NC headliners: Innovation Quarter Town Hall, B Corp Q&A, IdeaLaunch & more

Here’s our latest wrapup of upcoming conferences, contests, workshops, application deadlines and socials happening across North Carolina in February.

Included are upcoming meetups, conferences, workshops, socials and networking events happening in Asheville, Charlotte, the Triad, Wilmington and other areas across North Carolina.

This post is part of our weekly column of upcoming events. To find out what’s happening this month in the Triangle specifically, check out part one of this week’s column.

Another post previews events coming in March. Recurring monthly meetups in the Triangle are listed here.

These columns are an extension of our interactive calendar of tech and startup events. If you’d like to suggest an event to be added to the calendar, feel free to send me an email.

Small Business Federal Certifications Workshop

February 12, 9-11 a.m. @U.S. SBA NC District Office, Charlotte

The North Carolina office of the U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting an info session covering the various federal certifications offered via the SBA, including Woman-Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Service Disabled Veteran Program, 8(a) Business Development Program and HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program.

Lunch & Learn: How to Build a Strong, Unique Brand

February 12, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider

At this lunch and learn, Kelli Ovies of Forrest Firm and Lisa Peteet of Atlas will share their tips on due diligence in product branding.

B Corp Q&A Panel

February 12, 5-6:30 p.m. @Deltec Homes

Join Jael Rattigan of French Broad Chocolates, Michael Whelchel of Big Path Capital and Adrianne Gordon of JB Media for a Q&A on the B Corp certification process. The panel will be moderated by Martha Bradley of Forest Firm.

Charlotte Angel Fund Info Session

February 12, 5:30-7 p.m. @Hurt Hub@Davidson

Join this info session to learn more about the Charlotte Angel Fund and its contributions to early-stage companies in North Carolina.

Financial Literacy Series: Money Talks

February 13, 7:30-9 a.m. @MassMutual

The Charlotte Business Alliance South Chapter is hosting a three-part financial literacy series. The first session, “Money Talks, will show participants how to make long-term financial goals while managing short-term goals.

Charlotte PitchBreakfast

February 13, 8-10 a.m. @The Garage at Packard Place

Every month, a handful of Queen City-based companies headline Charlotte PitchBreakfast, pitching their products and services for a total of five minutes, after which they will answer questions from the audience and a panel of entrepreneurs and experts.

Winning SBIR/STTR Grants for Science & Technology Startups

February 13, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. @East Carolina University

Hosted by First Flight Venture Center, this half-day seminar will explain the basics of SBIR/STTR grant programs for entrepreneurs, covering the participating agencies involved, what goes into developing a proposal and how the award process works.

synerG February On Tap

February 13, 5:30-8 p.m. @Leveneleven Brewing

Join synerG for an evening of networking at Leveneleven Brewing, one of Greensboro’s newest breweries.

Venture Café Thursday Gathering

February 14, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

Idea Tap Davidson

February 14, 5:30-8 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking – Davidson

Held by Flywheel at the HurtHub@Davidson once a month, the Idea Tap Davidson event series offers local entrepreneurs the opportunity to share their ideas through short pitch sessions and network with like-minded innovators in the community.

Blockchain LKN Labs: Crypto Talks Thursdays

February 14, 6-9 p.m. @Hurt Hub for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

This weekly meetup is an opportunity for fellow blockchain enthusiasts in the Lake Norman area to join together for beer, coffee, tea or food to discuss all-things-blockchain. Topics rotate every week.

PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour

February 15, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider

The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.

Science Pub: Pollinators, People & the Planet

February 15, 5:30-7 p.m. @The Collider

The Asheville Museum of Science and The Collider are co-hosting a free guest speaker series, Science Pub. The next edition of the program features a discussion on pollinators and agriculture. Enjoy a night of science over light snacks and refreshments.

Sports Tank Demo Day

February 15 @NASCAR Hall of Fame

The five finalists of the Sports Tank program will be showcased during NBA All-Star weekend, gaining access to the sports industry’s biggest executives, athletes and brands. This event is invite-only. (More coverage here.)

Application Deadline: IdeaFest Pitch Competition

February 18

The Launch Place’s 6th Annual IdeaFest Business Pitch Competition on March 21 will host 20 startups who will compete for a total of $10,000 in prizes.

Lunch & Learn: IoT in the Small Things

February 19, 12-1 p.m. @Advent Coworking

Join Tom Ewing of Smashing Boxes for an interactive discussion on the practical applications of IoT, and its impact on the end user.

Innovation Quarter Town Hall 2019

February 19, 5-7 p.m. @Biotech Place

Learn what’s next from the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter in 2019 at this special town hall. Key stakeholders are in the speaker lineup, including Graydon Pleasants of Innovation Quarter, Olga Pierrakos of Wake Forest University’s Department of Engineering, Anthony Atala of Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Stan Jewell of Renfro, Karen Barnes of Venture Café Winston-Salem and Ryan Schmaltz of METL at UNC School of the Arts.

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Power of Women Meetup

February 19, 5:30-8 p.m. @Goodwill Opportunity Campus

Presented in partnership with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, the next Power of Women Meetup features stories from three women participating in the Economic Mobility Collaborative at Goodwill. Food and drinks provided.

Launch Greensboro IdeaLaunch

February 20, 8-9 a.m. @Co//ab

The Triad startup community is invited to attend Launch Greensboro’s free IdeaLaunch program, which features a series of four-minute pitches from local startups, along with opportunities to network with fellow entrepreneurs and innovators in Greensboro.

