March Food Truck Rodeo

Join us for the RTP Food Truck Rodeo

on

Thursday, March 22nd

Calling all Food Truck fans!  Bring your friends, bring your colleagues, and come on out for RTP’s March Food Truck Rodeo.

Date: Thursday, March 22
Time: 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
Location: RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive (Directions)

Participating Food Trucks:

Pie Pushers
@piepushers

Only Burger
@onlyburger

The Parlour
@parlourdurham

Chirba Chirba Dumpling
@chirbachirba

Chick N Que
@Chick_N_Que

As always, parking is limited so we strongly encourage carpooling.

We look forward to seeing everyone!

AND save the date for next Food Truck Rodeo on Thursday, April 19th!

Startup Madness

It’s well known that we are “mad” about entrepreneurship and basketball in the Triangle, so Startup Madness, which took place on Wednesday at Bay 7 in American Tobacco, was the perfect combo for an event to showcase the entrepreneurial activity going on in the Triangle and around the southeast.

Tee Gee

Startup Madness was a bracket style competition where startups from universities throughout the US — such as UVA, University of Miami, UNC, Duke and NC State competed by giving two minute pitches.

The pitches ranged from “the smartest stuffed animal in the universe” named TeeGee , which is a stuffed animal powered by a parent’s iPhone or iPod Touch, to Mushroom Mountain, which (as far as I understood) uses mushrooms in a method similar to that of pesticides. In somewhat unrelated but yet similar line of business, the company also makes mushroom beer, which was a big hit with the Startup Madness crowd.

After the “Elite 8″ gave their pitches, two winners were announced – an overall winner and a North Carolina winner – who were each awarded $5,000 checks.

Mark Slaughter of Cohealo accepting his check

The overall winner was Cohealo, a company that helps to create system-wide collaboration within hospital systems, allowing for cost-sharing of capital assets.

NC IDEA also sponsored a North Carolina prize, which was awarded to a Duke-based startup, Neurospire, which uses neuroscience and brain imaging technology in market research.

The entrepreneurs celebrated and schmoozed after the competition at Fullsteam Brewery, a fitting end after a hard day’s work (or pretty much any day for that matter).

All in all it was a great event that showcased the ideas and innovations that are emerging out of some of the best universities in the US in a region that continues to be touted as one of the most innovative in the US.

Food Truck Rodeo on Thursday, February 9th!

 Please join us for the February Food Truck Rodeo in RTP!

Date: Thursday, February 9th
Time: 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
Location: RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive (Directions)

Participating Food Trucks:
Pie Pushers Pizza Truck
Chirba Chirba Dumpling Truck
Only Burger Truck
Sunset Slush 

Tables & chairs will be provided.
As always, parking is limited so we strongly encourage carpooling.

We look forward to seeing everyone!

CED on The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina

1,800 companies started.

40,560 jobs created.

$7.7 billion in capital invested.

This is the impact that entrepreneurs have had on the state of North Carolina in the past 20 years.

The “Starting Something: The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina, 1992-2011” report was presented last week at CED‘s Annual Meeting held at RTP Headquarters.  The data for the report was collected by, Maryann Feldman and Nichola Lowe, who are both professors at UNC-Chapel Hill, First Flight Venture Center, an RTP-based incubator, and CED.

Another important finding of the study is that the jobs created by these start-ups have stayed in North Carolina, which is key to the economic growth of the state.  Furthermore, while a majority of the VC funds that have invested in these start-ups are based in the Southeast, there have been investments made from international funds, as well as those based in Boston, NYC and California.

CED took on this initiative both to show the importance of entrepreneurs in our overall economy, but more importantly as a reminder of the various players and ingredients our region’s economy depends on to remain competitive.

At RTP, a central theme of our mission is to serve as an economic driver for the State of North Carolina and the Triangle Region.  It’s interesting to see the role the larger, more established companies in our region play — both as the sources of innovation and new companies and also as end-users or acquirers of some of the new ideas. We are proud to see these great innovators in the Triangle creating a thriving entrepreneurial community that is catching the attention of the nation.  This is what RTP is all about, folks.

For the presentation from CED’s annual meeting, click here.

For the press release, click here.

RTP FAQ

One of the most interesting parts of my job is giving presentations to visiting groups about the Research Triangle Park.  From senior government officials based in Kazakhstan to student groups from local universities, the Research Triangle Foundation hosts a large number of visitors each year that are interested in learning more about RTP, and what we at the Research Triangle Foundation do in managing the Park.  Additionally, our front desk receptionist happily greets visitors on a daily basis that come through our doors because they are looking for directions, job opportunities, or interested in learning more about the Park.

