Black River Innovation Campus

10/06/2026

🔧 MAKER CLUB IS IN FULL SWING! 🤖
Got a curious kid who loves to build, tinker, take things apart, or figure out how stuff works?

Maker Club gives students in Grades 5–8 hands-on time with 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl plotters, microcontrollers, design and coding software, and more - with plenty of room to experiment, invent, and CREATE. 🚀

No experience needed - beginners and seasoned tinkerers welcome!

📅 Wednesdays | 3:00–5:00 PM
💜 FREE | Grades 5-8
📍 BRIC | Springfield, VT
📧 Interested in joining? Email [email protected]

Come learn, hack, build, and make cool stuff with us. 🛠️✨

10/02/2026

OUR OWN RISING STAR! 🌟🏆

We could not be more thrilled to share that BRIC Deputy Director Chris Maggiolo has been named one of VermontBiz’s 2026 Rising Stars! 👏 👏 👏

Each year, VermontBiz recognizes 40 outstanding Vermonters under 40 for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and involvement in their communities - and we can't think of anyone more deserving of that recognition.

Chris is an extraordinarily dedicated, hardworking, thoughtful, and enthusiastic leader who pours an enormous amount of heart into everything he does. He cares deeply about our community and is constantly working to build meaningful relationships with neighbors, Founders, educators, businesses, nonprofits, and partners across Vermont and beyond.

Whether he’s supporting entrepreneurs, developing new partnerships, solving tricky challenges, championing rural innovation and STEAM opportunities, representing BRIC throughout the region, or currently expanding his leadership through the Vermont Leadership Institute, Chris shows up with curiosity, integrity, optimism, humor, and an almost alarming willingness to say “yes” when someone needs a hand. 🤪💜

And somehow, alongside everything he gives to BRIC and our community, he is also a devoted husband and the most amazing dad to two wonderful little girls.

We are exceptionally lucky to have Chris on our team, and even luckier to call him our friend. He makes BRIC - and our community - stronger every day he keeps showing up.

Chris, this recognition is so incredibly well deserved. We couldn’t be prouder of you. Way to go, Rising Star! 🌟💜

Congrats to the whole Class of 2026! 🎉
Read more:
https://vermontbiz.com/news/2026/october/01/vermontbiz-recognizes-vermonts-rising-stars-class-2026

VermontBiz will honor this year’s Rising Stars at a special event on November 4, and the honorees will also be featured in the November issue.

VermontBiz

10/02/2026

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO WRAP UP OUR FOUNDER + INVESTOR SERIES! 💜

Last night, a lovely bunch of Founders, Investors, Mentors, and members of Vermont’s entrepreneurial community gathered on the deck at Zero Gravity in Burlington for our Founder + Investor Exchange.

The theme was “Conversations, not Pitches” 🍻

It was a laid-back evening filled with thoughtful chats, questions, introductions, and new connections between people building companies and people interested in helping Vermont businesses grow.

We were especially happy to see some familiar faces from our Actuator community, including alumni Rheddi, Soumya, Darren, and Will, along with current Founder Ulrike! 🚀

A HUGE thank you to Melissa Merkel-Dallaryan for helping bring this entire initiative together and for being such a thoughtful, engaging host throughout both workshop series and last night’s gathering. 💜

And thank you to Zero Gravity for providing the perfect setting for an easygoing evening of conversation and connection!

Most of all, thank you to everyone who participated - last night and throughout the series. Strong entrepreneurial ecosystems are built through relationships, shared knowledge, and people willing to show up for one another. We’re excited to see what collabs and opportunities continue to grow from here!

🌟 This capital formation initiative programming was made possible with support from the U.S. Small Business Administration through the 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC).

10/01/2026

IT’S TONIGHT!! 🍻

Founders + Investors, come hang out with us at Zero Gravity in Burlington for BRIC’s Founder + Investor Exchange!

“Conversations, not Pitches”

🚀 Meet Vermont Founders
💰 Chat with Investors
💬 Ask questions + share perspectives
🤝 Make useful new connections

📅 TONIGHT - October 1
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 Zero Gravity, Burlington
💜 FREE
🍴 Light refreshments provided
🍺 Cash bar available

No pitch decks. No pressure. Just good conversation and connection.

