HBCU Summit focused on opportunities, challenges, leadership

by Mark Kelly | Feb 20, 2020 | Business, Community, Education, Featured

America’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) currently serve well over 300,000 students. Alabama is home to 14 HBCUs with combined enrollment of more than 37,000, or about 12 percent of the national total; no state has more HBCUs and only North...

Second annual HBCU Summit scheduled for February 14 at Miles College

by Mark Kelly | Feb 9, 2020 | Community, Education, Featured

Alabama’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will be the focus of an event scheduled for Friday, February 14, on the campus of Miles College in Fairfield. The HBCU Summit will be hosted by United States Senator Doug Jones, the second such event...

Birmingham, Montgomery progressing on “Smart City” initiatives

by Mark Kelly | Jan 17, 2020 | Business, Community, Featured, Innovation

In the past two years, two Alabama cities — Birmingham in 2018 and Montgomery in 2019 — have been awarded prestigious Smart Cities Readiness Challenge grants from the Smart Cities Council. An industry coalition established in 2012, the council works with cities across...

Mixtroz poised for continued growth in 2020

by Mark Kelly | Dec 18, 2019 | Business, Featured, Innovation, People

For Bronze Valley portfolio company Mixtroz, the fourth quarter of 2019 was a whirlwind of activity, culminating with several honors for its performance to date. According to co-founder and CEO Kerry Schrader, the pace will only increase during the coming year. “As an...

Bronze Valley welcomes new board member April Benetollo

by Mark Kelly | Oct 25, 2019 | Featured, People

Bronze Valley recently added a new member to its board of directors. April Benetollo, CEO of Momentum, a program for developing leadership capabilities in executive and early-career women, was elected to the board at the end of September. “April is an outstanding...

$1.1 million capital round sets Bronze Valley portfolio company Fledging on path for continued growth

by Mark Kelly | Sep 26, 2019 | Business, Featured, Innovation, Uncategorized

In May of this year, consumer electronics startup Fledging completed a capital raise that netted $1.1 million from a group of investors in its home city of Birmingham. For the company, which launched officially in January 2018, the fruitful capital round affirmed both...