The purpose of this blog post is to answer some of the questions that we have received over the years and also give you an opportunity to ask any additional questions, so here we go…

What is the Research Triangle Park Headquarters?

Research Triangle Park Headquarters

The Research Triangle Park Headquarters is the building that houses the executive and administrative offices of the Research Triangle Foundation, the organization that owns & manages the Research Triangle Park.  Additionally, the Research Triangle Park Headquarters houses the Archie K. Davis Conference Center, a 6,800-square-foot state-of-the-art conference facility.

For those visiting the Park, the Research Triangle Park Headquarters has a large kiosk with a map of all companies in RTP.

What is the Research Triangle Foundation?

The Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina is the organization that manages the Research Triangle Park.  The Research Triangle Foundation works to attract quality jobs, foster collaboration with universities and sustain RTP as a continued engine for the region and state’s economic growth.

For a list of Research Triangle Foundation staff, click here.

Map of Research Triangle Park

Do you have a map of RTP?

We have maps of RTP as well as company listings available in hard copy form at RTP Headquarters or online here:

RTP Company Map
RTP Company Map, by industry

How can I learn more about Research Triangle Park?

Our website, www.rtp.org is the most valuable source of information for those interested in learning more about the Park.  Additionally, we have hard copies of brochures on the Research Triangle Park available at our front desk.  Additionally, we have digital copies available here: http://www.rtp.org/rtp_flipbook/.

Can you help me to get a job at one of the companies in the Research Triangle Park?

RTP Headquarters does not have a job board. We recommend you contact the individual companies that you are interested in working for directly.

Click here for a listing of all companies in RTP that has links to the company websites.

Additionally, check out one of the job sites hosted by one some of our partners:
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
North Carolina Technology Association

Where can I find information on available office/lab space in RTP?

Information on available space in RTP is found on our website and below:

Available Buildings
Incubator & Accelerator Space
Available Sites

Are the pedestrian and mountain biking trails in RTP open to the public?

While the jogging trails and mountain biking trails were built primarily for use by RTP employees, they are open for enjoyment by the public.

Pedestrian and bike trails map
Mountain biking trail map

Do you have to be a life science company to locate in RTP?

RTP’s companies represent a wide variety of industries.  While the Park’s life science industry cluster is very strong, we are home to many companies, both large and small, in the IT sector, material sciences and engineering, agricultural biotechnology and financial services.  For more detailed information on the various industries in RTP, check out the industry section on our website.

Is there a fee for companies in RTP (like an owner’s association fee)?

There is no “owners association” fee for companies that locate in RTP.  All owners and tenants of RTP are invited to join the Owner’s and Tenant’s Association, but there is not a fee associated with membership.

Now that we’ve answered what we consider to be the RTP FAQ, do you have any additional questions that you would like us to answer?

January Food Truck Rodeo: Thurs, Jan. 12th

Please join us for the January Food Truck Rodeo!

Date: Thursday, January 12th
Time: 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
Location: RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive (Directions)

Participating Food Trucks:
Pie Pushers Pizza Truck
Chirba Chirba Dumpling Truck
Only Burger Truck
Monuts Donuts Trike

Save the date for the next RTP Food Truck Rodeo on Thursday, February 9th!

Click here for pictures from the December Food Truck Rodeo

The Research Triangle Park: Plans for the Future

As most people know from past blog posts here, here, and here, the Research Triangle Foundation has been working diligently to ensure RTP is as ideal a home for innovative R&D companies in the next fifty years as it was in its first fifty years.  WRAL interviewed our new CEO, Bob Geolas, yesterday regarding our plans for the future of the Research Triangle Park.

As Bob very succinctly summarized in the video, ”RTP has played a transformational role in North Carolina. It’s going to continue to do that, and we’re excited about its future.”

We look forward to sharing more about the changes envisioned in the coming months.

RTP Food Truck Rodeo & Food Drive

Date: Thursday, December 15th
Time: 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
Location: RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive (Directions)
Bring a donation for the Food Bank & receive $1 off!