🔗 RSVP:
https://luma.com/tlj8qiha

Hope to see you there! 💜

10/01/2026

ACTUATOR 🚀

Fall Actuator cohorts are officially underway - in TWO Vermont communities! 🎉

This season, we’re thrilled to welcome another incredible group of Founders to BRIC’s Fall Actuator cohort based in Springfield AND celebrate the launch of the new StartUp Rutland Actuator cohort in partnership with our friends at StartUp Rutland, The Hub CoWorks, and CEDRR! 💜

Across both cohorts, Founders are digging into their ideas, testing assumptions, getting to know their customers, strengthening their business models, connecting with Mentors, and figuring out what it will take to move their ventures forward.

And as always, the ideas are wonderfully varied - because there’s no single way to be a Founder. 🙌

Since launching in 2021, BRIC’s Actuator program has supported 110+ startups - and Actuator companies have collectively raised more than $17 million. We’re so psyched to welcome these newest groups into that growing community of entrepreneurs building businesses, making connections, and creating new possibilities here in Vermont.

Huge shoutout to all of our Fall Founders - we can’t wait to see where these next few weeks take you! 🚀

We're excited to be working alongside StartUp Rutland and CEDRR to bring Actuator to more Founders across the state.

👉 Learn more about BRIC Actuator:
https://www.bricvt.org/entrepreneurship/actuator-program/

👉 Learn more about StartUp Rutland Actuator:
https://startuprutland.com/bric/

10/01/2026

Good things are happening in downtown Springfield! ✨

Springfield’s new incubator program at 27 Main Street gives food vendors, artists, and makers a chance to bring their products to downtown. Learn how to apply.

09/29/2026

THIS THURSDAY: FOUNDERS + INVESTORS, COME HANG OUT! 🍻

Join us at Zero Gravity in Burlington for BRIC's Founder + Investor Exchange - a casual evening of conversation, connection, and learning from both sides of the table.

The theme: “Conversations, not Pitches.”

🚀 Meet Vermont Founders
💰 Connect with Investors
💬 Ask questions + share perspectives
🤝 Make useful new connections

No pitch decks. No pressure. Just good conversation with people invested in Vermont's entrepreneurial community.

📅 Thursday, October 1
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 Zero Gravity, Burlington
💜 FREE to attend
🍴 Light refreshments provided
🍺 Cash bar available

🔗 RSVP:
https://luma.com/tlj8qiha

Hope to see you there!

09/29/2026

Art has the power to connect us, inspire us, and amplify our community's voice.

Through the UV Arts For All initiative, the Upper Valley Arts Alliance is making it easier than ever to experience the best of our region's creative scene. From community theater and local galleries to live music venues and art centers, 15+ organizations have teamed up to offer free or low-cost events. We're proud to be a part of it!

We believe art is for everyone. Visit https://www.uvarts.org/ to see the full calendar of affordable events and explore the creativity happening right here in our region!

09/29/2026

ALUMNI IN ACTION 🌟

We LOVE seeing our Actuator alumni bringing creative ideas to life - and Alia Quart Khan has something especially fun brewing in Brattleboro! 🎬🍂

More than 70 years after Alfred Hitchcock’s The Trouble with Harry was filmed largely in Vermont, Alia and On Goldfish Pond Creative are bringing this wonderfully strange piece of Vermont film history back to the Latchis Theatre - first with a one-night-only LIVE screenplay reading on October 23, followed by a big-screen screening + community conversation on November 8.

The live cast includes Tom Bodett, Myra Flynn, Jeanine B. Frost and Chris Dorman, with filmmaker Bess O’Brien leading the November conversation.

We’re so excited to see Alia creating new connections among Vermont artists, audiences and communities - and finding fresh ways to celebrate the stories and creative history that make our little green mountain state such an interesting place. 💜

BRIC is a proud fiscal sponsor for the project.

🎟️ Learn more + tickets:
October 23: https://app.arts-people.com/?show=363446
November 8: https://app.arts-people.com/?show=363578
Two-event package: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?subscription=larts

09/28/2026

ALUMNI IN ACTION 🌟

We love seeing our Actuator alumni out in the world doing meaningful work - and representing Vermont along the way! 💜

Actuator alum Reddhi Patel, Founder of Aligna, recently brought her company to MIT for the AI-Powered Women Conference, where Aligna was selected as one of just 20 women-led AI companies nationwide to participate in the AI Innovation Lab Showcase - and the only Vermont company selected. 🎉

Aligna is using AI to help families make the often-invisible work of running a household more visible, shared, and manageable.

The app is currently in free beta, and Reddhi is looking for families to try it out and share feedback as Aligna prepares for its next launch.

Congratulations, Reddhi! We’re proud to see an Actuator alum bringing innovative, human-centered ideas from Vermont to a national stage. 🚀💚

👉 Learn more / join the free beta: https://usealignaapp.com/