The Birmingham Venture Club is a proud partner of the 2017 Birmingham Innovation Week. Since its founding in 1985, the Birmingham Venture Club has promoted innovation through the support of the local venture capital community. Birmingham Venture Club board member Brian Cauble spoke with the BBA about the organization’s efforts to support innovation.

In  addition to sponsoring Innovation Week, Protective Life Corp. has been an active supporter of Birmingham’s tech community. Matthew Kohler, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Protective Life, provided insight on why innovation is important to Birmingham’s ecosystem and how the company supports it.

Birmingham’s CrossPlex Village received a boost in the form of a $9 million investment using New Markets Tax Credits.

TruFund Financial Services Inc., a national nonprofit with a presence in Birmingham that supports and helps provide financial resources for impoverished communities, announced the investment through its subsidiary Empowerment Reinvestment Fund (ERF). The funds will go toward the construction of an adjacent hotel, retail center and a 15,000-square-foot restaurant at the Crossplex.

TechBirmingham is a proud partner of Innovation Week, and has helped make integral advances in the Magic City tech scene over the years. Jennifer Skjellum, president of TechBirmingham, spoke with the BBA about the significance of Innovation Week and TechBirmingham in the community.

The 2017 Innovation Week Birmingham begins next week! The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) is a partner of Innovation Week Birmingham this year and strives to support innovation in the Magic City year-round. Read our Q&A with Greg Sheek, director of Launchpad Programs at EDPA, below.

The 2017 Innovation Week Birmingham is kicking off in just three weeks – August 18 through August 25 – and leading up to the week the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) is highlighting the partners and sponsors that will help make Innovation Week Birmingham a premiere event in our region.

Did you know that Birmingham is home to eight Fellows from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) – more than three times the national average?

This is important to economic development growth because these Fellows bring with them an understanding of academic technology and innovation and the role it plays in growing a community. The NAI encourages Fellows to disclose intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate inventions to benefit society.

Innovation Depot, has been a proud partner of Innovation Week since it began four years ago, and has an invaluable impact on the Magic City. Devon Laney spoke with the BBA about the significance of Innovation Week and how Innovation Depot is helping boost technology advancement in Birmingham.

World renowned Southern Research is a partner for 2017 Innovation Week Birmingham. Art Tipton, president and CEO of Southern Research, talked with the BBA about why the cutting-edge research facility is a technological resource in the region and why Innovation Week is beneficial for the city of Birmingham.

America’s First Federal Credit Union is a proud sponsor of Innovation Week. Mike Northrup, Senior Vice President and Chief Operation Officer at America’s First Federal Credit Union, discussed how his company is supporting innovation and technology resources in the region and why Innovation Week is beneficial for Birmingham.

The Birmingham Business Alliance recently invited U.S. Senator Luther Strange to speak with BBA Executive Committee members about his priorities in Washington, D.C., and provide insight into current policy issues that stand to impact Birmingham businesses, such as tax reform, infrastructure spending and health care. Following the meeting, the BBA sat down with Sen. Strange to talk about his work in Congress. This is the first in a series of Q&As to come with our legislative delegation.

Shipt launched in the summer of 2014 in the heart of the Magic City. Through a user-friendly app and a local network of reliable shoppers, Shipt connects members to fresh groceries and everyday essentials. Saving time, fuel and head space, next-hour, same day grocery delivery is quickly becoming an everyday necessity for people looking for an extra few hours and a variety of food choices.

Medical Properties Trust Inc. (MPT) is a real estate investment trust that has carved a unique niche in the largest and fastest-growing segment of the economy, making it the second largest owner of hospital beds in the U.S. Unlike other real estate investment trusts, MPT focuses exclusively on providing capital to acute care facilities of all kinds through long-term triple-net leases.

The BBA spoke first with Birmingham’s Dr. Bruce Irwin, CEO of American Family Care, about his business. Ranked as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., American Family Care has spearheaded the importance of non-emergency room urgent care since its inception in 1982. It is the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine, with more than 170 clinics and 500 in-network physicians caring for 2 million patients a year.