Food Trucks:
Pie Pushers Pizza Truck
Chirba Chirba Dumpling Truck
Only Burger
Monuts Donuts Bike

Bring your friends, bring your colleagues and come join us  for the last Food Truck Rodeo of 2011! The December Food Truck Rodeo & Food Drive is this Thursday, December 15th at RTP Headquarters from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM. Participating food trucks are: Pie Pushers, Only Burger, Chirba Chirba, and an additional food truck to be announced shortly. Tables & chairs will be set up inside of the RTP Conference Center so everyone can enjoy their meal and escape the chill outside. As always, parking is very limited so we strongly encourage carpooling or using our recently re-paved pedestrian trails.  Don’t forget to bring a donation for the food drive  to receive a ticket good for $1 off at any of the participating food trucks.  

In the spirit of giving during the holidays, we’d like for the RTP Community to take this opportunity to give back to those that are less fortunate.  Community Outreach@rtp would like to encourage all Food Truck Rodeo patrons to bring a donation for the for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern Carolina.

The Food Bank serves a network of more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, the Sandhills (Southern Pines) and Wilmington.  Some of the specific items that they are in need of include: baby products, hygiene items, paper products, and kid friendly items such as granola bars, popcorn, and graham crackers. A comprehensive list of most needed items is available here.

The November Food Truck Rodeo & Food Drive happened to fall on one of the coldest, rainiest days in November.  We are very thankful for those of you that came out and braved the cold & rain.  Based on the current forecast, this coming Thursday is shaping up to be a beautiful day and not too wintry or rainy, so we are looking forward to seeing everyone at RTP HQ for a great meal & to do some good.

Duke’s Dan Ariely on the Adam & Eve Problem

Dan Ariely, a professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University and the author of the NY Times best-selling book, Predictably Irrational, spoke to a packed room at the most recent Marketing Mondays.  His topic was the Adam & Eve problem, otherwise known as the problem of self-control.  Dan learned first-hand about the problem of self-control when he had to figure out a way to force himself take a shot that made him violently ill for 15 hours with the hope of preventing liver sclerosis 30 years down the road.

Dan Ariely also gave the audience a few additional examples:

• Medication compliance
• Self-control of rats & pigeons
• How to get people to show up on time for a colonoscopy
• The Denver Drug Program
• The correlation between kids’ abilities to resist cookies and their college grades

Watch the video below to learn about how each of the above anecdotes relate to the problem of self-control.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ElggrUbhac

Medicago opens plant-based vaccine facility in RTP

Medicago's greenhouse

A biotech company that uses tobacco leaves to produce flu vaccines, Medicago is the perfect fit for the Research Triangle Park.  On Monday, just over one year after the ground breaking on the site, Medicago held a ribbon cutting ceremony at their $24 million, 97,000 square foot plant-based vaccine facility with a fully automated greenhouse. The state of-the-art plant has the capacity to produce 120 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccine.

Medicago Ribbon Cutting

During the ceremony, Medicago’s CEO, Andy Sheldon, said that the excellent workforce, quality of life, and of course famous North Carolina BBQ were the main reasons that Medicago decided to locate their new greenhouse in RTP.  Medicago, a Canadian company, located to RTP and proceeded to hire 55+ employees (with more to come), almost all from North Carolina.  Talk about a testament for the trained workforce that the Research Triangle prides itself on. 

At the grand opening ceremony, Governor Beverly Perdue, Senator Richard Burr and Congressman David Price were all on hand to give Medicago a warm welcome to the Research Triangle Park and the state of North Carolina. (literally – it was a beautiful 70 degree day in RTP as opposed to 4 inches of snow on the ground at Medicago’s Canadian headquarters). During Governor Perdue’s remarks she said, “When I grew up, tobacco was something you smoked or chewed or dipped.  Who would have thought it would have been used in 21st century vaccines and medical products…. Today, tobacco is something we use to cure disease, not something you smoke or chew necessarily. We transformed ourselves.” (See below for a clip of Governor Perdue’s comments at the ceremony).

We are proud to have Medicago in the Research Triangle Park.  This is the exact type of company that we aim to attract and grow and we know that their investment in this state will continue to provide the high quality jobs that fuel economic growth for the Triangle Region - the driving force behind the founding of RTP. 

The media throughout the state & Triangle Region also thrilled to welcome Medicago to the area as well, judging on the media coverage surround the event:

Biotechnology Company Locates U.S. Division in North Carolina (Thrive NC)

Officials Tout Medicago’s Tobacco-To-Vaccine Plant (NC Biotechnology Center)

Medicago USA opens new RTP facility (The Herald-Sun)

Medicago’s RTP vaccine facility opens to address pandemics (MedCity News)