The small but growing IT-digital media sector centered around Providence has been one of the bright spots in the local economy. But to what extent can it help the Ocean State to overcome its perennial economic also-ran status?

Marion Davis takes on the topic in this week's Phoenix:

Sara Czyzewicz earned a computer science degree at Rhode Island College and a new-media certificate from imedia, proved her Web design skills at the Westin Providence and a local firm — and then promptly left the state, as have thousands of ambitious 20-somethings have before her.

Big quantities of red ink will remain the focus when the General Assembly resumes business this afternoon, but there's some good news to be found beyond the anticipated election of the first female Senate president, not to mention the first Asian-American leader of a Rhode Island community.

The folks at Advocacy Solutions sent this out this list as part of a recent holiday greeting:

Some speculate that Saul Kaplan was asked to give up his job as executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. As we know, Governor Carcieri said via a statement that Kaplan plans to return to the private sector. At minimum, the timing is striking, given the state's very serious economic problems.

Whether you see Rhode Island's glass as half-full (like Tom Sgouros) or approaching empty (like Ed Achorn), the folks at RI Nexus have a cool upcoming event:

Making it through the Downturn and Emerging Stronger than Ever

Where: RIEDC, 315 Iron Horse Way (ALCO), Suite 101, Providence. Google Map

AS220 is the spot, from 5:30-9.

After October’s special event with Jason Fried, Providence Geeks returns next week to our regularly scheduled program. The November Geek Dinner will feature DandyID – a promising startup recently transplanted to our fair city from Boulder, CO. DandyID is a web service and team of social-web enthusiasts dedicating efforts towards simplifying users’ experiences amongst multiple online destinations.

We know about the bad news on the RI economy. But the RI EDC's Saul Kaplan, in a news release today, points to some good news:

Rhode Island was cited as a top performer in the 2008 State New Economy Index, a report published by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).

Speaking of Tim White, he was interested by my short piece this week on Wayne Franklin, so Franklin and Owen Johnson, another of the new wave of entrepreneurs who sometimes gather under the Geek umbrella, joined us for this morning's taping of WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers.

Johnson went so far as to say that Providence has tipped in favor of a point where the smal but important IT-digital media sector can make some big gains.

Here's a great question upon which Rhode Island should focus: how to best catalyze the small but growing local digital media-IT-knowledge economy for faster growth? If there are any geeks/thinkers/entrepreneurs out there reading, I'd welcome their comments.

The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce hopes it has part of the answer:

Rhode Island continues to suffer from high unemployment and an unfulfilled quest for the better economy of the future.

Yet Neurotech is due to hold a ribbon-cutting in Cumberland tomorrow, and the company represents the sort of technological effort from which the state will benefit. Here's a description:

PR ace Chris Hunter sends word of OfficeLab Providence:

Flexible collaborative workspace for mobile professionals opens in downtown Providence

WHAT: Join the Providence community in checking out OfficeLAB, a new place for sharing office space and resources with a community of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and mobile professionals.

A local bright spot amid all the bleak economic news is the growth of RISD and its potential as a creative and economic incubator.

Tomorrow marks the grand opening of the art school's new $34 million Chace Center, which Greg Cook describes in this week's Phoenix. Peter Kadzis puts it in context.

As part of the same package, I talk with John Maeda, RISD's impressive new president.

Via the Geeks:

Photo Copyright 2008 Nathaniel R. Walker

Wednesday, June 16, 2008, 5:30 – 9pm
AS220, 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI
FREE (buy your own food and drink – it’s cheap)

Summer would seem to be upon us – so come slurp a cold one and scarf a spicy one while we talk tech.

Ever since Bill Gates became a skrillionaire, the social status of geeks everywhere has been on the ascent.

Not coincidentally, Providence Geek Jack Templin wants the local geek community to increase its already impressive representation in PBN's 40 under 40 sweepstakes:

By my count, last year's list featured 5 terrific leaders from the ITDM community, or 12.

I'm a bit late in getting to this, but here's another sign of some of the positive efforts being made even as Rhode Island continues to face serious economic challenges, via PR maven Andy Cutler:

June 1, 2008 (Providence, RI)—On Tuesday, June 3, Dr. Barbara Alving, director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), will join Rhode Island’s research community, policy makers and business leaders at Rhode Island’s second annual Collaborative Research Symposium, entitled Emerging Biomedical and Life Sciences Research in Rhode Island.

From your friendly neighborhood geeks:

Wednesday, May 15, 2008, 5:30 – 9pm
AS220, 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI

FREE (buy your own food and drink – it’s cheap)

Next week’s Geek Dinner will feature a presentation by the Founder and CTO of The Search Agency and Providence Geek regular, Carl Dunham.