Technet bridges gap between business, education in the Inland Northwest

Today, regardless of your title or whether the hairs on the back of your neck stand up at the very mention of the term, change management must be one of your competencies. Despite the hangover of a sluggish economy in the form of continued layoffs, reorganizations and closures, things are gradually improving. But how do you prepare to take your organization to a new level of health, participation and success in the current marketplace?

Jeannine Marx
Special to The Spokesman-Review

Change is inevitable and businesses in particular must change to stay alive, in order to thrive and prosper. The success, spirit and vigor of a company are fundamental to its ability to grow and more importantly, its ability to manage change. According to Jack Welch, former Chairman of General Electric, it can mean the very life or death of your business: “I am convinced that if the rate of change inside an organization is less than the rate of change outside, the end is in sight…”

Locally, several technology/innovation-related organizations whose initiatives and funding have been directly impacted by the regional economy, the exporting of jobs offshore and the decline in venture capital are setting the example of how to manage change. Despite seemingly daunting challenges they have listened and responded to the business needs of our communities. By embracing and adapting to change and collaborating with each other and the community, they have all identified opportunities and growth for the region far beyond what each could have accomplished alone.

One such organization is Technet, which was established, in the early 1990s as a grass roots technology group to provide networking opportunities, facilitate collaboration between higher education and technology business, and to offer technology education. Thirteen years later, Technet has evolved into one of the principal organizations bridging the gap between educational institutions and regional businesses. Two examples are the popular Innovation Speaker and Workshop Series and the annual Catalyst Awards, which have become cornerstones of Technet’s program.

Many of the groundbreaking programs incubated and nurtured at Technet, such as the Northwest Technology Summit, Entrepreneur Boot Camps and Investment Forums have been transferred to the capable auspices of other local organizations. Groups such as the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and local universities including Eastern Washington University, Whitworth College , and Gonzaga Universities’ Hogan Entrepreneur Leadership Program continue the successful administration and development of these programs in their own unique settings.

In the meantime, Technet continues to grow and change as evidenced by its newest goal to transition from a purely volunteer organization to a professional staff status. One step toward this goal is its Women of Innovation mentoring project, which utilizes web-based technology and local leadership to empower junior high age children of promise in the fields of technology and science.

And in keeping with its educational mission, Technet’s next Innovation Speaker Series event on Thursday, will feature change management expert, Christie Vianson, who will present strategies to revive employee spirits and company performance, especially in these challenging economic times.

In short, Technet has experienced its greatest successes by infusing new life and creativity into its organization and by focusing on collaboration and innovation rather than recreating the wheel; surely change management in its purest form.

Website: http://www.technetnw.org

A unique success story is to be found in another non-profit organization, INTEC – the Inland Northwest Technology Education Center. This organization was born of a need to address the education, retraining and relocation of 21 software engineers, when local high tech firm, ITRON, was forced to reduce its staff. In an attempt to help place the employees in other local positions, Technet assisted ITRON by identifying seven Internet technology companies willing to offer their staff to educate, retrain and finally consider hiring the employees.

Roberto Alverez, Ph.D., Dean of Computer Science at Spokane Community College (SCC) lead the retraining process and oversaw the education curriculum with significant help from partner Microsoft which provided a grant to cover software and training materials. The result was that 19 of the 21 were hired to fill jobs in the local area.

Continuing on this successful path, Technet developed a technology employment demand survey, administered to more than 700 regional companies. The City of Spokane, assisted by Avista Corporation executive on loan, Kim Pearman-Gillman, used the resulting data to help bolster the case for a collaborative effort on workforce development from which the region has since seen great benefits. It was a momentous occasion when, with overwhelming support from the community and able government representation in Olympia, INTEC was formally launched with significant state funding.

While INTEC’s initiatives have remained constant in the area of workforce development related to bio, digital and energy-technology, through the Northwest Connect pilot program they are employing innovative methods addressing the entrepreneurial development and funding challenges faced by the region. This unique mentoring program matches entrepreneurs with suitable mentors to ultimately achieve venture funding, thus creating more job opportunities for the region. Website: http://www.intec-center.org

The oldest of the three technology based non-profit (state agency) regional organizations is, of course, Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute. SIRTI began its life as a pilot project intended to house, utilize and co-develop the area’s higher educational institutions’ technology research and development efforts. The facilities were built with state funds and with the partnership of the regional universities and colleges.

The organization that once housed Technet has experienced the greatest amount of change and upheaval, in part because of its longevity. Founded in 1991 SIRTI has experienced numerous leadership changes at the executive and board levels with nine of the twenty members appointed by the Governor of the state

Currently under the brilliant direction of Executive Director Dr. Patrick Tam, many pundits say that SIRTI has discovered new direction and purpose. The organization remains firmly committed to collaborative efforts with regional higher education institutes’ research and development programs, but is approaching that implementation via new avenues such as the Technology Showcase, which gives regional exposure to technology transfer opportunities.

In response to regional demand, SIRTI has invested in a pilot program for a highly specialized wet labs and incubator facility through a $3M Economic Development Administration grant. They have also created an innovative partnership program with Washington Trust Bank to create bridge loans to assist with the short-term financial needs of local technology companies. Dr. Tam and his team continue to demonstrate change management at its best with their "think outside-the-box" efforts to entice Fortune 500 companies to partner with, base facilities in and bring jobs to the region. Website: http://www.sirti.org

It takes foresight and commitment to introduce strategies, systems and structures that can truly infuse new life, creativity and innovation into an organization. But in business as in life, change is not an option it is inevitability. In the greater Spokane area, three organizations are promoting efforts related to technology and innovation, education and economic development and while each has its own initiatives, they are supported and promoted collaboratively. What they have in common is a flexible, innovative, results focused approach to managing for change in a fast-moving, highly competitive marketplace. And in this constantly changing world, that’s a minimum requirement for any organization that wants to remain on the cutting edge.

What’s NEXT

Managing change

On Thursday, Technet’s next Innovation Speaker Series event features change-management expert Christie Vianson, who will present “Stepping Up! Moving Mountains with Spirited Contribution.” Learn about strategies to revive your employees’ spirits and company performance, especially in these challenging economic times. The dinner and speaking event run from 6-9 p.m., Thursday, preceded by a no-host bar social hour beginning at 5 p.m. at The Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside. Admission to the event is $20 for pre-registered Technet members and students, $30 for non-members and $35 at the door. To register, contact the Technet office at 242-TECH (8324) or via email at .