What is the CDC? Learn more

Hot Topics

Latest News

View all
Ted Tanner, CTO - BigBear.ai
CDC TECH LIFE PODCAST

CDC Tech Life Podcast Episode 30 Features Ted Tanner Jr. - CTO - Big Bear AI

Episode 30 of the CDC Tech Life Podcast features Ted Tanner Jr., Chief Technology Officer of BigBear.AI. Ted takes us on a tour of a career that has spanned cutting edge technologies and stops at some of the biggest software companies in the world.

This episode is sponsored by Moovila. Moovila brings AI to the forefront of work management with intelligent project controls that give organizations clear insight into which projects are at risk, where problems exist, and how to fix critical issues. Visit them at Moovila.com to learn more.

[13617927]

FEATURED NEWS

Charleston’s Newest Tech Teaching Hub Aims To Deliver Classes To The Masses

A onetime empty ground-level corner of the parking garage of the Charleston Tech Center is aiming to make technology industry careers accessible to the masses.

The 1,200-square-foot space near Morrison Drive and Conroy Street on the upper peninsula is a finished glass storefront neatly furnished with rows of fresh, white tables and gray chairs awaiting students, young and old, interested in learning skills for higher-paying jobs that can change their lives.

"This is not just about an adult program," said Ernest Andrade, executive director of the Charleston Digital Corridor, which spearheaded the new CDC Learning Center with $250,000 from Google. Read more:

Charleston Digital Corridor Cuts Ribbon On New Downtown Learning Center Supported By Google At Charleston Tech Center

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local business leaders and elected officials on Tuesday, the Charleston Digital Corridor officially opened the doors to its new CDC Learning Center (CDCLC) located on its Charleston Tech Center campus on Charleston's upper peninsula. The centrally located and easily accessible Learning Center at 997 Morrison Drive features 1,250 square feet of classroom space with state-of-the-art technology and will offer a wide range of programming ranging from basic digital literacy courses to sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity training.

The CDCLC will serve as an asset to the community as it provides highly accessible and impactful training and skills development for residents across the Lowcountry, particularly in the tech sector. Located within a federally designated Opportunity Zone, an intentional focus will be placed on providing underserved communities with high-quality and inclusive educational programs in a supportive, applied learning environment.

Google provided $250,000 for the CDC Learning Center, as its mission aligns with Google's work to help upskill the regional workforce and remove barriers to entry in the tech industry. Google, with a data center in Berkeley County, has awarded more than $6 million since 2006 to local schools and nonprofits in South Carolina to advance this vision.

"The Learning Center here at Charleston Tech Center is a product of our tech community's bold vision, a symbol of our strong partnerships and a strategic investment in the future of equitable entrepreneurship in the Lowcountry," said Ernest Andrade, Executive Director of the Charleston Digital Corridor. "Thank you to Google for providing us with the critical resources to open this hub of opportunity for all in our community. We look forward to partnering with tech industry leaders to establish forward-thinking programming in this new space."

"This is an exciting day for Google, the Charleston Digital Corridor, and the greater community as we open the doors of the downtown Learning Center and take one step closer to closing the digital literacy gap in our region," said Amber Tillman, Google's Head of Data Center Economic and Community Development. "Google is proud to partner with the CDC as part of our long-time commitment to upskilling the workforce in the Lowcountry and provide pathways to brighter futures for local residents and students."

The CDC works to identify gaps related to the talent development of Charleston's tech economy and provides programming to address those gaps. As the city of Charleston and greater tri-county region experience an increase in economic growth, the demand for a skilled workforce continues to rise.

"The Charleston Digital Corridor's Learning Center, backed by Google, is a beacon of opportunity for our residents. It showcases our city's dedication to nurturing talent in our community and ensuring that Charleston remains a hub of technological advancement," said Mayor John Tecklenburg, City of Charleston.

SatQuote Introduces SatMeasure Free Plan

SatQuote™, a leading provider of property measurement and estimation software, has launched a new SatMeasure Free Plan. This new product is designed to introduce users to the SatMeasure and SatQuote suite of measuring and estimation tools. The new plan allows users to measure and save up to 10 properties each month, completely free of charge, with no credit card required.

Leveraging remote measurement and estimation technology is a great way for landscape and outdoor service companies to save time and money traveling to job sites, and can help customers and crews visualize where work will be done. The new SatMeasure Free product allows companies to get started with zero out-of-pocket costs.

  • Key Features of SatMeasure Free:
  • Measure Up to 10 Properties Per Month
  • No Credit Card Required
  • Free Hand Draw & Point + Click Measuring
  • Multiple Area Measurements
  • Perimeter, Area, and Volume Calculations
  • Ability to Save Maps and Measurements

"SatQuote is committed to developing innovative property measurement and estimation tools to help outdoor service professionals increase efficiency. With the introduction of SatMeasure Free, we are taking the risk out of getting started with remote property measurements" said Drew Wagner, Founder and CEO of SatQuote.

