WRAL TechWire keeps tabs on the latest and greatest meetups, panels, workshops, conferences, application deadlines and all things happening in the North Carolina startup/tech world.
“The Headliners” is a multi-part weekly roundup of upcoming events to add to your calendar. To find out what’s happening this month in cities outside of the Triangle, check out part two of the “Headliners” column. We’ve also put together an exclusive roundup of economic forecast events in January, as well as a list of upcoming deadlines for startup-focused programs in North Carolina.
Another post highlights events in February. Meetups that occur regularly are listed here.
If you’d like your event to be included, feel free to send me an email.
Check out a full range of events on TechWire’s interactive calendar for more, along with our comprehensive resource guide for startups in the Triangle.
Here’s our lineup of Triangle events through the end of January:
IdeaFest Pitch Competition Applications Open
January 20
At The Launch Place’s 7th annual IdeaFest on April 2, a group of 20 startups will get to present their pitches to a live audience and panel of judges, competing for a total of $10,000 in prizes. Pitch applications are due March 2.
Southeast Raleigh Rotary Club Information Session
January 21, 12 p.m. @Transfer Co Food Hall
Local leaders are planning to start a Rotary Club in Southeast Raleigh. Join this information session (one of three held in January) to learn more about the Rotary Club, how it can help the community and how you can get involved.
Code for Durham: Civic Hacking Session
January 21, 5:30-8:30 p.m. @Caktus Group
Code for Durham brings together technologists, designers, developers, data scientists, map makers and activists to collaborate on civic technology projects. Meetings are held every two weeks on Tuesdays. Pizza will be provided.
What It Takes To StartUp
January 21, 6-8 p.m. @HQ Raleigh
During this panel event, local founders will discuss how they got their businesses off the ground and overcame challenges along the way. A Q&A session will follow.
Spacewalk 2020 + The Pragmatic Programmer & Andy Hunt
January 21, 6-8 p.m. @Carolina Theater
During this special event, All Things Open will announce several new projects they’ve been working on for a while now, including a new direction for allthingsopen.org, and they’ll give attendees a quick overview 2020 plans.
Women in Technical Leadership
January 21-23 @Park Alumni Center
Join STEM professionals to explore the unique challenges women face while navigating growth and leadership tracks within traditionally male-dominated fields.
Cary Chamber Breakfast with the Mayor
January 22, 7:30-9 a.m. @Prestonwood Country Club
Join Cary Chamber of Commerce to hear Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht recap the previous year’s happenings and provide a look at upcoming plans for 2020.
1 Million Cups RTP
January 22, 9-10 a.m. @American Underground (@Blackwell)
1 Million Cups, presented by Kauffman, is a weekly informal pitch event for the startup community. Join for free coffee and entrepreneurial support as local startups deliver their presentations.
Network Forum: Community-Engaged Innovation in Practice
January 22, 9-10:30 a.m. @Pleasants Room, Wilson Library
Innovate Carolina is hosting an event where UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff and students will share their own case studies and methods for designing innovative solutions for critical problems in the community. A light breakfast will be served.
NAWBO Raleigh Business Luncheon
January 22, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Sheraton Imperial Hotel RDU
The Raleigh chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is hosting a luncheon with Suzanne Evans, who will present a talk on decision-making and business success.
Lunch & Learn: PCB Antenna Considerations from Concept to Certification
January 22, 12-1 p.m. @HQ Raleigh
At this lunch and learn, Mike Barts and Shruthi Soora of the Wireless Research Center will go over the points to consider when designing a PCB antenna throughout the product design cycle from concept to certification.
Raleigh Small Business Expo
January 22, 4-6 p.m. @Southeast Raleigh High School
This event is geared towards small business owners who want to meet government purchasing agents. Local companies and government agencies will be at the expo looking for certified minority businesses to work on these projects.
Climate, Clean Energy & North Carolina
January 22, 6-8 p.m. @Burt’s Bees
Join E2, the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, the NC Sustainable Energy Association and fellow business leaders for an evening of discussion on how climate change is impacting North Carolina’s economy.
Application Deadline: Duke Student Founders Program
January 22
Open to all Duke students, this program provides experiential education, mentoring, community, resources and even grants to individuals who are interested in creating a product or service, testing a pilot, and someday launching their own startup.
Ready, Aim, Hired: How to Make Sure Your Civilian Job Search Hits the Target
January 23, 10-11 a.m. @Vaughn Towers at Carter-Finley Stadium
MyComputerCareer is hosting a seminar to help show veteran jobseekers how to successfully secure interviews with potential employers. The seminar takes place just before the RecruitMilitary Veterans Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Raleigh Veterans Job Fair
January 23, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. @Vaughn Towers at Carter-Finley Stadium
DAV and RecruitMilitary are hosting a free job fair for veterans, military spouses, transitioning military, National Guard members and Reservists.
Raleigh Chamber Professional Women’s Luncheon
January 23, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley
This event features a panel of local female police chiefs, including Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis, Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown and Fuquay-Varina Police Chief Laura Fahnestock. The speakers will discuss how they manage career growth with their families and the importance of being an example to other women.
Alexandria Ag Tech Innovation Prize Information Session
January 23, 2 p.m.
