DC weekly roundup: Uniting DMV cyber scene; Southeast US tech boom; DDOT robot pilot

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Uniting the DMV cybersecurity scene

Spots to tune in virtually to the second DMV Rising conference are still available, per Matt Howard, Virtu senior vice president and chief marketing officer. 

He spearheaded creating the conference last year because he wanted to bring cyber leaders together across the region. Howard hopes local college students specifically who are studying cyber or digital risk management will sign up to tune in virtually to learn more about the industry. 

“Not enough people,” Howard told me, “know the truth about the DMV regional economy when it comes to its contribution to global cyber innovation and value creation.”

➡️ Read more about the conference here

The unique Southeast US tech boom

Several of the tech and startup hubs in the Southeast are setting themselves apart from other scenes in the US through favorable tax policies and a unique culture, Technical.ly CEO Christopher Wink writes.

“Southern hospitality is played out in the business world,” one founder in New Orleans said. “There’s a small but growing number of founders working to solve global problems that we feel locally, whether it’s in clean tech, biotech, or food and beverage.”

➡️ Learn more about tech ecosystems in the Southeast here

One of the industry’s most impactful events

Tens of thousands of women and nonbinary technologists will convene in Philly for the annual Grace Hopper Celebration this October.

Named after Rear Admiral Grace Hopper — one of the first women to receive a doctorate in mathematics — brings together technologists for networking and professional development, and to recognize the work women and nonbinary people are doing in the industry. With a stacked lineup of speakers and sessions, it’s a place to hear from like-minded professionals and uncover insights into the next big trends.

➡️ Join the community in Philly and virtually, Oct. 8-11

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News Incubator: What else to know

• Since Halcyon House was founded in 2014, building on a storied history two centuries long, more than 500 entrepreneurs from six continents have come through its doors. This week’s Halcyon Homecoming celebrates the global accelerator’s 10th anniversary. [Technical.ly]

 • The new DDOT robot is part of a pilot program in an aim to better the city’s infrastructure, and it’s starting with reporting fallen or damaged street signs. [Washingtonian]

• Biden recently signed a surveillance bill strengthening the power of the NSA to tell US businesses to wiretap correspondence in and out of the country. The ACLU says this new law could result in secretive surveillance, and it’s believed that data centers are a part of why the new authority is in place. [Wired]

•  The US Chamber of Commerce released its top 100 small businesses. There are a handful featured from the DMV, including the finance and data analytics firm Simplified Solutions Systems in Manassas. [Chamber of Commerce]

•  Leaders at Montgomery County Public Schools are considering adding weapons detectors. [Washington Post]

• The Demex Group, a startup using data and analytics to assist insurance providers with weather-related claims, raised $10.2 million. [Washington Biz Journal]

• Young Futures, a nonprofit helping organizations support youth navigate their relationships with tech, is opening applications for another cohort. [Technical.ly/Young Futures]

• Google is taking part in a trial for alleged antitrust violations — again. This time, it’s in Alexandria. It was planned to be a jury trial but was changed to a bench trial. [PBS] 

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Technical.ly partner: Explore innovation, sustainability and global impact at the Halcyon Innovation Summit on Saturday, Sept. 12. Part of the org’s 10th anniversary celebrations, the conference features keynotes, panel discussions on climate, health and equity, and sessions on impact investing and the state of on DEI. [Register here]

• Women and Gender eXpansive Coders DC is hosting a virtual workshop on Sept. 15 to practice coding interviews. [Details here]

• There’s another cybersecurity conference on Sept. 18. The annual Aspen Cyber Summit will feature leaders from the FBI and FTC. [Details here]