Technolink Snapshot October 2019

Thank you for joining us for another insightful forum! All of the presentations on Abundance and Optimism in Society were an enriching way to mark the 25th year of Technolink.  As we shared during our meeting, many wonderful links have taken place. Most recently, our rich Technolink conversations have spawned a new Apprenticeship/Internship program between Irvine Valley College and Alvaka Networks. Guy Ronen, CEO of Reasonings LTD reflects on data security and Doug Finke, Publisher of the Quantum Computing Report shares news of an important Quantum Computing event with Dr. Barbara Jones of IBM. We share below the forum presentations of Lt. General Larry James, Brian Keith and Lee Krevat. With heartfelt appreciation,  Ssusan Forte O'Neill Editor and Co-founder, Technolink Association

Members Shaping the Future

Answering the Call for Action During the spring 2019 Technolink forum, honest conversations about the state of education in the United States took place.  Kevin McDonald of Alvaka Networks expressed skepticism about working with College Intern Programs which immediately sparked a challenge for the executives from Irvine Valley College (IVC) in attendance. Given industry cries and expression of concerns over the “lack of qualified workers,” why are community colleges so slow to respond?  Knowing that the most successful employees had good mentors and work experience in the form of internships/apprenticeships as part of their college experience, why are there so few opportunities for on-the-job training?  Lastly, why does our society struggle to develop public-private partnerships that benefit students, colleges, and our industry partners? The representatives from IVC, part of the Southern Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) expressed their genuine desire to understand Alvaka’s needs and, thanks to thoughtful collaboration over the months to follow, a new partnership structure has been developed for compensating student workers and sharing liability.  As part of the internship program, students will enroll in a Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) course, which will allow for collaboration between IVC faculty and Alvaka personnel.  IVC faculty will provide support and guidance to students during their internship placement and Alvaka personnel will provide feedback on the students’ performance and make suggestions for curriculum development and improvement. “The SOCCD and IVC representatives were a genuine pleasure to work with and we are thrilled to have been a part of developing such an elegant solution," says Kevin McDonald. “We hope that thousands of students and the companies that help propel them forward benefit immensely from this exciting new vision for college internship programs.”   To succeed, kids need a plan for lifelong learning and continued skill development. IVC’s partnership with Alvaka will serve as the model for future collaborations between the college and other industry partners. To learn more about Irvine Valley College,  click here. To learn more about Alvaka Networks, click here.

Guy Ronen, CEO of Reasonings LTD writes in this month with a thought piece about our vast amount of data and the protection of privacy. "Many communities across the western world are now at a crossroads: The growing spread of technologies, including AI, Big Data, IoT, and Machine Learning, changes many “old school” rules and responsibilities. The spread of these technologies – most of which are civilian, could create data breaches and lead to backdoor threats for different communities." Read the full article here.

For those of you interested in learning more about what’s in store for quantum computing, Doug Finke, Technolink member and publisher of the Quantum Computing Report,  informs us that the Southern California Quantum Computing Meetup group along with the Innovate Pasadena organization and others will be hosting a session on October 15th from 6-8 PM in Pasadena.  The guest speakers will be Dr. Barbara Jones from the IBM Almaden Research Center and Dr. Mark Jackson from Cambridge Quantum Computing, a leading quantum computing software startup.  For more information and to register, please view the event website. Click here.

Fall Forum Presentation Slides

Lt. General Larry James Jet Propulsion Laboratory "JPL - Enhancing Our Lives at the Frontiers of Science"

Brian Keith United States Department of Homeland Security "The Convergence of Cyber, Drone and Physical Security Threats: Insights to a Culture of Resilient

Lee Krevat Krevat Energy Innovations "The Utility of the Future: Your city, your community, your garage or your car?"