“Do you really know what you ate today?” Natural Check, LLC dares to answer this sometimes unnerving question by making the science of water and food testing easily accessible.
This innovative startup company, and member of the TowsonGlobal Incubator, provides fast, affordable and reliable methods to screen for unacceptable compounds in the food and water supplies. For example, the company has developed a lab-based test for the detection of artificial growth hormones in beef and offers a rapid field test for antibiotics in milk. Additional tests are under development in partnership with labs from around the world.
NaturalCheck also supplies water testing kits and is striving to build community awareness through city-specific “What’s in my water…” Facebook fan pages created for cities like Baltimore, DC, Los Angeles, and New York. In addition, the company offers the BRIX Meter, which helps determine the nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables.
Similarly, NaturalCheck, through its AuthentiCheck division, is on the forefront, developing and distributing new technologies to protect manufacturers, retailers and consumers from often unsafe counterfeit products. The technologies offer two important services—authenticating products and tracking and tracing the movement of products through the supply chain—and are suitable for textiles, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and many other products.
NaturalCheck was founded by Larry Bohlen, former NASA engineer, international environmental advocate and food safety entrepreneur. His experience has taught him that testing and sharing the results can be a powerful tool for facilitating real change.
In the spirit of Follow Friday, I thought I’d highlight some of my favorite twitters out there and also encourage you to keep up with us through our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
A few of my #FollowFriday recommendations:
@karinfischer: Karin is a senior reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education. Her twitter feed focuses on internationalization and economic development issues within higher-education. My favorite part about her tweets and posts are the intersections of those two rather distinct focuses.
@prattlibrary: In today’s economy, libraries are more important than ever. Did you know that this past year the Enoch Pratt Library saw a 92% increase in attendance at their Career and Job Workshops? The primary reason I love following them is because they are constantly posting unique upcoming events happening at libraries and other venues around the city!
@ChrisBrogan: If someone were going to name the Czar of Social Media, Chris would definitely be at the top of the short list. He consistently posts new social media and marketing technologies and even with over 144K followers he manages to be responsive to questions and comments.
There are tons of fellow TU colleagues on Twitter. So to avoid leaving out a few (inevitably), I’m going to avoid the laundry list and name a few of the longest running and active accounts:
Imagine being a child stepping onto a college campus for your first time. Everything, from the buildings to the people, is taller than you, and you catch yourself feeling as though you’re in a world that’s bigger than yourself.
When I was in grade school, my class took a field trip to see a play at a college campus. I remember being awe struck by the environment, but most of all, I remember how much I greatly admired the college students who took the time to speak to us after their performance. That day was the first time I knew I wanted to go to college.
Towson University fosters that same positive experience by offering “KidsCampus”, a chance for young students to learn while experiencing the higher education environment. Highlights of “KidsCampus” include:
Dance Classes are offered throughout the year, and are taught by Towson University’s nationally recognized Dance Faculty
The Community Art Center offers a variety of art classes to appeal to all ages and interests
Doc’s Junior Tigers Club is a fun and interactive all-sports group for young Towson Tiger fans. It offers kids the opportunity to attend TU Athletic events as well as meet Tiger student athletes
Planetarium Programs allow children to learn about outer space in an interactive and engaging setting
TU’s Tigerfish Aquatic Club allows children to learn swimming in a fun and safe environment
With such great learning opportunities, it is clear that the word “University” implies learning for all ages.
On June 16, 2010, TowsonGlobal collaborated with Funding Universe to bring CrowdPitch to Towson University. The event gathered more than 70 entrepreneurs and investors in an entertaining and dynamic setting, where selected companies were given four minutes to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts and a live audience. A brief, three-minute Q&A session followed the presentation, in which the entrepreneurs were able give more in-depth information about their business plans. Audience members also received $100 in “fun money,” which they could use to “invest” in the company of their choice at the end of the program.
The “pitchers” were ArtiNNet with VoicePass, mobile software that uses voice recognition security; MYiLIVE, a personalized boutique shopping website; Port Networks, smart WiFi technology; Tots2Tweens, a web directory for parents; and WinTheTrophy, a legal sports betting and social gaming site. All presenters were well prepared, eloquent and very passionate about their ideas and most received positive feedback from the panel. In the end, ArtiNNet won and received $8800 worth of prizes, including accounting/financial services, startup support counseling, Amazon web services, and will be profiled in FundingUniverse’s newsletter that is distributed to 120,000 subscribers.
TowsonGlobal Involvement
TowsonGlobal’s staff also participated in the event and got the opportunity to interact with all attendees. “ This is the first time I have been to an event like this. I was excited to be a part of it. Now I understand how hard it is to find investors and get a business going!” says intern Lissell Paredes. Intern Aaron Robinson adds “It was very informative; I didn’t know events like these existed and I’m glad I got to experience it.”
