Newsletter

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The NTC welcomes you to its first Hill Day & Legislator Reception, where NTC members connect with their elected officials from the Tennessee State Legislature.

The NTC works to connect and unite the technology industry of Middle Tennessee and sustain an economic atmosphere that empowers tech and nurtures innovation to thrive. The NTC advocates for the expansion and attraction of both tech businesses and a talented workforce.

These programs on March 15 are an opportunity for the Nashville tech community to build relationships with policy makers. Please join us!

Fair Repair Act – SB888/HB1382

Legislation that would require “Digital electronic product” manufacturers to, among other things, make diagnostic and repair information available to product owners. The legislation is currently limited to farm equipment. This bill in the House Sub on Wed. at 3pm. Learn more here.

Broadband – SB1215/HB529

The Governor’s bill, which aims to spur availability to broadband for more than 800,000 Tennesseans without access, passed out of the Subcommittee and is set to move in the Senate next week. A compromise agreement amended the bill this past week. Learn more here.

Data Breach – SB547/HB545

An update of data breach legislation passed last year that more specifically defines disclosure requirements. This bill moved out of committee with an amendment. The bill is set for the Senate Floor on Monday afternoon and the full House Committee on Wednesday. Learn more here.

Autonomous Vehicles – SB151/HB381 and SB252/HB296

Legislation that would regulate how automated vehicles can operate in Tennessee has been introduced. The issue is a contentious one between traditional auto manufacturers and producers of self-driving automation technology. Legislation is calendared for Senate Transportation on Monday at 12:30 and the House Sub on Wednesday at 12. Learn more here and here.

Educator License Endorsements – SB232/HB918

Legislation that would require the State Board of Education to create an endorsement in computer science for all teachers who hold a valid license pursuant to statute and demonstrate sufficient content knowledge in the course material. This bill passed out of Senate and House Committees. It will be on the Senate Floor on Monday afternoon and in the full House Committee on Tuesday. The legislation has the endorsement of national technology companies and was amended to expand the endorsement to new teachers. Learn more here.

Apprenticeships – SB1313/HB1391

The legislation establishes the office of apprenticeship at TN ECD and work-study programs within the department; provides a tax credit to entities that participate in the programs; and reinstates certain apprenticeship programs for certain professional boards and commissions. The bill is calendared for the first time next week in Senate Government Operations on Wed. at 8:30am. Learn more here.

Bathroom Bill – SB771/HB888

Proponents of this controversial legislation have taken the bill off notice in the House and Senate committees. The legislation is likely to be updated bill later in session. Learn more here and learn more about the Tennessee Thrives coalition here.

Short Term Rentals – SB260/HB371, SB372/HB497, SB1038/HB1231, SB1086/HB1020

These bills did not move last week. They are scheduled again for the Senate Commerce Committee at 1:30 on Tuesday and the House Subcommittee at 3 on Tuesday. The short term rental platforms are at odds with local governments and segments of the hospitality industry.  Learn more here, here, here, and here.

Ascension Care Management (formerly MissionPoint Health), a population health company that is part of Ascension, grew from managing one population in one market to managing the needs of more than 250,000 members across multiple populations and almost 10,000 providers in seven states in just four years. As it transformed and ran into common healthcare challenges – sorting through data, identifying clinical priorities, selecting the best paths forward – Ascension Care Management needed a new way to prioritize and organize its work. Dr. Dinger turned outside healthcare for a solution and found Agile. Join us March 16 to learn how Ascension Care Management adapted the engine driving work at Facebook, SalesForce and Google to transform their population health work.

Presented & Sponsored By

We Build Tech Code Camps allow students to learn the basics of programming while immersing students in an engaging, real-world environment in which they are challenged to create with code. We are offering seventeen camps in twelve different subjects this year!

We need your help! We’re looking for companies interested in helping us fulfill scholarships so we can send every student to camp. Contact Erin Whitaker to learn more about this opportunity.

The NTC is bringing students & teachers to your workplace! We’re looking for companies who want to invest in the students who will become tomorrow’s technology talent for Middle Tennessee, as well as their teachers so they can gain a better understanding of the content they are teaching and how it relates back to the industry.

