MANCHESTER, NH – What’s in a new name? A lot. After 18 months of work reviewing its mission, focus, and services, the New Hampshire High Tech Council is rolling out its new name, branding, and the four value pillars that will be the focus of its work on behalf of its membership. The organization will now be called the New Hampshire Tech Alliance (Alliance).
The new name recognizes that the tech ecosystem has evolved significantly with an even greater imperative for cross-sector collaboration. The name also recognizes that the organization has grown, including partnerships, events, and robust programming that more broadly serve the tech sector and economic development in the state. Three specific efforts have become part of the Alliance since January. These include Alpha Loft, Live Free and Start, and Computer Science for NH (CS4NH). The Board also voted to update the mission statement to recognize that the Alliance serves companies from the earliest stage through some of largest and most mature companies.
“We are excited to roll out our new brand and value pillars. This is the culmination of many hours of strategic conversations and work to reposition the NH Tech Alliance as a true statewide resource, serving a growing and diverse membership. I want to personally thank our members, the board, staff, and volunteers for their significant efforts to bring this to fruition,” said Toral Cowieson, chair of the Alliance board.
The work of the Alliance will focus on four value pillars: talent & workforce, education & programs, advocacy & policy, and ecosystem engagement. Signature events, such as Entrepreneur of the Year, Product of the Year, and TechOut will continue and be complemented by additional programming including the Speed Venture Summit, Start-up Shindig, and AccelerateNH. The Alliance will also continue its events and outreach efforts through the newly-created start-up committee and the solid programming of the BioMedTech and TechWomen|TechGirls initiatives. Additional programming such as executive forums and leadership roundtables are also in the works for 2018 and into the next year.
As part of the reorganization, membership benefits and tiers have been restructured to focus on engagement and a clear value proposition. With membership at an all-time high of nearly 300 companies and organizations, representing about 50,000 employees, the new tiers will be rolled out shortly and in place for 2019.
“The tech sector is an economic driver in New Hampshire. It supports 12.6% of our state’s GDP and puts us 8th nationally in terms of the percent of our workforce that is in tech. The sector creates quality, high-paying jobs and contributes to New Hampshire being consistently ranked in the top 10 or even top 5 for overall quality of life, education, healthcare, and a place to raise children and to retire. Technological knowhow and innovation are integral to many industries today, including healthcare, life sciences, education, manufacturing, and much more, and the new Alliance brand and structure has been designed to help serve and bring together these diverse companies and support New Hampshire’s strong and growing economy. We look forward to hearing from our members and others in the tech ecosystem on these new efforts and enhancing our engagement in the future,” Cowieson said.
The new brand will be on display starting with the October 10th Product of the Year event. In addition to these efforts, the Alliance is building an in-house staff and moving to hiring a full time executive director. The job description can be found at nhtechalliance.org.
About the New Hampshire Tech Alliance
The New Hampshire Tech Alliance (formerly New Hampshire High Tech Council) is a statewide technology association supporting companies at every stage of growth and development from start-ups to established leaders in the global economy. The Alliance is committed to nurturing a vibrant tech ecosystem by building partnerships, enhancing knowledge, and shaping public policy. For more information, or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please visit nhtechalliance.org, email info@nhtechalliance.org or connect via Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
