UPDATE:  PLEASE NOTE.  

DUE TO THE EVOLVING COVID-19 VIRUS SITUATION AND THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE ARE CANCELING THE IN-PERSON EVENT AND MOVING IT TO A VIRTUAL EVENT ON THE SAME DAY AND TIME.  SEE OUR SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS BELOW TO REGISTER.

As we navigate the uncharted territory brought about by the coronavirus, we thought that it would be good to turn our Fireside Chat with Ryan Sears into a conversation about helping the community connect with one another and providing a platform that provides useful real-time information. Let's tap our collective expertise to talk about anxiety; where to go to get information and resources; dealing effectively with employee, customer, vendor, legal, financial, insurance issues; and taking care of ourselves. 

Ryan Sears, the founder of two community startup organizations, is our featured guest. Learn about the FounderTrac Accelerator, and meet several FounderTrac portfolio companies. What characteristics does Ryan see in successful startups? Hear how a focus on 4 areas of entrepreneurship can propel startups to the next level - Financing, Product Development, Leadership & Legal, and Go-to-Market Strategy.

Ryan is an entrepreneur and startup ecosystem creator with extensive experience building new products for emerging growth technology companies. He has launched several successful startups and small businesses, advised dozens of tech teams, served as a Chief Product Officer (CPO), and has a proven track record of bringing B2B and consumer software to market.

Having hosted hundreds of business community events and making countless public speaking appearances, Ryan has galvanized the Annapolis and Maryland startup ecosystem and built a reputation as a servant leader. His expertise in product management, UX/UI design, and engineering has driven hundreds of startups to seek his mentorship, leading to him creating a comprehensive proprietary curriculum and company building framework for the ascending FounderTrac Accelerator. The community organizations that he has founded (LAUNCH! Annapolis, FounderTrac) have more than 3000 members and continue to grow exponentially.

SPECIAL REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

First, note that the event is limited to the first 100 registrations on the Zoom platform so register quickly! There is no charge for this virtual event.

To get the most out of our virtual time together, please do the following:

1. Register through ZOOM right here.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

2. Establish a Treble account or update your Treble profile. www.treblenetwork.com   Make sure your Treble account is updated to include your bio, how you can help others and a few wishes. 

If you're new to Treble, go to www.treblenetwork.com ( (or, search “TrebleNetwork” in the app stores). Register using promo code SUGC to get a year of premium for free. Be sure to also join the SUG Columbia organization on Treble so you can start connecting with other members and help make someone’s wishes come true! Need help? - see "Resources" below or email Support@TrebleNetwork.com.

3. Mark your calendar!

You may want to test Zoom on your computer ahead of time to make sure your audio (mic and speakers) and video are working.

See you Monday, March 23rd at 5:30 pm! Don’t be late!