Engineering topics

Madison, Alison L

Publications and source records attributed to Madison, Alison L.

17 records

DOE OSTI2012

Compensation issues tough to navigate

Monthly economic diversity column for the Tri-City Herald - excerpt pasted below: Most industries out there are feeling the shift to a more educated, thus more empowered consumer. The legal field is no exception, which is why it's no surprise that lawsuits are on the rise. Today's society is one in which people are more aware than ever of their rights, and often equally convinced of their entitlements in a number of areas. For business owners, employees represent a major source of potential lawsuits. And compensation is an area of particular concern given that many complaints against employers revolve around it in some way.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Tri-Cities research may help biofuels take flight

Monthly economic diversity column for the Tri-City Herald. Excerpt: If you stop and think about it, some pretty interesting stuff has roots in the Tri-Cities, but reaches far beyond. Many Tri-Citians have gone on to be professional athletes, entertainers, scientists and engineers, doctors, lawyers, and humanitarians to name just a few. And a lot of groundbreaking discoveries - many born of strategic collaborations resulting from purposeful economic development efforts - have emerged from work at our local national laboratory. Just recently, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory entered into a $2M collaboration with Seattle biofuel producer Imperium Renewables and other partners to develop a new method to make renewable jet fuels. Successful development of the catalytic process, which converts biomass-based alcohols into renewable drop-in jet fuels, could lead to additional renewable jet fuel production facilities being built and operated in the Pacific Northwest.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Program helps pick site for renewable energy generation

Monthly economic diversity column for Tri-City Herald - excerpt pasted below: Sunshine and wind are two things we know well in the Tri-Cities area and beyond. My own backyard is a perpetual vortex of breezy fun, for example, to the point that it almost seems silly not to harness it for something useful. But I recently learned that when we're talking about building renewable energy generation capacity, it's not quite as simple as 'If you build it, they will come.' In fact, according to renewable energy expert and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researcher John DeSteese, there are several criteria that make a piece of property suitable for this kind of development. DeSteese and his team recently completed an assessment regarding the use of specific land for renewable power generation through PNNL's Technology Assistance Program.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2011

Not all funding options will have the same risk

Monthly economic diversity column for the Tri-City Herald. Excerpt below: When we think about starting or growing a business, it's impossible not to think about money. It's what makes business go round, after all. But does coming up with funding always have to mean you're betting the farm that things will turn out as intended? Generally speaking, raising capital for a business venture does indeed carry some risk, but not all types of funding are created equally. Dilutive funds, for example, typically cost more and carry higher risk than their non-dilutive counterparts. And although both have their place, it's important to know the difference and when one is more appropriate than another.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Entrepreneurs can learn from each other

Monthly economic diversity column for the Tri-City Herald: It's easy when we become close to a business concept to lose sight of what the plan should be, and when or when not to adhere strictly to it in the interest of achieving the optimal outcome. Scientists in research and development laboratories often discover things during their research which are different and even more exciting than originally intended. The same possibilities exist for entrepreneurs, if they're listening and open to the idea of embracing changes in their thinking. One successful entrepreneur who got this right is Richard Tait, who co-founded the Cranium game company in 1998 after a successful career at Microsoft. And although he later sold the company to Hasbro, he kept many of the lessons he learned at the helm of his wildly successful venture. He currently makes the rounds speaking about several in particular that can help other entrepreneurs poise themselves for greatness. Here are a few to think about.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Big bucks not always needed for new business

Monthly Economic Diversity column for Tri-City Herald (first 2 paragraphs pasted below): I think many of us at one time or another has at least wondered what self-employment would be like. Amidst romantic visions about easygoing schedules and the reduced pressure of not having to answer to someone else, the daydreaming eventually gives way to reality. What would my value proposition be? Where would I start? And would that secret trust fund indeed be revealed to me at the right moment to make it possible? Since for most of us that last question is little more than a pipe dream, the money dilemma is top of mind when it comes to the proposition of starting a business from scratch. But it doesn't have to dig to the bottom of your wallet or your net worth as was recently affirmed in a great Wall Street Journal article about starting successful companies on a shoestring budget.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Recruiting as much about families as candidate

Monthly economic diversity column for Tri-City Herald: For businesses large and small, one of the biggest challenges to staying afloat and achieving growth is attracting and retaining key talent. And in an area such as the Tri-Cities, where many of our skilled professionals are geographical transplants and the technology-based economic growth we seek often requires highly specific skill sets, effective recruiting is especially critical. But it isn’t just about matching candidates with open positions and signing on the dotted line. In fact, members of the Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network were reminded at a recent presentation that recruiting is very much about attracting the family unit.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Plan competitions reveal entrepreneurial talent