“Overall, CrowdPitch was a learning experience for everyone present, a convenient way to get advice from experts, and a great opportunity to build connections,” says TowsonGlobal Director Clay Hickson.
To see if a CrowdPitch event is coming to a city near you, click here!
There are many reasons I enjoy attending professional conferences, including learning about what others in the GIS world are working on, catching up with colleagues I have not seen in a while, and getting a break from cubicle-life for a couple days. I had the chance to accomplish all these feats while attending Towson University’s annual GIS conference (TUgis) earlier this week. The conference quickly flew by and now I’m back in my cubicle left to reflect on TUgis 2010. The following are specific and general observations regarding the conference.
TUgis 2010’s theme, “GIS in Budget Constrained Times: Doing More with Less” seemed especially pertinent considering the real budget difficulties facing individuals, businesses, and governments in today’s fitful economy. The number of conference attendees and exhibitors were noticeably down due to the difficult economic times, but the quality of the presentations remained high.
Most of the presentations I attended tied into the conference’s theme well. Jennifer Pfister’s (BioHabitats, Inc) presentation focused on the use of “freeware” in order to prioritize where non-native invasive species removal resources should be used in Fairfax County, Virginia. Sharing data, services, and infrastructure was the cost-saving theme reiterated throughout the MDiMap mini-workshop.
The education application presentations on the conference’s second day stressed the importance of volunteerism and giving back to the community where one lives and works. This was especially true in Jessica Wright and Lacy Baker’s (California University of PA) presentation, which focused on a service learning project that involved the development and maintenance of a GIS that provides local volunteer firefighters with information regarding hazards they may encounter at a destination. The discussion that followed regarding the student’s training of the volunteer firefighters in the system’s use as well as a more general discussion of volunteerism was very interesting.
While I enjoyed all the sessions I attended, I believe the underlying message delivered by the presentations in the education application session stuck with me the most. During today’s difficult times it is understandable that individuals and businesses are increasingly concerned about pinching every penny and making sure employees are “billable”. However, it is especially important today not to lose sight of the importance of volunteerism. Volunteer work may not help with the volunteer’s budgetary concerns, but they along with the community served will reap real benefits from the volunteer work completed.
Mark Helmken, the new CGIS director, brings more than 20 years of experience and an extensive technical background in systems engineering, systems integration, GIS, and GPS and remote sensing technologies. Since he’s the new guy on the block I figured I’d give him some time to settle into his new digs, but recently I had the opportunity to catch Mark during a free moment. In just a couple of minutes I was able to learn a little more about his background, the future direction of CGIS and also what he does for fun outside of work.
From July 12th - 16th over 70 teachers from the around the US will be coming to Towson to take part in the Oracle Academy at Towson University. The academy will provide teachers with world class training and professional development opportunities.
The Oracle Academy is a cutting edge program that provides global education institutions with industry-leading software, curriculum, support, and certification resources that faculty can integrate into their classrooms. As a result, these teachers can then assist their students in gaining hands on experience with the latest technologies and develop skills that will help them excel in the 21st century workplace while developing their technical, analytical, and business skills.
Currently, Oracle Academy Instructors’ Institutes are in Romania, Egypt, Czech-Republic, China and USA. In the U.S., Towson University is one of 4 sites for the Oracle Academy. Other locations are in Virginia, North Carolina, and Illinois. The results of these academies is far reaching, and in total the Oracle Academy supports over 850,000 students in 91 countries through their instruction.
The Oracle Academy has 3 specific areas of instruction:
Introduction to Computer Science
Advanced Computer Science
Enterprise Business Application
The teachers enrolled in the Oracle Academy at Towson University not only receive valuable instruction and skills, but also get to live like College Students for a few days by staying in our dormitories.
Did you hear the buzz on campus? On March 13, 2010, Towson University, in partnership with Learn It Systems, hosted the annual Baltimore Bee, a regional competition for local students looking to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Robbie Palmisano, a student at Hereford Middle School, won the Baltimore Bee and has been studying for Nationals with help from Towson University’s Nadia Nasr. Nadia, the University Archivist & Digital Projects Librarian for the Albert S. Cook Library, has been meeting with Robbie every week to train for Nationals. During sessions, Nadia reads Robbie words from the list provided by Scripps National, and has him spell them out using Scrabble tiles. She feels that this helps him visualize the word; therefore giving him a better chance of memorizing it.