We are excited to announce that the Nashville IT Symposium is coming back to the Music City Center on May 11, 2017. This is an event designed for CIOs and their management teams with expected attendance of 250. As a reminder, this event is open only to IT practitioners and our partner sponsors. If you are interested in participating as a partner sponsor, please contact the event manager, Caleb Reimers at caleb@efminc.com or 515-332-7940. For those practitioners who haven’t registered, please visit the event website and register using the promo code “NTCLinked” to lower your registration fee to $75!

It’s that time of year again! Speaker submissions for the 2017 Nashville Analytics Summit are now open. We will be accepting applications through April 21, 2017. Click here to see session topics & to fill out a submission form.

The 2017 Nashville Analytics Summit will be held on Tuesday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 9 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville. The Summit focuses on a fundamental issue in organizations today: how to effectively leverage analytics. Speakers from various industries and backgrounds will address issues of big data and analytics. Format includes a two day summit with alternating workshops and speaker presentations.

The National Community Mapping Institute at Meharry Medical College, Code for Nashville, and Metro Nashville ITS are sponsoring a hackathon on Saturday, March 18^th.

The theme is “Storytelling with Open Data: Focus Public Health.” The hack will start with identifying open data sources that can be used to help promote the health of residents of the greater Nashville community. At the event, we will collect and compile open source data, create interactive maps and data visualizations with community engagement enabling citizens to contribute data and to discuss how it can be used to improve the environment and the health of the Nashville community.

The hackathon will be held from 8a-8p on Saturday, March 18^th at Nashville Software School, 500 Interstate Boulevard S., Suite 300, Nashville 37210.

Nashville Software School hosts tool training on Wednesday, March 15^th, 5:30-8pm. We’ll explore Mappler, a community based mapping tool, and Socrata, Metro’s open data platform that has basic visualization tools.

For more information regarding the Nashville Public Health Hackathon, visit: https://storytelling.civichack.us or contact Nick Lorenson, Wansoo Im, or Robyn Mace.

MSSA Cohort Tours

Recruit from a pool of proven leaders transitioning into tech. Active duty service members on Fort Campbell Airforce Base participating in the Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA) want to know more about you, your career, and your company. Students are studying cloud dev, cloud admin, DBA, and BI professionals. Visit the base to speak with candidates seeking opportunities in tech. Available dates during the noted time windows: Wednesday, April 19 (2:30-4:30pm) and Monday, April 24th (1-430pm). Spend 20 minutes or more with cohort members to learn more about their combination of leadership and tech skills and showcase your company. Interested in hosting service members at your company? Contact Erin Whitaker at the NTC to bring them to your campus for 1.5-2 hours.

Volunteers Needed for TSU Entrepreneur Club

Tennessee State University’s Entrepreneur Club is looking for small businesses owners to participate in a panel discussion on small business ownership March 29. Reach out to Sandi Hoff for more information.

Web Design & Java Mentors Needed

Support MNPS high school students studying for their certifications in Web Design (CIW) and Programming (Java) this spring. Mentors are needed to supplement classroom time and add needed expertise. Students choose to do extra work to sit for these certifications and propel their life after graduation – your help can make a big difference. Time commitment varies.

Open Call for Code Club Volunteers

The Creative Coding Program at Sunset Middle School (Brentwood) is seeking volunteers for the 2016-2017 school year. Volunteers will support the primary teacher and help students with their introduction to programming curriculum. The Club meets approximately 10 Mondays each semester from 7-8am. Schedules can be flexible! The program is supported by Tractor Supply Company, Jackson National Life, and Mapco Express. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Meg Chamblee at mchamblee@askcts.com.

MNPS Industry Certification Survey

Metro Schools wants your help to make sure graduates are properly equipped after high school. Complete this survey to let Metro Schools and the Chamber identify the certifications best suited to students in your industry.

The Nashville Technology Council is excited to announce Tech Hill Commons: a public gathering place for Nashville’s diverse community of tech leaders, business builders, user groups, students and tech educators. Tech Hill Commons also houses the NTC’s new offices. Come by for a visit to see our new space! Grand Opening in Early 2017. If you or your organization would like to support Tech Hill Commons, please contact Erin Miller.