Events Roundup: Welcome a fresh fall start with these September tech and biz opportunities

Events Roundup is a Technical.ly column where we highlight events happening in the Philly area each month. Got a submission? Email us the details so we can consider it for our next roundup.

---

Welcome, September! Labor Day Weekend in Philly means Made in America (which is apparently still happening following the mass of flooding throughout the city thanks to Hurricane Ida). But it also means a lot of folks are headed to the shore to get in their last rays during the unofficially official last weekend of summer.

September can still make us adults feel some type of way, even if we’re not enrolling in any school courses ourselves. It has been A Year™ and even though we have four more months of 2021, go ahead and claim that fresh-start energy. I know I will.

Enjoy this long weekend with us, and come back feeling fresh, ready to check out these events and opportunities happening this month. We’ve got something for you whether you’re brand-new to the city as a college student here, working on your small businesses amid the pandemic, reimagining your workplace culture or looking to celebrate the latest innovations in our city.

Read on, and hit that “add to calendar” button.

Campus Philly’s CollegeFest

Campus Philly‘s annual CollegeFest returns the second weekend in September with free museums, events, food and activities for the region’s hundreds of thousands of college students. The org’s mission is to shine a spotlight on why Philly’s a great place to be a student (and why you’ll want to stay after graduation). This year’s festival includes access to a ton of museums and historic sites around the city, plus some cool activities like free climbing at The Cliffs at Callowhill, the Soundwalk experience in Fairmount Park and a barre class in Rittenhouse.

• Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11 to 12
• All day, throughout the city
• Students can grab a free ticket here

National Small Business Week Virtual Summit

The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting this three-day virtual summit with a series of educational panels on best practices for small businesses to pivot and recover in a changing economy. This year’s theme will highlight resistance and renewal, and feature panels on resources for small businesses, serving underrepresented and underserved communities and ongoing support.

• Sept. 13 to 15
• Free, register here

Return to work: Imagining the physical workspace 

As the pandemic has forced us to re-think workspaces, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia will host this event focused on what those spaces will need to change in order to “ensure a safe environment that does not sacrifice employee engagement.” This virtual event will look at determining organizational success and growth beyond the pandemic and offer research on workplace experience. It will also offer a virtual tour of new workplaces designed to reimagine the in-person environment in a safe way.

• Tuesday, Sept. 14
• Noon to 1 p.m.
• Free for Chamber members, $50 for non-members, register here

The HBCU Technology Conference

HP is hosting its first-ever conference for historically Black colleges and universities this month with free attendance and programing for IT staff, faculty, staff and administration, and students at higher ed institutions around the country. The conference takes place virtually over five days in September and will feature sessions on the future of work, teaching and learning challenges and new technologies. There’s a focus on networking and building partnerships between HBCUs.

• Sept. 14, 16, 22, 28 and 30
• Free, register here

The patient experience

Part of PACT‘s digital health series, this virtual discussion will go over healthcare inside your home, data, analytics and AI, connected health and telemedicine innovations. Speakers come from companies such as Independence Blue Cross, CHOP and Tendo.

• Tuesday, Sept. 21
• 8:30 to 10 a.m.
• Free for PACT members, $5 for entrepreneurs, and $10 for corporate non-members, register here

2021 Nucleus Awards

University City Science Center is hosting its annual Nucleus awards back in-person this year, honoring four innovators across categories of commercialization, capital, convener and cultivator. Honorees are Max Perelman, cofounder of Biomeme; Della Clark president of The Enterprise Center; Tracey Welson-Rossman, cofounder of Chariot Solutions and TechGirlz; and Michelle Freeman, CEO of Witty Gritty.

• Tuesday, Sept. 21
• 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Tickets $150, register here

Rethinking company culture for talent engagement

Amid the Great Resignation where a huge percentage of the workforce is considering leaving their role in the coming months, companies must be cognizant of retaining their employees. And as remote work flex options continue for workers, companies will need to be creative in engaging their employees. This virtual event by the Chamber of Commerce will dive into defining culture, how that culture sets you apart from competitors, and how flexible work options, opportunities for professional development, and an effective DEI strategy can impact talent engagement.

• Tuesday, Sept. 28
• 10 to 11 a.m.
• Free for Chamber members, $50 for non-members, register here

B.PHL Innovation Festival

B.PHL returns this year, after its 2019 debut, in a hybrid format, tackling issues like connecting in a post-pandemic world, DEI work, bridging the digital divide and driving student innovation. Panels happen all day long for the three-day festival at Location215 in Callowhill, and streamed online. The festival is free to access online, and select in-person tickets will be sold later this month.

• Sept. 29 to Oct. 1
• All day
• Virtual registration is free