19 tech and entrepreneurship events to check out before the holidays

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2024 isn’t over yet — December is filled with opportunities to learn, grow and celebrate with your local tech community.

Whether you’re looking to stay up on industry trends, find resources for your startup, connect with fellow technologists and entrepreneurs or find out about innovation and achievements from the past year, this roundup has you covered. End your year strong with these virtual and in-person gatherings to set yourself up for success in 2025.

Check out the links below, with descriptions provided by the event hosts, and browse the Technical.ly company directory for more info on those orgs. For more local tech community events (or to promote your own), visit Technical.ly’s Events board.

Wednesday, Dec. 4

• TEDCO’s Entrepreneur Expo — “TEDCO’s 10th Entrepreneur Expo will be held Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. The Expo is a premier event in Maryland showcasing various resources from across the state and is jam-packed full of workshops, roundtable discussions, exhibiting companies and pitches, opening up great opportunities for entrepreneurs to network, learn, and be inspired. Join us for a day of celebration where you can expect to see 1000+ of the region’s top entrepreneurs, business owners, angel and venture capital investors, legislators, and influencers.” Hosted by TEDCO.
• PCI Ventures Office Hours (virtual) — “Meet virtually with a member of the PCI Ventures team to discuss your business questions on topics ranging from company formation and legal agreements to benefits and insurance.” Hosted by Penn Center for Innovation.
• Celebration of Innovation 2024 — “It gives us great pleasure to invite you to the Penn Center of Innovation’s 9th annual Celebration of Innovation on Wednesday, Dec. 4, where we will celebrate Penn researchers and innovators named as inventors on patents issued to Penn this past fiscal year. During the celebratory program we will also present several special awards for exceptional achievements in technology innovation and commercial translation.” Hosted by Penn Center for Innovation.
• Navigating the New CFPB Open Banking Rule: A Deep Dive — “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a groundbreaking final rule implementing Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, significantly expanding consumer access to their financial data. This new Open Banking Rule will have far-reaching implications for financial institutions, fintech companies, and consumers alike. Join us for a comprehensive webinar to explore the key aspects of this landmark regulation.” Hosted by Ballard Spahr.
• Successful Year-End Planning Steps for Your Business — “Join Withum’s tax experts for a timely and in-depth review of the most important tax planning strategies you can take now to minimize your business’ tax bill this year.” Hosted by Withum. 

Thursday, Dec. 5

• Unlocking Success: CLP, Inc.’s First East Coast Community Engagement Event! — “On Thursday, Dec. 5, “Unlocking Success: CLP, Inc.’s First East Coast Community Engagement Event” is taking place in Philadelphia. Hosted by Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc. (CLP), this event is an incredible opportunity for licensing professionals to connect with top leaders in licensing from both academia and industry, engage in lively discussions and network with some of the best in the field. Benjamin Dibling, PhD, associate vice provost and managing director of the Penn Center for Innovation, and Tom Wilton, chief business officer at Penn spinout Carisma Therapeutics, will share industry insights during a fireside chat.” Hosted by Certified Licensing Professionals with Penn Center for Innovation.
• 2024 Blue Hen Innovation Fest — “Join us for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and networking. Blue Hen Innovation Fest is an exciting new event dedicated to celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware and beyond. This vibrant festival brings together a diverse community of participants, from enthusiastic undergraduate students to ambitious young alumni to women creating value within the community, all eager to share their groundbreaking ideas and entrepreneurial journeys. Attendees can look forward to hearing inspiring pitches from early-stage startups, engaging in dynamic discussions, and exploring a variety of innovative projects that showcase the creativity and talent within our community. Join us for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and networking as we celebrate the spirit of innovation and the future of entrepreneurship!” Hosted by University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship. 
• Making AI Work for Your Business: Practical Considerations to Get Started — “In this session, we’ll explore the current state of AI, share practical insights on how to successfully implement AI into your business, and highlight common pitfalls and potential risks to avoid. Join us to understand how to leverage AI’s power while ensuring smooth and sustainable adoption.” Hosted by Withum.

