Activation Capital

Jim Pannucci, PhD, VP of Entrepreneurship with Activation Capital and 2024 BioBuzz Community Builder of the?Year, will be the featured guest on the March 27 episode of BioBuzz Networks’ “What’s the Buzz?!” Tune in for an insightful conversation about the future of life sciences in the Richmond region and beyond. Details at https://lnkd.in/eyB8NgrM

Ideal for anyone new to the proposal writing game who wants to develop core strategies to apply to different opportunities, this popular virtual training session will present some common sense tips on how to write an effective state or federal contract proposal. Details and registration at https://www.vipc.org/events

The NSF SBIR/STTR program focuses on transforming scientific and engineering discoveries into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Each year, NSF awards over $230M annually in research and development funding to about 400 startups across the US in almost any technology category. This workshop provides instruction on how to plan and write a competitive SBIR/STTR proposal to the National Science Foundation. Additional details and registration at https://www.vipc.org/events

Please join us in welcoming Brent Holliday, Manager of Marketing and Outreach, as Activation Capital grows its team of experts committed to supercharging innovation in Central Virginia. Brent has joined our dynamic innovation ecosystem to help accelerate advancements in life sciences and technology. He brings over two decades of marketing and communications experience across a number of industries, including energy, engineering, automation, and finance. Prior to joining Activation Capital, Brent was the Marketing Manager for Capstone Strategic, a business consulting firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions for middle-market companies. Brent has a degree in English from the College of William & Mary. He enjoys the challenges marketing provides, including aspects of effective storytelling, brand messaging, and creative problem-solving. Learn more about Brent and our purpose-driven team as we advance scientific research, commercialization, business formation, and ecosystem development—fostering the creation of 21st-century jobs and companies. https://activation.capital

The Activation Capital team is thrilled to congratulate our colleague, Jim Pannucci, PhD, Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Ecosystem Development, for earning BioBuzz’s 2024 Community Builder of the Year! Jim's dedication to fostering a thriving BioHealth ecosystem in Central Virginia has been instrumental in shaping the region as a hub for life sciences, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Through his leadership at Activation Capital, Jim has been a driving force behind building partnerships with local universities, expanding support programs for startups, and attracting top-tier talent to the region. His work continues to accelerate groundbreaking advancements in biotech, pharma, and life sciences—creating a lasting impact for the entire region. This well-deserved recognition highlights Jim’s relentless commitment to collaboration, growth, and innovation. Please join us in congratulating Jim on this outstanding achievement! Learn more about the BioBuzz Awards and the impact of Jim’s work: https://lnkd.in/dUQZKz8w #BioBuzzAwards #CommunityBuilder #BioHealthCapital #Entrepreneurship #LifeSciences #RichmondVA #ActivationCapital #Innovation #Biotech #Pharma

Please join us in welcoming?Kerensa Lilly, Executive Assistant at Activation Capital. Kerensa has joined our growing team to help?supercharge innovation in Central Virginia. Kerensa, a graduate of?Virginia Commonwealth University?with a?Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications, has quickly contributed to our?innovation ecosystem?as we work to?catalyze scientific research, commercialization, business formation, and ecosystem development?that?attracts and creates?21st-century jobs and companies. In her role, Kerensa works closely with our?Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Ecosystem Development?and?Vice President of Finance & Operations. Learn more about Kerensa and our?purpose-driven team?as we grow?Virginia’s community of advanced tech entrepreneurs?and empower them to?solve the world’s toughest problems: https://lnkd.in/eXVjypAe

Join us for the final webinar in the initial series of supply chain conversations hosted by the Alliance for Building Better Medicine on February 18! This highly informative web series, which is currently serving as a finalist for The Metropolitan Business League's "Trailblazing Partnership of the Year" award, will feature special guest Frank Gupton, CEO of the Medicines for All Institute (M4ALL) at Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Engineering. Dr. Gupton and Medicines for All are founding members of the Alliance for Building Better Medicine. The webinar host, Vanessa Womack, will interview Dr. Gupton about his transformative work that is helping to improve global access to lifesaving medicines. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how M4ALL’s manufacturing optimization process is significantly impacting the pharmaceutical supply chain and helping to make our region a hub for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, workforce development, and supply chain innovation. Learn how M4ALL is reducing costs, increasing efficiencies, and providing technical innovation, giving competitive advantages in a growing marketplace. ?? Register for free here: https://lnkd.in/ey3Y86Qe

Techstars Startup Weekend Richmond will be held February 21 - 23, 2025 at University of Richmond - Robins School of Business.?This three-day creative and collaborative educational event is where aspiring entrepreneurs experience startup life. Register at https://lnkd.in/eZRNTsAF

February is Rare Disease Month. VCU Libraries will be hosting a speaker on this topic from 12 to 1pm each Wednesday during February. Each talk will be focused on the perspective of either patients/caregivers, researchers, commercialization experts, or physicians.?To see the full schedule and get more details, please visit https://lnkd.in/d-mGsMTW

You can join us today at 1 PM EST for the Start the Journey Webinar, "How to Launch a Successful Startup When You’re Not in Silicon Valley.” Featured speaker Ralph Petroff is a serial entrepreneur and ecosystem developer based in Alabama. He will discuss the key questions an emerging entrepreneur should ask when launching a business and share stories about different kinds of early-stage startups and their various pathways to success. Details at https://bit.ly/4jHktXw