Events Roundup: 10 virtual meetups to connect with the #dctech community

Events Roundup is a Technical.ly column in which we highlight events happening in the D.C. area each month. Got a submission? Email us at dc@technical.ly so we can consider it for our next roundup.

Citizens residing in D.C., Maryland and Virginia all received stay-at-home orders on Monday as an effort to further promote social distancing to slow the COVID-19 spread. The global pandemic has caused an array of event postponements and cancellations in the area, but some tech leaders quickly transitioned their programming to virtual events.

Earlier this month, for instance, we saw SEED SPOT move its Venture Thursday event online, along with all of its other spring programming, in just two days. We at Technical.ly even had to cancel our annual tech jobs fair and networking event on March 24, but in its place, we hosted a virtual panel with HR pros on how their growth-stage companies are handling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the news surrounding COVID-19 changes day by day, local leaders are pushing to keep the #dctech community connected.

When you’re itching to interact with some likeminded folks this month, check out some of these events:

Plant Your Vision for 2020

The Melanin Collective is hosting this online meetup for people to look back at their success of 2019, as they prepare for a better 2020. If you like vision boarding, goal setting and planning ahead, then this event is for you. The nonprofit is also asking for donations at the time of registration.

• Sunday, April 5
• 2 to 4 p.m.
• Register

Hacking 101 Webinar

The Flatiron School is hosting a two-hour webinar for those interested in learning app security, common vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them. No previous programming or cybersecurity experience is required to attend.

• Thursday, April 9
• 8 to 10 p.m.
• Register

Interview with Paul Misener, Amazon’s VP of global innovation policy and communications

Startup Grind DC will chat with Misener about the ecommerce giant’s innovation over the past 20 years, including the creation of successful products like Alexa, Kindle and more.

• Tuesday, April 14
• 7 p.m.
• Register

Intro to Data Analytics Livestream

Coding school General Assembly is hosting this online introductory workshop led by Craig Fryar, an experienced data executive and consultant. This workshop will help attendees understand, analyze and interpret data better. Along with a laptop and reliable internet, you will also need access to Google Sheets to participate.

• Thursday, April 16
• 1 to 3 p.m.
• Register

2Gether International Demo Day

2Gether International is hosting a demo day for its inaugural cohort. The nonprofit startup holds peer-to-peer support groups, workshops, career coaching and referral services to help D.C.’s disabled population create and execute business ideas. The organization received a $75,000 grant from the D.C. Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Economic Development, which it used to launch a three-month accelerator program that began in January. The cohort will be celebrated later this month in a virtual event.

• Tuesday, April 21
• 6 to 9 p.m.
• Zoom link coming soon

SEED SPOT’s Virtual 2-Day Launch Camp

Social impact incubator SEED SPOT is taking its prominent 2-Day Launch Camp event virtual for D.C. entrepreneurs. the organization provides attendees with access to mentors, experts and a step-by-step curriculum to start exploring how to launch their social impact venture. The program will conclude with a pitch night.

• Friday, April 24 to Saturday, April 25
• Register

Webinar: Learn UX/UI Design with Thinkful

Thinkful DC is hosting this webinar for people interested in becoming product designers. This event is for beginners or experts who want to brush up on some of their design skills. Even if you can’t make it to the event, if you register, you will receive a replay link with the event’s content once it is over.

• Monday, April 27
• 9 to 11 p.m.
• Register

Startup DC Online

Brought to you by DC Startup Week, Startup DC Online is a new virtual event series for local entrepreneurs. Throughout April, the organization will host events on different topics from marketing to strategies for staying productive while working at home and more. Check out April’s events.

Learn how to draw cartoons

D.C. freelance cartoonist Josh Kramer has been hosting daily drawing tutorials on his Facebook Live. The tutorials are open to kids and adults and some past drawings include those of trucks, dinosaurs and Pokémon characters. Check out his Facebook profile for more details the tutorial schedule.

Halcyon’s all-virtual April events calendar

Georgetown-based Halcyon House announced an all-virtual April events calendar that’s packed with a variety of programming. Each Wednesday, the organization is hosting virtual breakfasts with Halcyon Incubator fellows and allowing attendees to ask questions. Halcyon will also host virtual studio visits each Friday for studio artists to discuss how their work has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the full calendar here.