LaunchPad Inland Northwest LLC, a tech sector-centered networking and events organization, is establishing two partnerships aimed at growing and strengthening relationships in the business community, says Bill Kalivas, LaunchPad INW co-founder. 

The first partnership is a collaboration with the College of Science, Technology, & Mathematics, known as CSTEM, at Eastern Washington University that will establish a monthly forum to connect founders, researchers, CSTEM students, and the business community to discuss industry challenges and inspire solutions, Kalivas says.

Dubbed Innovator Connect, the inaugural event will be held 4-6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Catalyst Building, at 601 E. Riverside in Spokane’s University District. 

“Now that EWU is designated as a polytechnic institution, the partnership aims to help Eastern grow its brand and connect to the business community,” says Kalivas, who is on the Innovator Connect advisory board. 

The first Innovator Connect forum will be focused on challenges to the power grid and decarbonization. John Gibson, chief research and development engineer for Spokane-based Avista Corp., and Shane Johnson, president and CEO of Spokane Valley-based CarbonQuest Inc., are scheduled to lead the discussion. 

In November, the forum will discuss challenges related to artificial intelligence, he says. 

The second partnership is with Spokane-based Inch360, a cybersecurity industry group comprised of regional professionals. LaunchPad INW will assist Inch360 with marketing to help the organization attract more people, companies, and funding, he says. 

With both partnerships, LaunchPad INW is focused on helping the region become a hub for life science and innovation, he says. 

In June, Eastern Washington University received a $1 million grant from Google’s Cybersecurity Fund to establish the EWU Cybersecurity Clinic. Kalivas says he hopes to build on this new venture and foster a regional ecosystem that can grow future funding and support.