To subscribe and start measuring with the SatMeasure Free plan, visit SatQuote.com.

Surety Bonds Direct Lands Spot on Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies List

Surety Bonds Direct, a high-growth company bringing technological innovation to the insurance industry, is pleased to announce the company has ranked #2846 on the 2023 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list, a rare honor reserved for just one-half percent of all companies operating in the United States.

The company which commenced business operations in 2016 at the Charleston Digital Corridor's Flagship tech incubator, has experienced a three (3) year growth rate of just under 200%. Surety Bonds represents yet another Charleston company that has made the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list over the past 15 years and has been supported by the Charleston Digital Corridor.

Surety Bonds Direct co-founder, Eric Fauerbach, credits the company's success to "technological innovation along with a team of knowledgeable, talented, and energetic individuals who have embraced a highly customer centric business model."

"The efficiency we bring through technology saves our clients time with policy issuance, secures the most competitive policy rates, and eliminates cumbersome paperwork... a win-win for underwriters and customers," added co-founder, Jason O'Leary.

"Charleston's tech industry has grown a whopping 3,788% in the past twenty years and Surety Bonds Direct is another company with high growth potential that is contributing to the success of our community", said Charleston Digital Corridor Director, Ernest Andrade.

Surety Bonds Direct, which continues to experience robust growth, is expected to continue to grow their team in North Charleston. You can learn more about Surety Bonds Direct HERE.

About Surety Bonds Direct:

Surety Bonds Direct is a national bonding agency licensed in all 50 states. The company was rated Best Overall Surety Bond Company in the country for 2021, 2022, and 2023 by Investopedia. Surety Bonds Direct is authorized to offer thousands of different types of commercial and contract surety bonds across dozens of industries.

Serial Entrepreneur Churnkey Founder - Baird Hall

CDC Tech Life Podcast Episode 29 Features Baird Hall - Founder - Churnkey and Zubtitle

Episode 29 of the CDC Tech Life Podcast features Baird Hall, serial entrepreneur and founder of Charleston-SC based technology startups Churnkey and Zubtitle. Baird shares his journey from first-time entrepreneur to founder and CEO of multiple ventures and the lessons he learned along the way.

This episode is sponsored by Funnel. Funnel delivers a consistent, connected experience from inquiry through renewal, all while saving operators money and creating happier leasing teams. Visit them at Funnelleasing.com to learn more.

[13451464]

SatQuote Acknowledged as a Green Industry Pros 2023 Editor’s Choice Award Winner

The 2023 Green Industry Pros Editor's Choice Awards represents the landscape industry's best products gaining interest from end-users and landscape professionals alike. The awarded products, exhibiting innovation and utility, were chosen based on submitted nominations and audience engagement during a 12-month period on GreenIndustryPros.com, and narrowed down by the editorial team and advisory board.

SatQuote is a cloud-based platform for desktop, tablet and mobile developed to help landscapers measure and map properties, estimate project labor and material needs, create landscape designs, and generate PDF quotes with map images, products, and photos that allow collaboration with customers on what and where work will be done.

"Receiving the Green Industry Pros 2023 Editor's Choice Award is an exciting achievement for SatQuote. This recognition underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence in serving landscape professionals," said Founder and Chief Technology Officer Drew Wagner. "We are thrilled to be named among the best products in the industry, and it fuels our excitement to continue pushing boundaries and providing top-notch solutions. Our journey is driven by the needs of end-users and landscape professionals, and this award motivates us to keep delivering technology that truly makes a difference."

SatQuote's features include:

  • High-resolution aerial imagery: SatQuote uses high-resolution aerial imagery and measuring tools to provide accurate property measurements remotely and waste less time driving.
  • AI measuring assistance: SatQuote's AI measuring helps landscapers quickly measure property features such as lawns, buildings, driveways, and roadways.
  • Customer Collaboration: Share property maps and estimates via magic links, email, or SMS where customers can comment, markup, and add photos.
  • Labor and material estimation: SatQuote's labor and material estimation feature helps landscapers profitably estimate project pricing. This feature takes into account the size of the property, the type of work that needs to be done, and the cost of materials.
  • Landscape design & overlay: SatQuote's landscape design feature helps landscapers to create visually appealing and functional landscape designs. This feature includes a library of pre-made templates and a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to create custom designs. If clients already have a design, you can upload and scale it to the map to confirm accuracy and determine material and labor needs.
  • Estimate generation: SatQuote's estimate generation feature helps landscapers create professional-looking quotes that include scope of work, the cost of materials, and labor costs. Estimate generation syncs with Quickbooks.

