Professional Development

Your guide to the inaugural XchangeInnovation Week

Next week, Pittsburghers will have a dozens of founder, creator and technologist-centered events to choose from as a part of the first-ever XchangeInnovation Week. 

XchangePgh co-organizer Adam Paulisick at the XchangeIdeas event in March 2023. (Photo by Brian Conway)

Mark your calendars, Pittsburgh: In less than a week, XchangeInnovation Week hosted by XchangePgh will be upon us.

From panel discussions to happy hours, Pittsburghers will have their pick of events designed to give technologists and founders a chance to learn and make connections, with the long-term goal of making the Steel City a more inclusive tech ecosystem. There are many different (60, to be exact) options, but here’s a sampling of what you can expect from some of next week’s festivities.

HealthTech Startups Showcase

Investors, industry experts, founders and startup workers can learn about the Pittsburgh life sciences sector and health tech ecosystem by witnessing what the likes of LifeX, Innovation Works, Women in Bio and Nucleate Pittsburgh have to offer via a showcase.

  • When: 3 to 6 p.m., Monday, April 24
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: The Assembly, 5051 Centre Ave.

Code & Supply Build Night

Code & Supply hosts a build night where attendees of all skill levels will have the opportunity to hack, show off their software toolboxes, ask for help, and share their knowledge.

  • When: 6 to 9 p.m., Monday, April 24
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: Code & Supply Workspace and Community Center, 5648 Friendship Ave., 3rd Floor

Pitt Celebration of Innovation

The University of Pittsburgh will celebrate students and faculty members who have work and research that will positively impact the world.

  • When: 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 25
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: Peterson Events Center, 3719 Terrace St.

Build Pittsburgh Conference

A convention for architects and building industry professionals to gather and discuss ideas and connect.

  • When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, Wednesday,  April 26
  • Cost: $275 for non-members, $225 for members, half-day $130, and $85 for a single session.
  • Where: David Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd.

XchangeInnovation Week Keynote Interview with Viam Founder, Eliot Horowitz

Viam founder and CEO Elliot Horowitz will have a discussion with Meter Feeder CEO and founder Jim Gibbs about his entrepreneurial journey and the role robots and automation will play in the future.

  • When: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 26
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: Thoro HQ, 210 48th St.

RustBuilt Investor Day

A series of investor-led panel discussions and one-on-one meetings with stakeholders from Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.

  • When: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 27
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: AlphaLab, 6024 Broad St.

Nerd Nite PGH

A lecture series where speakers will get 15 minutes each to give talks on science, history, popular culture, and or technology.

  • When: 7:30 to 9 p.m., Thursday, April 27
  • Cost: $10
  • Where: Rivers Club Downtown, 301 Grant St., Suite 411

The City of Pittsburgh: Innovating Pittsburgh’s Future

A showcase where attendees will get a look at what the city’s PGH Labs program is all about by hearing from its participants such as Element Exo and Green Bean and local government workers.

  • When: 2 to 3 p.m., Friday, April 28
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: City-County Building, 414 Grant St.

Fempreneur Happy Hour

A networking event where like-minded founders and entrepreneurs can come together.

  • When: 4 to 6:30 p.m., Friday, April 28
  • Cost: $15 for men and allies, $10 for women, and $5 for Salon members.
  • Where: Field Day Rooftop, 3706 Butler St.

Innovation Community Job & Internship Fair

One America Works and Partners4Work are hosting an internship fair filled with panel discussions and employer roundtables so that residents can learn more about career opportunities in the startup ecosystem.

  • When: 12 to 5 p.m., Friday, April 28
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave.

Hiring and Retaining Gen Z Talent

Venture For America and InnovatePgh are co-hosting a discussion on strategies to retain and attract Gen-Z workers to Pittsburgh startups.

  • When: 12 to 1 p.m., Friday, April 28
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: Revv Oakland, 218 Oakland Ave.

Web3 Hackathon

A one-day hackathon event where developers and designers can discuss the future of the decentralized web.

  • When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 29
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: AlphaLab Gear, 6024 Broad St.

Togael eSports Tourney

Gamers of all experience levels can participate in a gaming tournament that will be live-streamed on Twitch.

  • When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 29
  • Cost: Free for spectators and $15 for players
  • Where: Carnegie Mellon University, Simmons Auditorium, 4765 Forbes Ave.

Moonshot Space Museum Tours

The Moonshot Museum will offer tours of its exhibits and programming related to Pittsburgh’s history of space innovation as well as a look at what Astrobotic employees have been working on.

  • When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 30
  • Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children between the ages of 3 and 17, and free for children under the age of 2.
  • Where: Moonshot Space Museum, 1016 N. Lincoln Ave.

Innovation Works & CMU AI & Robotics Venture Fair

Carnegie Mellon University and Innovation Works are hosting a showcase where Midwest and Mid-Atlantic AI and Robotics startups can pitch their ideas and products.

  • When: 3 to 6 p.m., Monday, May 1
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: Fairmont Pittsburgh, 510 Market St.
Atiya Irvin-Mitchell is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Heinz Endowments.
Technical.ly and XchangePgh share a mission of convening and informing technologists, entrepreneurs, and other startup stakeholders. Technical.ly is a media partner for the XchangePgh 2023 event series.
Companies: RustBuilt / AlphaLab Gear / Innovation Works (Pittsburgh) / University of Pittsburgh / Carnegie Mellon University

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