I asked Nadia what made her want to coach Robbie and she responded, “I was in a couple of spelling bees myself back in Houston, when I was in middle school and possibly also elementary school. So for me, working with Robbie was part nostalgia and part interest in participating in his preparations… I have really enjoyed working with Robbie, and he has indicated that he also feels it’s a good working relationship.”
Towson University will be rooting for Robbie Palmisano as he heads to the Scripps National Spelling Bee this June. We hope the BUZZ will increase by having a Maryland student as the National winner! For more information about the Baltimore Bee, contact Learn It Systems at 410-769-0000 or info@learn-itsystems.com.
On an early, gloomy Saturday morning, I made my way to the Brown Center on the campus of MICA for the first inaugural “A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference.” My spirits were instantly lifted as I spotted the orange and green balloons that signified the location of the event. I guess that first cup of coffee didn’t hurt either! Anyway, here are my personal highlights of the day…
This is a little thing, but the conference bag was filled with useful, thoughtful, and fun goodies. Useful – a desk guide that included reference that are great to have on hand. my favorite part of the guide is the fractions to decimals guide. Seems like that would be every designer’s best friend. Thoughtful – a pack of gum. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love a stick of gum after that morning cup of coffee or lunch. And fun – a super squishy green stress ball that now has a home right in front of me at work.
The first session I attended, “Typography More than Words”, was led by Ellen Lupton who provided a review in typography basics, but then explored some topics that I was not as familiar with. I was fascinated by something that she described as “sprinting.” Her graduate students are experimenting with this process where they take a design problem, and they work through the problem in several 20 minutes sessions where they explore different solutions for the same problem. Sounds like a great way to free the creative juices and encourage experimentation.
Bridget Sullivan moderates the panel "The Value of Great Design"
And, the afternoon wrapped up with an enjoyable panel moderated by Towson University’s own Bridget Sullivan! The panel featured four local creatives who have found success in their own business pursuits. Each of the panelists provided a different point of view because of their varying business size, length in business and overall point of view on how to approach projects, and particularly branding.
That afternoon I left the conference feeling energized and a new sense of inspiration towards the business of design. “A Day in the Life” really did make my day, maybe even my weekend.
In these tough economic times, everyone is feeling it. Some families are watching their budgets, eating dinner at home more, and maybe not getting that new iPad they wanted. Individuals are not the only ones feeling the pressure, so are businesses. While big companies may be having cutbacks and layoffs, small businesses also are struggling. Along with everything else, marketing budgets are tight, so companies are forced to be creative.
One company that is working to turn a challenging situation into an opportunity is Transcending Cosmetics, a TowsonGlobal incubator member company, through the launch of its new marketing campaign “Turning Gloom into Bloom.” The initiative strives to use every opportunity to stretch marketing dollars and incorporate a variety of tools to help build awareness of the company’s revolutionary all-in-one foundation/concealer Natural Cover and the services of Linda Seidel—Pioneer, Makeup Artist, Author, Educator and Aesthetic Rehabilitation Specialist.
The campaign includes:
Partnerships with health professionals and special interest groups like Vascular Birthmarks Foundation
Radio talk show appearances such as “Woman Talk Live” and “Your Prescription for Health”, both on WCBM
Presentations to groups such as the Lupus Foundation Mid-Atlantic
Exploration of new media tools by engaging a consultant to help set up an easy-to-manage social media initiative that will include a corporate Facebook profile
Limited targeted advertisements such as in the program book of St. Joseph Medical Center’s gala event A Night with the Stars where Linda also did makeovers on cancer survivors
The campaign is also geared to giving back to customers and the community. Transcending wants every man, woman and child to have an opportunity to feel confident about the way they look, so they are donating consultations, gift certificates, and time. The company looks for a variety of avenues through which to share information on how to accentuate one’s best features, and how to deal with some of the common complaints that people have, such as dark under-eye circles, uneven skin tone, and rosacea.
Even in these rough times, companies can prevail and turn a very gloomy situation into a blooming success.
Read more about Transcending Cosmetics and the “Turning Gloom into Bloom” marketing campaign here.
NaturalCheck also supplies water testing kits and is striving to build community awareness through city-specific “What’s in my water…” Facebook fan pages created for cities like Baltimore, DC, Los Angeles, and New York. In addition, the company offers the BRIX Meter, which helps determine the nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables.
Posted by Clay Hickson 
Guest Blogger
Bobbie O'Connell
Sharyn Kuczka
Jeremy Monn
Raquel Huezo
Clay Hickson
Susan Scher
Thomas Rumeau
Jimmy Bayne
Steven Fabijanski
Dawn Bott
Lisa Walker
Lindsey Meyer
Allie Pyzik
Daraius Irani