Alexandria LaunchLabs will award a $75,000 cash prize and a free one-year membership to a local agtech company. Join this webinar to learn more about the awards program. Applications are due January 31.
Global Health Happy Hour
January 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @East Durham Bake Shop
This monthly event brings together global health leaders, professionals and advocates for an evening of networking in the Triangle. The event is free and open to the public.
Triangle Women in STEM 2020 Kickoff
January 23, 5:30-8:30 p.m. @Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC (Durham)
To kick off 2020, Triangle Women in STEM is hosting a night of networking, dining and insights from speaker Phaedra Biondiris.
2020 Startup Summit ‘New Year, New Entrepreneur You’ Kickoff Party
January 23, 6-8 p.m. @HQ Raleigh
Startup Summit is celebrating the new year with a talk from Julia Wuench, founder of The Authenticity Guide. The event also features brews from Fortnight Brewery and a raffle for a Startup Summit t-shirt and Purebuds Earphones.
Connect, Engage, Transform Conference
January 24, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. @UNC Friday Center
The CET Conference brings together stakeholders from UNC and North Carolina’s rural communities to encourage sustainable collaborations for the public good. The keynote speaker is Dorian Burton, assistant executive director for the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust.
NC IDEA Spring 2020 Grants Information Session (Webinar)
January 24, 3-4 p.m.
At this info session, NC IDEA Program Director Amy Bastian will share details on the upcoming spring 2020 grants: NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED. Learn more about the programs and how to apply. NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED applications open February 3 and close March 2. (Note: This event is part of a series of information sessions NC IDEA is hosting throughout the state in January and February. See the full schedule here.)
Triangle Health Innovation Challenge
January 24-26 @Trent Semans Center
At this weekend-long hackathon, local engineers, clinicians, designers, professionals and students will gather to collaborate in creating innovative solutions for the biggest challenges in healthcare. Participants will have an opportunity to compete for prizes up to $2,000.
NC IDEA Spring 2020 Grants Information Session (Durham)
January 27, 12-1:30 p.m. @American Underground @ATC
At this info session, NC IDEA Program Director Amy Bastian will share details on the upcoming spring 2020 grants: NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED. Learn more about the programs and how to apply. NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED applications open February 3 and close March 2. (Note: This event is part of a series of information sessions NC IDEA is hosting throughout the state in January and February. See the full schedule here.)
Triangle Global Health Consortium Mentor Monday Webinar
January 27, 4-5 p.m.
This monthly webinar series hosts a global health professional who will share insights and advice for advancing your career. This month’s webinar features Gretchen Van Vliet, senior public health project director at RTI International.
American Underground Startup Crawl: CloudFactory
January 27, 6-7:30 p.m. @CloudFactory
American Underground’s first 2020 Startup Crawl will be hosted by local startup CloudFactory. Join to connect with others in the startup community.
Duke CASE Executive Speaker Series
January 28, 6-7 p.m. @Duke Fuqua School of Business
Join Duke University’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship for a talk with Prudential Financial VP of Impact Investments Ommeed Sathe about the impact investing space.
Code for Chapel Hill
January 28, 6-8 p.m. @Town of Chapel Hill
Join the Code for Chapel Hill meetup to network with like-minded individuals and work on civic hacking projects. Meetings are held every two weeks on Tuesdays.
Downtown Techies Happy Hours @Midtown
January 28, 7-9 p.m. @Fox and Hound
Bring your ideas and opinions to the next Midtown Techies meetup. Events are held on the last Tuesday of every month.
2020 NC STIR Briefing
January 30, 8:30-10 a.m. @Research Triangle Foundation
At this event, NC TECH will release its sixth annual State of Technology Industry Report and Tech Directory, capturing North Carolina’s tech sector and including a directory of all NC TECH members.
NC TECH Government Vendor Network
January 30, 3-4:30 p.m. @Wells Fargo Capitol Center
NC TECH’s Government Vendor Network is a forum for member companies who are interested in doing business with state government.
NC State Startup Career Fair at HQ@Centennial
January 30, 4-6 p.m. @HQ@Centennial
HQ Raleigh and NC State Entrepreneurship are co-hosting a job and resource fair that brings together startups and resources from across the Triangle and connects students with companies looking to hire new employees and interns.
Triangle Tech Net
January 31, 7-10 a.m. @Family Legacy Financial Solutions
This free bi-monthly event offers a space for local tech professionals to build connections and find potential job opportunities.
Application Deadline: UNC KickStart Commercialization Grant Awards
January 31
From UNC’s Office of Technology Commercialization, this quarterly grant program offers non-dilutive funding—from $5,000 to $50,000—to assist UNC faculty-led startups in commercializing their products.
Application Deadline: Duke MEDx & FastTrack Medical Device Development RFA
January 31
FastTrack, a collaborative medical device engineering resource at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, in conjunction with MEDx, has a new funding opportunity for Duke faculty members, staff or students who are developing medical devices. Selected projects will receive prototyping services, project management and market analysis, IP and regulatory guidance and support for finding industry partnerships.
Application Deadline: Alexandria Ag Tech Innovation Prize
January 31
Alexandria LaunchLabs will award a $75,000 cash prize and a free one-year membership to a local agtech company. Apply by January 31.
