Calendar
NEXT EVENT: Thursday, November 30th
Thursday Gathering - MVP Development
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Event Sessions

4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Innovation on Tap
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Demo Tables - MVP Testing (Minimum Viable Product)
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Building Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
6:30 PM - 7:15 PM
Workshop: Intro to MBE and WBE Certification
Keith Stokes

Keith Stokes

Speaker
Director – Business and Economic Development at City of Providence

Keith W. Stokes is the President of Strategic Economic Planning & Development with the Mayforth Group. The Mayforth Group is a Providence, RI and Washington based government relations firm. Keith is the former Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Executive Director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, and a native of Newport, Rhode Island. Educated at Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Quill & Dagger Honor Society) and the University of Chicago with a Master’s Degree, Mr. Stokes has a diverse professional background including business, community planning, historic preservation, and government. He has served his community in many capacities; including as a three term City Councilman.

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PAST EVENTS
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Forum: Running a Business While Black - Analyzing the Obstacles
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Articles
November 8, 2023
October 2023 Recap
June 24, 2021
The Accidental Entrepreneur: When Life Hands You Lemons...
Being your own boss is potentially one of the most rewarding and liberating experiences. However, passion and a great idea are not enough to guarantee success; the likelihood of achievement is significantly enhanced with deliberate forethought and planning. When Elaine Dickson embarked on her entrepreneurial journey it was in response to an unpleasant and unexpected life event. Looking back there are critical enablers that could have made her startup journey less bumpy. Join us as Elaine shares her story and some of the building blocks that were crucial to her success.
June 24, 2021
Startup Story: Jaia Robotics
Join us for a Startup Story featuring Ian Estaphan Owen, Co-Founder of Jaia Robotics! Startup stories showcase local innovators, startups and small businesses with their own session dedicated to sharing what they've learned with the Venture Café Community.
June 24, 2021
The Future of... FinTech Data Analysis
Suraj Sait and Morgan Prior currently intern at Marstone, Inc., a leading provider of digital investing solutions. During their internship, they chose to analyze trends in user behavior related to risk tolerance questionnaires using a variety of statistical tools. Using their analysis, they then explored classification of users by persona and built a predictive model for classifying users by risk level. In this presentation, Suraj and Morgan will highlight their key findings, as well as the data science concepts which underpin them.
June 24, 2021
Thursday Gathering: The Future of FinTech Data Analysis (06/24)
June 17, 2021
Startup Story: USEFULL
USEFULL is on a mission to help colleges, corporate offices, campuses, and communities design plastic out of the day-to-day, starting with single-use cups and containers. USEFULL is a Boston-based circular solution that partners can implement. USEFULL provides the technology and inventory - returnable stainless steel cups and containers - to take the place of single-use to-go options. Watch the recording of their story below!