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POTOMAC TECH WIRE -- Sept. 17
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Sponsored by: Marketing, Advertising & Communications Summit - Oct. 22-23

o D.C.-based “Blank Check” Firm S2 Acquisition Raises $250 Million With IPO
o D.C.-based Questa Capital Raises $348 Million For Second Fund
o Carlyle Group Buys Majority Stake in Victory Innovations
o Gallaudet University Worked With Apple on Transparent Masks
> Marketing, Advertising & Communications Summit - Oct. 22-23
o Briefly Noted: Booz Allen Foundation, 2U, RangeForce
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Job Listings:
> Project Manager, Digital Strategies - Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Event Listings:
> MAVA’s Forefront 2020 Takes Place Next Week (9/22 – 9/23)
> Marketing, Advertising & Communications Summit - Oct. 22-23
> Daily Webcasts Now Open for Sales Leaders and Teams!

Services Listings:
> King & Spalding: Serving the Legal Needs of the Tech and ADG Communities

For information on advertising options, click here.
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o DC-based “Blank Check” Firm S2 Acquisition Raises $250 Million With IPO

Washington, D.C. -- Amid a flurry of new “bank check” companies on Wall Street, DC-based S2 Acquisition Corp. went public on Thursday, with the purpose of acquiring another company focused on “sustainability.” The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), sponsored by DC-based private equity firm ACON Investments, will raise $250 million through the IPO. “The Company intends to focus on businesses that employ a strategic approach to sustainability; that is, a business whose pursuit of sustainability -- environmental, social and/or economic -- is core to driving its performance and success,” the company said in a statement. S2 Acquisition Corp. will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "STWOU".
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acon-s2-acquisition-corp-announces-pricing-of-250-million-initial-public-offering-301133433.html

o D.C.-based Questa Capital Raises $348 Million For Second Fund

Washington, D.C. -- Questa Capital Management, a venture growth equity firm focused on the healthcare sector, announced that it has closed on its second fund with $348 million of capital commitments. The firm -- with offices in D.C. and San Francisco -- will invest in late state healthcare services, tech and medical device companies. “We look forward to continuing to build differentiated and high-growth healthcare companies in close collaboration with strong management teams,” said Ryan Drant, founder and managing partner of Questa. The firm closed its first fund in 2018 with $199 million.
https://www.questacapital.com/questa-capital-closes-348m-fund-ii-to-invest-in-transformational-healthcare-companies/

o Carlyle Group Buys Majority Stake in Victory Innovations

Washington, D.C. -- Amid a heightened concern about clean surfaces, D.C.-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group has acquired a majority stake in Minneapolis-based Victory Innovations, a maker of devices for disinfecting offices and other locations. The company has seen rapid sales growth for its electrostatic sprayers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “As more and more businesses grasp the need to not just clean surfaces, but disinfect them, we see tremendous growth opportunity for Victory,” said Vipul Amin, a managing director at The Carlyle Group. “Their highly effective technologies are more cost effective, use less disinfectant and operate faster than alternative disinfecting methods.”
https://www.carlyle.com/media-room/news-release-archive/carlyle-acquire-victory-innovations

o D.C.-based Gallaudet Worked With Apple on Transparent Masks

Washington, D.C. -- Bloomberg reported that D.C.-based Gallaudet University worked with Apple in choosing the tech giant’s new clear masks that will be used by its employees. The article said Apple chose two masks for use by its retail and corporate, including the ClearMask that is completely transparent. “It shows the full face so people who are deaf or hard of hearing can better understand what the wearer is saying,” Bloomberg reported. The other mask that will be used by Apple employees was designed in-house.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-09/apple-design-teams-develop-special-face-masks-for-employees

 
o Briefly Noted:

(Washington, D.C.) The Booz Allen Foundation announced the recipients of $1 million in grants for COVID-19 initiatives from the Booz Allen Foundation Innovation Fund. The list of recipients is available at the link below.
https://boozallenfoundation.org/2020/09/17/innovation-fund-grant-awards/

