4 reasons why you shouldn’t miss Brooklyn On Tech’s ‘Tech & Tea’ event

New York City is fast becoming the role model for technology ecosystems in urban communities. With such a significant contribution to the local economy, the work of technologists should be celebrated. That is why Brooklyn On Tech is coming together to recognize founders and community builders during our inaugural Tech & Tea event on Thursday, Feb. 5 at Wix Lounge.
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Here are four reasons why you cannot miss this event (or any Brooklyn On Tech event, for that matter):

1. You will learn about Brooklyn On Tech

We are on a mission to inspire the next generation of technology thought leaders emerging from the borough of Brooklyn. This will be an opportunity to meet our founders, learn more about us, the work we are doing with the youth and how you can get involved.
As we plan the 2015 Tech Flex Scholars program for our high school cohort, there is an abundance of opportunities to get involved. Our Tech Flex Mentor program application is now open for anyone interested in mentoring Brooklyn youth. If you cannot commit to being a mentor, we have ad-hoc opportunities for you to get involved. For example, we hosted a Tech Career Day in the beginning of January where our scholars had the opportunity to learn from industry experts in fields that include product management, social media, development and entrepreneurship.
We’ve had professionals from places like Business Insider, the Huffington Post, Priceline, Shapeways and Maker’s Row share their experiences in tech, as well as tips for developing tech skills, with our students. If you know any high school students who will be seniors starting in fall 2015 and want to be part of the Tech Flex Scholars Program, feel free to share information about our student information sessions coming up in the next few months! We are also looking for 2015 sponsor and partners. You can learn more about how to get your organization involved with us on our website.

2. The speaker lineup is fierce

Jerry Castanos (founder & CEO of 3D Heights), Anthony Frasier (cofounder of The Phat Startup) and Katie Hudson (Outcomes Producer at General Assembly) are all geared up to discuss technology and community building.
This is just our latest effort introducing kids in the borough to the tech leaders around them. Our launch party in October was hosted at Etsy Labs in Dumbo, where over 100 people came out to celebrate the start of our signature Tech Flex Scholars program for high school students. In attendance: Charles Bonello and Matt Harrigan, cofounders of Grand Central Tech; Faiza Issa, Assistant Commissioner of Innovation and Strategy at the NYC Department of Small Business Services; and Ethany Uttech, Leader Action Strategist and Partnership Manager at ioby. Each of them received the 2014 Tech Flex Economic and Community Impact Award for their contributions to the innovation economy.

3. You will network with some of the best professionals in NYC tech

With over 200 RSVPs so far, we have some of the most innovative minds in NYC joining us. This will be an opportunity to meet fellow technologists, build professional relationships and grow your network.
Our goal is to build a community of leaders in the NYC tech economy, which is why we have invited our councils, mentors, advocates and partners from organizations such as JPMorgan Chase, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Google and MTV. They are excited to meet everyone in attendance. Our network is your network. We believe in building and climbing together.

4. The event is free and is sponsored by Starbucks

Tech & Tea is free and attendees will be given a Starbucks tea on the house. The event is being held at one of the premier coworking spaces in NYC, the Wix Lounge. By strategically aligning the goals of our organization with those of our supporters, we have been able to partner with organizations like General Assembly, Path Interactive and BrandYourself to program successful initiatives around coding and digital branding.

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Want to learn more? Visit us BrooklynOnTech.com and join us on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for our inaugural Tech & Tea: A Celebration of Founders and Community Builders.
Brooklyn On Tech is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization on a mission to inspire the next generation of technology thought leaders emerging from Brooklyn, New York. Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram