Startups selected by program plan to assist frontline pandemic responde

Startups selected by program plan to assist frontline pandemic responders

A stress management platform and a computer repair business with plans to assist those fighting the coronavirus pandemic are the latest companies to be selected by the Virginia Beach Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program.

The startups ViBe Repair and Stasis Performance have been chosen to participate in the program, which is put on by the city’s economic development department and the 1701 coworking space.

“The EIR program has not only given my team and I access to office space to work out of, but has also opened up doors to mentors, resources and networking opportunities that we wouldn’t have had without this program,” said Stasis co-founder Josh Duntz in an email.

Stasis is a virtual stress management program that specializes in breathwork, exposure training and stress management, Duntz said. Potential clients include military, first responders, medical workers and law enforcement.

ViBe Repair is positioning itself as an alternative to the high-priced and sometimes ineffective trips to the Apple Store, said founder Mark Bright. He wants to help clients fix their laptops and phones for considerably less than manufacturer repairs.

“It really helps to have an alternative, and that’s where ViBe Repair comes in,” Bright said.

In addition to repairs, the company also helps recover photos and other information off dead phone and laptop storage.

Weekdays

Business news for the Hampton Roads region

Both startups are helping those dealing with the direct impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Stasis is working with several hospitals to give medical personnel free access to the program, Duntz said. ViBe repair is also offering free repairs to health care workers and other first responders.

Lisa DeNoia, 1701 co-founder, said previous participants got feedback and assistance on technology, hiring and strategic planning, among other aspects of running a business.

“We’re very excited to kick off the next quarter with our new entrepreneurs-in-residence and look forward to helping them grow their businesses in Virginia Beach,” DeNoia said in a news release.

The program also offers startups three months of free office space at 1701 and mentorship opportunities. During the pandemic, participants will be able to access mentoring and other events remotely as well.

The application deadline for the next cohort is Aug. 14. To apply, visit 1701vb.com.

02

Young Scientist Academy launches summer coding program for local girls

© Provided by Wilmington WECT Code Girls

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Wilmington’s Young Scientist Academy kicked off their Code Girls program on Monday.

Code Girls is a free summer program that aims to give girls the confidence to enter the world of computer science and information technology. The three-week project guides girls as young as eight years old through fundamental computer coding, web development and database management and allows them to use those skills to connect with the world around them.

Females are under-represented in many STEM fields, and instructor Anne White says she hopes that connecting with girls will change the story and empower the next generation of leaders. The girls that participate in the program have big dreams and they’re already well on their way to accomplishing them.

Naomy Alvarado, a student, says she has already learned a little bit of coding in school and she wants to design games when she grows up.

“Some girls are afraid to be leaders and we want them to know they can be leaders and it doesn’t matter what gender you are,” said Alvarado.

Maddy Rusu is another young participant that joins the zoom meetings all the way from her home in the country of Moldova. Rusu says she began coding when she was nine years old and she wants to be a programmer when she grows up.

“Coding is my future,” said Rusu. “Coding is not about gender, nationality or religion but its about fun skills and knowledge and finding solutions to various problems.”

While the program has strong roots in computer science, instructors explain the skills they’re teaching the young girls will take them far no matter what path they choose in life.

“Coding is a skill that can be used in any career field whether its teaching, public health, data and computer science, medical fields, this is an important skill,” said instructor Anne White. “I want these girls to go on and be leaders in whatever they choose to do with their life.”

The effort is much bigger than just inspiring girls to accomplish great things. A major component of Code Girls is completing a community service project, crunching data, creating models and dashboards and studying how things like climate change, racial inequality and COVID-19 impact the people of New Hanover County.

Hope everyone is safe and healthy! Our Code Girls are going to pick this up again next week but NHC just hit 1,000...

Posted by Young Scientist Academy on Tuesday, June 30, 2020

“Our girls have generated an awesome list of questions. Why do women in Wilmington get COVID more than men? Which areas, which neighborhoods is it effecting the most? Which people? Are people in essential jobs getting COVID faster than people that are not? And ultimately, using their data to help people make great decisions,” said White.