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Middle Market Series

February 20, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @The Employers Association

This event features a panel of business leaders with experience in buying and selling abroad. Speakers include Dyke Messinger of Power Curbers & Power Pavers, Crystal Miller of the U.S. Department of Commerce, international transport consultant Clement Schrader and Patrick Weaver of First National Bank. The panel will be moderated by Dan Fogel of SP3 Capital.

Intro to the Asheville Startup Scene

February 20, 6-7:30 p.m. @Venture Asheville

Join Jeff Kaplan, director of Venture Asheville, and co-founder of Supportedly, Stephanie Kissel, for an introduction to Asheville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Tickets are free. Drinks provided.

CATALYST for SBIR/STTR

February 21, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. @UNCC, Barnhardt Student Activity Center

The Small Business Technology & Development Center is hosting a free, half-day session on the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding programs.

Tax Prep for Creative Entrepreneurs

February 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Center for Design Innovation

This workshop helps creative entrepreneurs handle their taxes and finances. Tickets are free for Center for Creative Economy-Swerve members and $20 for non-members. Lunch provided.

SciTech Lecture Series: Clinical Trials Enterprise in the 21st Century

February 21, 4-5 p.m. @Forsyth Tech, Strickland Auditorium

This month’s SciTech Lecture Series is presented by Jennifer Byrne, CEO of Javara.

Venture Café Thursday Gathering

February 21, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Blockchain LKN Labs: Crypto Talks Thursdays

February 21, 6-9 p.m. @Hurt Hub for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Team RWB Leadership Seminar w/ Mike Erwin

February 22 @7:30 a.m. in Pinehurst

This one-day leadership seminar is presented by Mike Erwin, CEO of The Character & Leadership Center and author of Lead Yourself First.

2019 Marketing Summit

February 22, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. @Bermuda Run Country Club

At Marketing Summit, five local presenters will lead sessions on online marketing and promotional tools, offering effective and cost-efficient strategies attendees can take to their work. Ticket includes breakfast and lunch.

Train the Trainer: SBIR/STTR Grant Funding Seminar

February 22, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. @UNC Charlotte

Hosted by First Flight Venture Center, this full-day seminar will explain how startups can obtain funding from the SBIR/STTR grant programs for entrepreneurs, covering strategy, preparing competitive proposals, internal procedures, and more.

PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour

February 22, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider

The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.

BLKTECH Presents: Career Development Boot Camp

February 23, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @BLKTECHCLT

This interactive workshop led by Latesha Byrd of Byrd Career Consulting will cover job search strategies, salary negotiation, resumes and more.

2019 Business of Farming Conference

February 23 @AB Tech Conference Center, Asheville

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s annual conference brings together professional farmers to network and share resources to grow their businesses.

Lunch & Learn: Buncombe County’s Clean Energy Future

February 26, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider

At this lunch and learn, Sophie Mullinax of Blue Horizons Project will share the details behind this collaborative initiative between the the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, Duke Energy and local businesses.

Biz & Brews Happy Hour

February 26, 5-6 p.m. @Focal Point Coworking

Focal Point Coworking is hosting Asheville professionals and entrepreneurs for an hour of networking over snacks, local beer and cider.

Cape Fear Women In Tech: HODL—The Cryptocurrency Market

February 26, 5:30-7 p.m. @tekMountain

Entrepreneur and marketing specialist Bambi Weavil will present a session on the opportunities of the digital currency market.

Free Workshop: Web Development Essentials

February 26, 6-9 p.m., Charlotte, NC (venue TBD)

Tech Talent South Charlotte is hosting a free, three-hour 101 workshop covering HTML, CSS and Bootstrap. Learn the fundamental tools needed to build your own website.

Tech Talent South Charlotte: VR Party

February 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Come explore Virtual Reality—learn how it works, what it can do, and try it out for yourself.

Federal Proposal Writing Workshop (Hickory)

February 28, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @NC Center for Engineering Technologies

At this free workshop, government counselors from the North Carolina Procurement Technical Center will guide participants through the process of completing their next federal proposal. This event is part of a state-wide series hosted by the Small Business & Technology Development Center. More dates and locations here.

UNC Charlotte Biohacking Series, Feat. Marina Levina

February 28, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. @UNC Charlotte

UNC Charlotte’s Center for Professional and Applied Ethics is hosting an informative discussion with Marina Levina, Ph.D., an associate professor of Media Studies at the University of Memphis.

Skookum Volcano Tour

February 28, 12-1 p.m. @Skookum Charlotte

Join an open tour of the Skookum office to get an introduction to the tech and ideas powering the community. The Skookum team will be available for any questions or comments participants may have. Lunch will be provided.

4 Smoking Hot Industries with 4 Local Award Winning Startups

February 28, 4-6:30 p.m. @Ironclad Brewery

Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington’s latest event features a conversation with four entrepreneurs who are leading award-winning startups—Karl Riccanek of Lapetus Solutions, Sara Rose Harcus of Dmanna, Jeff Guard of Brilliant Sole and Kyle Trivisonno of EcoTek Industries.

Venture Café Thursday Gathering

February 28, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

BLKTECHCLT Learning Lab: Getting Funding for Your Business

February 28, 6-8 p.m. @BLKTECHCLT

This workshop will cover what lending institutions look for when examining applications, how to prepare to apply and helpful resources. The lesson will be led by Ron Fisher, business development officer at Carolina Small Business Fund.