Diversity — or lack thereof — in the tech and startup worlds is a persistent problem. But there are plenty of opportunities to highlight and support the work being done by minority communities in the industry.
A great one is coming up from July 21 to 23: The Women’s Startup Hackathon, a weekend of intense collaboration focused on bringing together innovative women and girls to turn startup ideas into reality.
On Friday evening, July 21, 30 participants will give minute-long pitches on their ideas to address a problem in an industry they choose — retail, transportation, volunteer work or literally anything else. Judges will then choose the top 10 ideas, and participants will form teams to tackle each problem. Participants of all genders are encouraged to take part, but all project groups will be led by female participants.
The groups are tasked with finding a technology solution to the problem before the weekend is up and presenting their solution to judges on Sunday evening.
They’ll have help along the way from advisors and mentors from the Seattle-area tech community, and by the end they might even win a prize to help make their startup idea a working business.
The Women’s Startup Hackathon kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21, at extraSlice in Bellevue, Wash., and runs until Sunday, July 23, at 10 p.m. See the event website for more event details and ticket options.
That’s one of the highlights from our GeekWire community calendar, the spot for geek and tech events in Seattle and the greater Pacific Northwest. See the full calendar here, submit your event here and keep reading for more suggested events over the next few weeks.
GeekWire Sounders Day 2017, presented by Dell EMC
What: One of our favorite summer activities is back! Join the GeekWire crew for this giant tailgate party, then keep the party going as the Seattle Sounders take on D.C. United. We’ll have food, drinks and some summer fun, plus all the geeky sports tech talk you could ever want.
When: July 19, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Dell EMC
Get involved: Ticket options and all the event details are here.
Where No Man Has Gone Before: An Improvised Parody of the Original Star Trek Series
What: Set your phasers to hilarity for this interactive, Star-Trek-themed comedy show in Seattle’s North end. Improv actors portraying the cast of the Enterprise are beamed onto a ship of creatures decided by audience suggestion for a fun and incredibly geeky improv show. Starting July 13, the show begins a two-week run in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Check out the link below for more details.
When: July 13, 8 p.m.
Where: Theatre Off Jackson
Get involved: Showtimes, tickets and more information here.
Neuroscience in small bits for the brain-curious
What: Neuroscientists-come-authors Eric Chudler and Lise Johnson are experts in making complex brain science a little easier for the rest of us to understand. They’ll talk about everything from why we dream to why yawns are contagious at this talk and book signing to celebrate their new book Brain Bytes.
When: July 17, 7 p.m.
Where: University Book Store
Get involved: Get all the details and pre-order autographed copies of Brain Bytes here, and see more about the book here.
Rain RFID Alliance Meeting
What: For all the Seattle tech nerds out there, this will be an interesting conference. It’s co-hosted by Amazon and Impinj, the maker of Rain RFID technology that tracks physical goods through the internet of things. Amazon has been experimenting heavily with similar technology, so it will be an interesting event for anyone in the space to attend and watch.
When: July 18 – 20
Where: Amazon Day 1 Building
Get involved: Get tickets and the full event details here.
Great American Eclipses
What: The Aug. 21 total solar eclipse may be over a month away, but there’s no time like the present to start getting ready! Journalist and author David Baron will speak about the impact of the historic solar eclipse of 1878 and the importance of eclipses for scientists and enthusiasts alike.
When: July 19, 7 – 9 p.m.
Where: Pacific Science Center
Get involved: More details here.
How to Win at Seattle: Part III with Chase Jarvis
What: Seattle is home to dozens of creative, vibrant arts communities. But as the city changes, artists and other creators are feeling like they’re losing their place in Seattle. Join the Evergrey for a discussion with Chase Jarvis, a renowned photographer and founder of CreativeLive, about his journey as a Seattle creative and how he’s found success in a changing world.
When: July 20, 7 – 9 p.m.
Where: Impact Hub
Get involved: Tickets and more info on The Evergrey.
Seattle Sports Tech Meetup
What: If the recent GeekWire Sports Tech Summit piqued your interest in sports technology, check out this group. The Seattle Sports Tech Meetup gets together once a month to talk about how tech is impacting sports of all kinds, and this month they’re debriefing after their second annual hackathon. Expect lots of sports talk, geekery and even some game watching.
When: July 20, 5 – 8 p.m.
Where: Galvanize
Get involved: RSVP and find more details here.
