Partner Spotlight: Tech Frederick

In December 2016, Tech Frederick was approved as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tech Frederick was first established in 2009 and formed to identify, highlight, support, foster awareness of, advocate for, and develop Frederick’s growing high tech community through community education and human resource development, entrepreneurship training programs and seminars, and related events. Tech Frederick achieves its mission through a variety of ways, including regular networking events, the Tech Frederick Breakfast speakers series, and the Tech Frederick EARN workforce training program.

Tech Frederick is led by an all-volunteer board and began as a collaboration between The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development, Frederick County Office of Economic Development, and the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI). The board of directors is comprised of Vaughn Thurman (Swift Systems), Nick  Damoulakis (Orases), and Scott Ryser (Yakabod).  In February 2017, the board reorganized the advisory team to include collaboration and resources from additional leaders and supporters of the IT industry in Frederick.

Tech Frederick is focused on the following programs and events:

• Community development programs, seminars, and other events designed to increase awareness of and access to economic and other resources available to local and high tech entrepreneurs, startups, and individual workers within or desirous to join the high tech sector
• Research and outreach efforts designed to educate extra-regional resources regarding the current and increasing viability of the Greater Frederick area as a target location for high tech companies
• Marketplace training programs designed to connect potential local and extra-regional human resources with available high-tech opportunities in the Greater Frederick Area
• Entrepreneurship programs designed to increase the likelihood of success for local high tech startups
• Training and education programs designed to support established entrepreneurs by connecting them with viable resources and strategies for supporting positive business development and sustainable growth 

Industry Specific Networking Forums & Training

• Quarterly Networking Happy Hours 
• Quarterly Breakfast Events
• Training & Technical Certifications (TechFrederick EARN) - The TechFrederick EARN program provides training and technical certifications to economically distressed, unemployed, and underemployed individuals in order to reenter or advance a career in the IT industry.

Techs on Loan Program

Frederick’s technology community provides technical assistance free-of-charge to Frederick area non-profit organizations to bring to life, specific projects where technology can make a difference.  Efforts from this initiative are made up entirely of volunteers from the Frederick IT community.Techs on Loan assistance includes:

• General  technology assessment to help a specific non-profit develop a technology strategy roadmap which is consistent with its overall mission and strategy.
• Implementation of specific projects which are consistent with the strategy roadmap.