"We're thrilled to showcase the winners of the 2023 Editor's Choice Awards," says Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb. "Despite facing several hurdles the past few years, the green industry is going strong, and this year's winning products include innovative features that help contractors contend with those
challenges, become more efficient and boost their bottom lines."

Green Industry Pros magazine educates landscape contractors and equipment dealers on the latest products, trends, technologies and business strategies that help with growth, productivity and profitability for their operations. Additional information on award recipients can be found in the July/August issue of Green Industry Pros and at GreenIndustryPros.com.

Upcoming Classes & Events

NEXT CDCu
Sep 21, 5:30PM - 7:30PM

Charleston AR/VR meetup - Augmented Reality at City Scale - In Charleston!

Organized by Dave Ingram

In this presentation we will explore and demo emerging technology platforms and applications that use AR to visualize the future of cities. Using current 2023 smartphone technology developers are devising ways to engage architects, urban planners, city officials, historic preservation advocates and citizens via AR to see buildings and infrastructure on the urban landscape while they are still in the design phases. Designers frequently now use VR to build virtual walkthroughs - AR changes the paradigm - see and comment on future buildings in their natural context - in the real city.

EVENT
Oct 5, 5PM - 7PM

Charleston ACE - Inaugural Event and Chapter Launch

Join us for the inaugural Atlassian Community Event in Charleston! We're excited to kick off the local Atlassian user group with a fun and engaging happy hour social. Connect with fellow Atlassian enthusiasts, share experiences, and build a strong network within the Charleston tech community.

Learn more and register HERE.

EVENT
Oct 6, 6PM - 5PM

Charleston Harborhack

Harborhack is a community-run hackathon in Charleston, South Carolina. This event is co-hosted by the College of Charleston at the Harbor Walk East and West buildings, located at the beautiful Charleston harbor. HarborHack is a dynamic event where individuals from all different backgrounds and skill levels work together to develop solutions to real-world problems. This includes software developers, designers, business professionals, subject matter experts, entrepreneurs, and students. Participants often have an interest in technology, innovation, and social impact. Learn more and register HERE.

CDCu
Oct 18, 9AM - 10:30AM

Next Level ChatGPT

Presented by Dave Ingram

So you've been using ChatGPT for a little while and want to go further? This class is designed to level up your beginner skills and understand how to get the most out of this new technology in a wide range of use cases. We will peel back the covers and talk about how ChatGPT works, discuss "Prompt Engineering," (or "AI whispering" if you prefer), and look at ChatGPT plugins and other advanced topics that can add new abilities to the tool. You should leave this class with a deeper understanding of large language models (LLMs), and with a new bag of tricks to get more out of your day-to-day use of the tool.

October 26 @ 5:30pm
EVENT
Oct 26, 5:30PM - 7:30PM

CDC Annual Oyster Roast

The CDC Annual Oyster Roast is back! Come out and enjoy a fun night of networking and oyster shucking with fellow members of the Charleston Tech Community. All CDC Members received an access/promo code for a discount plus 1-2 complimentary tickets depending on membership level. Purchase tickets HERE.

If you are a CDC member or work for a member company and need an access/promo code, please contact meghan@charlestondigital.com.

CDCu
Nov 15, 9AM - 10:30AM

Harnessing AI Tools for Business

Presented by Chip Lemmon

AI models like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Copilot offer intriguing new capabilities for businesses. But many leaders struggle to implement them meaningfully. This course provides the practical guidance you need to evaluate and apply Generative AI effectively in your organization.

Through real business examples, you'll gain the knowledge to pilot AI responsibly in your unique context.

CDCu
Dec 6, 9AM - 10:30AM

ChatGPT For Coders

Presented by Dave Ingram

ChatGPT won't be replacing any software developers any time soon. It's not always correct, and it doesn't do a great job at understanding larger codebases. So should you be using it to help you write code? Absolutely! With the right guidance from a developer, ChatGPT can eliminate large amounts of time in creating boilerplate code, refactoring, adding new functionality and working across different languages. Know how to write some code in Java but not Python? Want to quickly add a unit test to some new functionality? Want to spin up a new API in Go but don't know where to start? All of these are great use cases, and if you can learn to use GPT effectively in your coding process you can move much faster and solve larger and more complex problems every day. Whether you are a seasoned coder or just starting out, this class should leave you with new tricks and faster process to build the things you're excited to build.

CDCu
Jan 17, 9AM - 11AM

Introduction to ChatGPT - Understanding the Basics

Presented by Tom Wilson

The "Introduction to ChatGPT" class offers an insightful journey into the capabilities, applications, and underlying principles of ChatGPT, a cutting-edge large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI. This course provides participants with a foundational understanding of how ChatGPT works and equips them with practical knowledge to interact effectively with the model.

STATS