In 2013, indie video game developer Zoe Quinn became the target of relentless and coordinated online harassment by men in the video game community. The harassment spread to other women in video games and eventually became known as Gamergate.
Quinn is now an outspoken advocate for combatting harassment online and on Feb. 3 she will join a slate of civic leaders, tech luminaries and advocates speaking at the first Crosscut Festival in Seattle.
Headliners at the event include Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and leaders from Seattle’s business community. The goal: To have an ongoing conversation about the civic, social and environmental challenges the Seattle region faces and how to address them as a community.
Quinn’s panel, on diversity in the technology industry, is just one that takes a swing at challenges facing the tech community.
GeekWire reporter Monica Nicklesburg will also be moderating a panel on how Amazon has changed the fabric of Seattle in the past decade and how the city is coping — or not — with that change. The panel features former Seattle Mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver, investor and entrepreneur Heather Redman and economist Aaron Terrazas.
The festival kicks off Friday, Feb. 2, with a discussion on how the West Coast leads on issues like climate change and immigration with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. The main event takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3. Check out the full schedule and ticket options here.
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 Bash 2018, presented by First Tech Federal Credit Union
What: Tickets are now on sale for the seventh annual GeekWire Bash! Join us for the biggest, geekiest party in Seattle. The Bash is a unique setting to mix and mingle with hundreds of key members of the Seattle tech community. There will be ping-pong paddles, dodgeball courts, virtual reality headsets, board games, foosball tables and much more!
When: March 15, 3 – 9 p.m.
Where: CenturyLink Field Event Center
Get involved: Tickets and more info available here.
AI NEXTCon Seattle 2018
What: “Join us at the 4th AI NEXTCon, the leading technology conference for AI hosted around the world. AI NEXTCon Conference Seattle brings together top technical engineers, practitioners, influential technologists and data scientists to share solutions and practical experiences in machine/deep learning, computer vision, speech recognition and NLP. The conference features a blend of hands-on workshops, inspirational keynotes, deep dive tech talks, and networking opportunity with like minded colleagues.”
When: Jan. 17 – 19
Where: Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Wash.
Get involved: Find the full agenda and ticket options here.
Women In Cloud Inaugural Summit
What: “In 2017 we learned “the future is female” and in 2018 we are catalyzing women to come together to create it! Women in Cloud strives to inspire and empower women and accelerate the growth of women-led technology companies in Washington and beyond. This Summit brings together women tech leaders and women entrepreneurs along with diverse female luminaries in technology, business and government to share knowledge, insights, and experiences and work together to grow the women-led business ecosystem.”
When: Jan. 19, 8 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Microsoft Building 33
Get involved: See the full lineup and ticket options here.
D4D Programming Night
What: “Data for Democracy (D4D) was born as a remote organization, but due to the overwhelming response to the Hackathon we hosted here in Seattle… we are now hosting a weekly programming night for people to meet up, hang out, and play with data. Programming nights are intended to be working meetings and a time for D4D members to connect in-person; they have no set agenda and you are welcome to come and go during the evening.”
When: Jan. 20, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Galvanize Seattle – Pioneer Square
Get involved: No registration or ticket needed. Join the Data for Democracy Seattle Meetup here.
Start-Up Seattle: Lessons Learned from the Seattle 10
What: “What does it take to be a successful start-up company in Seattle? Join John Cook, co-founder of GeekWire, as he moderates a panel of past Seattle 10 winners to find out where they are now and the lessons they have learned. Gain insights into Seattle’s innovative start-up culture and discuss start-up strategies at this panel and networking event. GeekWire readers can use code GW$15Off to get $15 off tickets to the event.”
When: January 22, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Where: MOHAI
Get involved: Ticket options and more details here.
New Tech Job Fair
What: “You’ll benefit from meeting companies of all sizes hiring tech, sales, marketing, operations people and more. There will be: A large area with hiring companies and coding schools; A room for you to have professional recruiters review your resume and help you optimize it; Workshops to help you with your interview skills and resume building.”
When: Jan.25, 4 – 7 p.m.
Where: New Tech Northwest
Get involved: More details and ticket options available here.
Troublemakers: Silicon Valley’s Coming of Age – A conversation with historian and author Leslie Berlin
What: “At a time when the five most valuable companies on the planet are high-tech firms and nearly half of Americans say they cannot live without their cell phones, Troublemakers reveals the untold story of how we got here. This is the gripping tale of seven exceptional men and women, pioneers of Silicon Valley in the 1970s and early 1980s… Author Leslie Berlin comes to the University of Washington to share this history and its lessons, in conversation with Professor of History Margaret O’Mara.”
When: Jan. 29, 4:30 – 6 p.m.
Where: University of Washington HUB, Room 214
Get involved: Free and open to the public — just show up!