Last session, the Code Girls tackled projects like tracking the impact of COVID-19 in the New Hanover County community, interacting with 3-D simulations of the deep sea and learning firsthand how technology was employed to reduce HIV/ AIDS infections in adolescent girls in Africa.

Join us Wednesday 5/20 @ 2pm EDT for a very special guest speaker. Neeta Bhandari, Deputy Director of the Global HIV...

Posted by Young Scientist Academy on Tuesday, May 19, 2020

“These girls are the leaders of the next generation and by giving them the tools to learn about it and educate it and teach the community, people are more willing to listen and be engaged,” said White.

Young Scientist Academy is a nonprofit that offers after-school, home school and summer programs for kids of all backgrounds to inspire them to broaden their perspectives and become community ambassadors of science and technology. While registration for the summer 2020 session has closed, Young Scientist Academy hopes to announce the fall 2020 dates soon. You can find information on how to donate or get involved on their website.

Copyright 2020 WECT. All rights reserved.

03

Opera in The City rescued via online July programming

San Francisc Opera is catching up with its COVID-19-canceled summer season in a 90-minute, free stream of performances with stars of the three operas that were to be seen in the War Memorial.

“Celebrating the Summer Season” will be online at SFOpera.com from 10 a.m. July 10 through midnight July 12. The opera’s other weekend offerings of complete works from the archives are also limited to 38 hours, and they are all free, but with prompts for donations.

One of the three canceled operas is Mason Bates and Mark Campbell’s “The (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs,” with the famous mezzo Sasha Cooke cast as Lauren Jobs, the late inventor-magnate’s wife. Cooke, who is participating in the streaming program, regrets the cancellation, but finds connections between opera and the current reality:

“The aria ‘Look up, Look out’ is about getting out of your phone or computer and being with those around you, absorbing the beauty and warmth of moments together,” Cooke says of the character.

“She tells the audience to do precisely what I think we are all doing and thinking about right now during COVID — connecting with what matters and what we really ‘need’ in our lives.

“Not only are we all craving being together but we appreciate it more than ever. It’s interesting and poignant that Mason and Mark chose this to be the last message of their opera.”

The program also will cover the two other operas that were to make up the summer season: Verdi’s “Ernani” and Handel’s “Partenope.” Hosted by general director Matthew Shilvock, with participation by music director Designate Eun Sun Kim, the opera orchestra and chorus, the program also features Bates, Cooke, singers Louise Alder, Michelle Bradley, Jakub Józef Orlinski, Russell Thomas and others.

“We are celebrating and honoring the operas that should have been on our stage right now,” says Shilvock. “While it has been heartbreaking to cancel, we wanted to share some of the extraordinary artistry that we were so looking forward to seeing on our stage and have a chance to delve deep into the operas themselves.”

Thomas, a prominent African-American tenor who appeared in the title role of “Roberto Devereux” last year who was to sing the title role of “Ernani,” will perform an aria from the opera in the digital program.

“Ernani” was the very first Verdi opera performed in San Francisco, on April 8, 1851, in the Adelphi Theater, reported as a great hit with the goldminers. The story of three men pursuing one woman had a particular resonance in a town more than 90% male.

Another online opera program takes place on July 9, the birthday of the late mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. The Merola Program is holding a fundraising program of performances and remembrances, with participation from Frederica von Stade, Jake Heggie, Amy Tan, Nicolle Foland, Catherine Cook, Emil Miland, Ao Li, WooYoung Yoon and Kristen Choi.

The program will be streamed beginning 6 p.m. Thursday at the Merola Benefit YouTube Channel. It’s free, but donations are appreciated.

In lieu of the canceled six-decade old Merola season ,which was scheduled for July-August, this major program for young artists persists with online coaching and instruction, and a public series of master classes offered at merola.org/calendar.

Classical Music

If you find our journalism valuable and relevant, please consider joining our Examiner membership program.Find out more at www.sfexaminer.com/join/