Monthly economic diversity column for Tri-City Herald business section. Excerpt below: There’s something to be said for gaining valuable real-world experience in a structured, nurturing environment. Take for instance learning to scuba dive in the comfort of my resort pool rather than immediately hanging out with sharks while I figure out little things like oxygen tanks and avoiding underwater panic attacks. Likewise, graduate students are getting some excellent, supportive real-world training through university business plan competitions. These competitions are places where smart minds, new technologies, months of preparation and coaching, and some healthy pre-presentation jitters collide to reveal not only solid new business ideas, but also some promising entrepreneurial talent. In fact, professionals from around our region descend upon college campuses every spring to judge these events, which help to bridge the gap between academics and the real technology and business-driven economy.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Tell your sustainability story, minus hype

Monthly Economic Diversication column for the Tri-City Herald... By now, many of us are starting to slack off on our New Year’s resolutions to vigorously become healthier, happier, more productive superhumans. While our intentions are in the right place, we try to insert these lofty goals into already hectic lives wrought with engrained routines. We break them because they’re simply not sustainable unless they become integral to our daily operation. The same is true of businesses who still think going "green" is something to talk about rather than wholeheartedly do. The concept of being "green" started as a buzzword several years ago, something companies would attach to their advertising to convince customers they cared about more than just making a buck. Since that time, the concept now referred to as "sustainability" has evolved considerably and is becoming a fundamental part of how companies do business. As such, marketing efforts to tout sustainability, previously seen as fluffy, are now respected for their proven power to affect the bottom line.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Social media offers many ways to grow business

Facebook and Twitter and YouTube, oh my! For some of us the added communications channels offered by social media can feel overwhelming in a hurry. But whether we like it or not, they’re proving to be valuable marketing tools that small and large companies alike are jumping on board to explore.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Savor sweet rewards of professional workshops

Monthly Economic Diversity column for Tri-City Herald - excerpt below: I think we’ve all gone into a situation not really knowing what to expect--maybe even laced with a little reluctance--and come out of it with more than we bargained for. This happens to me all the time at Costco--and dessert time. But it also happens with more serious things like professional workshops, and I highly recommend them no matter what business you’re in. Take for instance a half-day strategic business forum hosted by Washington State University Tri-Cities that I recently attended. The event, co-sponsored by a variety of local businesses including all of the area’s Chambers of Commerce, drew professionals from around the area to hear about hot topics of interest to small business.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2011

On the job, some things are better left unsaid

Ever gotten burned by sharing a secret? We all probably have. I think we all at one time or another have also acquired a juicy nugget that makes us feel exclusively in-the-know. And despite our best intentions, it’s human nature to want to blab to the first curious ear we can find. But just as in everyday life, blabbing when it comes to business can be devastating.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2010

Local growth could be achieved using local innovation

In a recent column I mentioned that sometimes the solutions to economic growth for our area—and even the nation—are closer than we might think. At the latest Tri-Cities Research District Speaker Series event, this message was reinforced by two commercialization managers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Peter Christensen and Eric Lund are two in a team of seven experts that help connect companies with technologies developed at PNNL. Sometimes they license those technologies to established companies with existing product lines and sometimes they see entirely new companies form around the newly acquired technology’s product potential.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2010

Renewable power needs smart storage solutions

Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus claimed that the only thing constant in life is change, a truth we must accept and even celebrate. Another truth we face today is a growing demand for more energy to help us power the kind and pace of change we’ve become accustomed to, while minimizing environmental consequences. Renewable energy--two words that often find themselves woven into environmentally conscious dialogue. And according to Dave Lucero, director of alternative energy storage at EaglePicher Technologies LLC, the Tri-Cities should be thinking about two more: energy storage. Lucero recently addressed the Tri-Cities Research District about tackling the persistent challenge of maximizing renewable energy, which is inherently variable due to changing weather patterns. Capturing that energy and making it available for later use is vital.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2010

Tri-Cities an ideal environment for biofuels research

These days, you don’t have to go far to hear a little something about renewable power. And in the Tri-Cities, you needn’t look beyond your own backyard. At the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory--BSEL--on Washington State University’s Richland campus, scientists are doing some cutting edge research on the conversion of biomass to fuels and value-added products that are traditionally derived from petroleum. The facility, built by the State of Washington, houses scientists from both Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and WSU Tri-Cities.

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2010

Program exchanges green backs for green cards

As they say, membership has its privileges. Starbucks Gold members get coffee discounts. Costco members get to spend at least $100 per trip no matter what they went for. And loyalists of certain local businesses get first dibs on boat race tickets that actually involve shade. Here’s a new one for you. Members of the EB-5 Visa Program get legal residency--and eventually citizenship--in the U.S. When I first heard about it, I poignantly thought to myself, "Say what?" But I am now enlightened, and admittedly a tad enthusiastic, thanks to a couple of presenters at a recent Tri-Cities Research District Speaker Series event.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2010

Mid-Columbia entrepreneurs could soar with help of angels

A few angels recently visited with members of the community via the Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network to share the key ingredients to successfully obtaining limited early stage startup funds for clean tech businesses in today’s economy.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