(Lanham, Md.) 2U, Inc., the Lanham-based education technology company, announced that Margaret Ruvoldt has been promoted to chief people officer, and Millette Granville has been named the company’s first vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
https://2u.com/latest/2u-inc-promotes-margaret-ruvoldt-chief-people-officer-and-appoints-millette-granville-its-vice-president-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/

(Manassas, Va.) RangeForce, a Manassas-based cyber training company that raised $16 million in funding in July, announced the availability of its cloud-based “cyber range.” The online environment allows hundreds of cybersecurity professionals to train for cyber attacks.
https://www.rangeforce.com/press-releases/rangeforce-launches-battle-fortress-cyber-range

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Job Listings:
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To Post an Event Listing, Click Here

> Project Manager, Digital Strategies - Corporation for Public Broadcasting

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is currently seeking to hire a Project Manager, Digital Strategies. The Project Manager will help develop, plan, and manage programs and projects that harness essential technologies, interoperable digital infrastructure solutions and tools that deliver cost-effective capabilities to stations, enabling them to build audience and increase relevance and sustainability. The salary is $62,700 - $85,800. The position reports to the VP, Digital Strategies. For the full job description and requirements, please click here.

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Events:
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To Post an Event Listing, Click Here

> MAVA’s Forefront 2020 Takes Place Next Week (9/22 – 9/23), Featuring 35 Competitively-Selected Startups and Much More!

Join industry and investor leaders doing more than just talking about diversity and inclusion at MAVA’s virtual Forefront 2020 program next Tuesday (9/22) and Wednesday (9/23). The two-day virtual event will feature state-of-the-economy remarks from David Rubenstein, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Chairman of the Carlyle Group, presentations from 35 competitively-selected startups, plus CEO & investor panel discussions featuring executives from CareJourney, Framebridge, Union Kitchen, Rethink Education, and more.
                                                                      
> Marketing, Advertising & Communications Summit - Oct. 22-23

Several industry conferences are coming together to create the most comprehensive marketing communications event the Mid-Atlantic region has ever experienced - the Marketing, Advertising & Communications Summit . The conferences include the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit, PR Summit DC, Communicator Summit, NPC's Communicator's Summit and ADWKDC. Attendees from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond will come together for live streaming on October 22-23 and on-demand for multiple days after to learn about what is working in this new business environment, network, and to better prepare for the challenges ahead.
https://macsummit.com/

> Institute for Excellence in Sales Offers Daily Webcasts for Sales Leaders and Teams; Register Now

The Institute for Excellence in Sales (IES) offers daily performance improvement webcasts for sales teams. Every Tuesday at noon EST, IES Women in Sales Program Director Gina Stracuzzi hosts a webcast for Women in Sales featuring sales thought leaders and experts. On Wednesday at 2pm EST, IES cofounder and host of the award-winning Sales Game Changers Podcast, Fred Diamond, hosts a panel featuring sales leaders from around the globe. Fred also hosts the “Optimal Sales Mindset” webcast Thursday at 2pm. Each Friday at 11am EST, the IES brings a sales expert on to address tactics and strategies for sales people to thrive and transform as Re-Opening happens around the globe. The IES helps sales leaders retain, motivate and elevate top-tier sales talent. Register for each on the IES site at www.i4esbd.com.

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Services:
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To Post a Services Listing, Click Here

> King & Spalding: Serving the legal needs of the technology and ADG communities from our new Tysons Corner office

King & Spalding has opened its new Northern Virginia office, which will be the firm’s 22nd globally. The Tysons Corner office, together with the 250-lawyer Washington, D.C. office, will continue to provide full-service offerings to technology and aerospace, defense and government services (ADG) clients. King & Spalding’s Northern Virginia office is located at 1650 Tysons Boulevard in McLean, Virginia. 

For information on King & Spalding, please click here.
                                                                      

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