Wednesday, Dec. 11

• The State of Local Tech Economies 2024 — “Join us for a live webinar at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Following the publication of Technical.ly’s second annual State of Tech Economy reports, CEO Christopher Wink explores trends and insights from across the Mid-Atlantic region, followed by a panel discussion with industry leaders.” Hosted by Technical.ly.
• TEDCO’s SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab Office Hours — “Come to the office hours to ask any questions regarding the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab.” Hosted by TEDCO.
• 3rd Annual Thanks-A-Brunch! Celebration — “Join the Tech Council of Delaware for its third annual year-end Thank-A-Brunch Celebration acknowledging the many sponsors, members, strategic partners, and supporters who contributed to the success of the council in 2024.” Hosted by Tech Council of Delaware.
• PCI Ventures Office Hours (virtual) — “Meet virtually with a member of the PCI Ventures team to discuss your business questions on topics ranging from company formation and legal agreements to benefits and insurance.” Hosted by Penn Center for Innovation.
• NEXT Partner Webinar: Cap Table Management, Best Practices for Startups — “The cap table is the very DNA of your company and contains everything a potential investor needs to know about the ownership. The more your company grows, the more complicated this becomes. An accurate cap table means a solid foundation for growth. Join us as we guide you through the essentials of understanding your cap table and the importance of maintaining it accurately and up to date, ensuring compliance, and making informed decisions that drive growth. Discover practical tips, common pitfalls to avoid, and tools to streamline your processes. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your financial acumen and position your company for long-term success.” Hosted by NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers.
• Corporate Venture Capital Trends for Financing High Growth Emerging Companies — “Please join us for the next installment of our Startup & Accelerate webinar series, focused on corporate venture capital trends for financing high growth emerging companies.” Hosted by Morgan Lewis.

Thursday, Dec. 12

• Trend Night: Resilient Systems — “Developing capabilities, business models, and integrations to endure crises such as pandemics, social disruption, and economic instability. Resilient systems need to sustain themselves between crises — from the molecular to the societal — to better achieve outcomes that advance American health and well-being.” Hosted by University City Science Center.
• My Next Raise Founder Funder Investor Event — “We are thrilled to announce our fourth My NEXT Raise Early Stage Founder Funder event! Startups that are ‘investor ready’ and raising a current round of Seed to Series A funding may apply to be selected for 1:1 speed dating investor meetings (in person only) from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday December 12th at Shulman Rogers Offices in Park Potomac, Maryland. This is a great opportunity for innovative, exciting, ‘investor ready’ startups and early stage investors. The 1:1 investor meetings will be followed by a panel discussion called ‘What is Investor Readiness and How to Achieve?’ and a happy hour at 5 p.m. Anyone who applies may join for the panel discussion and happy hour even if not selected for investor meetings.” Hosted by NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers. 

Wednesday, Dec. 18

• TEDCO’s Investment Open Forum — “Come to the Open Forum to discuss topics related to venture capital investing and learn more about the TEDCO Investment Funds.” Hosted by TEDCO.
• PCI Ventures Office Hours (virtual) — “Meet virtually with a member of the PCI Ventures team to discuss your business questions on topics ranging from company formation and legal agreements to benefits and insurance.” Hosted by Penn Center for Innovation.
• PitchMasters — “At this virtual, workshop-style event, companies seeking to become ‘pitch-perfect’ will present their investor decks to the group and receive feedback to help refine their pitch before they go in front of investors. This is a great opportunity for companies to get ready for that ‘ask.’ Founders receive 6 minutes to pitch and 5 minutes of feedback.” Hosted by NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers.

Looking to get out more in your local tech community? Explore the Technical.ly company directory to learn about orgs making moves in the ecosystem and the Technical.ly Events Board to find opportunities to connect.