and OCEANS Singapore
October 5-30, 2020
The Marine Technology Society and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society partner to present OCEANS, and this prestigious conference and exhibition draws an audience of more than 2,000 attendees. OCEANS is the bi-annual event for global marine technologists, engineers, students, government officials, scientists, and advocates. This year, amid the COVID19 pandemic, the two conferences will combine and provide a comprehensive, single, virtual conference.
Join us as we highlight maritime science and technology, as well as bring you updates on the latest industrial, academic, federal, and global innovations.
Submit your abstract for the technical program by June 29!
Global OCEANS 2020 will feature:

Presentations of professionally reviewed technical papers from across the globe
Locally focused special sessions, town halls, and panels from each locale
Plenary sessions with leaders from industry, academia, the military, and government
Virtual exhibit hall and demos
A virtual student poster session and competition, with outstanding projects from around the world
The new Young Professionals Program
Tutorials and Workshops

Click here to register.

The Bowlmmercial Webinar
2021-02-10 10:30 - 23:30
Down…set….ADVERTISE!
100 million people in the United States gather around their screens for Super Sunday. While the game may be entertaining, and the halftime shows may keep getting more scandalous, the real action occurs in the breaks. Brands spend MILLIONS of dollars for a few seconds of airtime during the big game.
Join us for Bowlmmercial, where we break down the X’s and O’s of some of the most prominent big game ads, and discuss how lessons from these big spenders can be applied to entrepreneurs looking to market their own businesses.
Bowlmmercial, brought to you by Innovate Mississippi, and MWB, a Creative Company. A webinar coming to you Wednesday, February 10th.

The Frontier 2021: Industrial Innovation Conference
2021-04-12 - 2021-04-14
In 2018, over 200 innovation leaders representing 130 organizations from 20 states and 5 countries 17 major industrial disciplines attended. The next edition of The Frontier Conference 2021 is scheduled for April 12-14, 2021 in Birmingham, Ala., engaging an even wider spectrum of disciplines shaping the future of the industrial world.

Connect - Networking for Entrepreneurs
2021-04-26 16:30 - 2021-05-06 18:30 | Cultivation Food Hall, 1200 Eastover Dr Suite 125, Jackson, 39211, United States
CONNECT is an opportunity for entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and anyone interested in entrepreneurship and innovation to network and form meaningful relationships. Cash Bar and plenty of food options will be available for you to purchase while you mingle.

Your health and safety are very important to us and we will continue to monitor the CDC’s guidelines for safe gatherings. Cultivation Food Hall asks that customers wear a mask while entering the building, ordering food/beverages or moving throughout the venue. You will have the option to move your conversations outside and bring your food/beverages with you if you would like to spread out. We will also have disposable masks and hand sanitizer available for attendees. We understand if you are not yet comfortable with in-person gatherings, but we hope these precautions will help you feel safe and eager to gather together again.

Connecting Women in Business Symposium by Mississippi District Export Council
2021-05-27 11:30 - 13:00 | Online Workshop
Sponsored by the Mississippi District Export Council and hosted by Connecting Mississippi Women in Business
$25
The Port of Gulfport presents
Magie Cook
Magie Cook is known for meteoric rise from an orphan in Mexico to a business mogel whose salsa brand sold to Campbell’s for over 200 million dollars.
Magie’s company has been mentioned and featured on: CNN, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NBC, USA Today, ABC, CBS, The Washington Post, Fox News, Kiplinger, Daystar, among many others.
As an author and professional speaker, she inspires teams, organizations, and leaders to reach their full potential and break the barriers that prevent them from reaching their ultimate goals. She delivers 50+ keynotes annually on leadership, business development and professional development.
Learn More & Register!

CONNECT
2021-06-03 16:30 - 18:30, 2021-07-01 16:30 - 18:30 | Cultivation Food Hall, 1200 Eastover Dr Suite 125, Jackson, 39211, United States
Join us for CONNECT: Networking for Entrepreneurs

CONNECT is an opportunity for entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and anyone interested in entrepreneurship and innovation to network and form meaningful relationships. CONNECT is held the first Thursday of every month from 4:30 -6:30 at the Cultivation Food Hall in The District, Jackson, MS. Cash Bar and plenty of food options will be available for you to purchase while you mingle.

Please RSVP. We hope to see you there!

For questions, contact Crystal McCann at cmccann@innovate.ms.

The Bean Path Tech Office Hours
2021-06-12 12:30 - 13:30 | Online Webinar
Creating Multiple Income Streams
This month The Bean Path is speaking to engineer, artist and writer Warn Wilson about his new book Brown Money and creating multiple income streams! If you want to start generating revenue from different sources but need guidance on how to begin, tune in to learn more.
Register Now!

Overcoming Structural Barriers for Women in Entrepreneurship: A Virtual Workshop
2021-06-21 - 2021-06-22 | Online Workshop
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a dynamic virtual workshop on June 21-22, 2021 to explore the current structural barriers driving the underrepresentation of women entrepreneurs across science, technology, engineering, and medical (STEMM) industries and strategies to overcome these barriers. The focus of the workshop will not be on “fixing the women”, but rather, on fixing the structural inequities contributing to the underrepresentation of women in entrepreneurship. The two-day workshop will bring together experts and leaders to identify promising practices for advancing aspiring and current women entrepreneurs and provide insights on how stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem can address various systemic barriers facing women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.
Register Now!
