Professional Development

16 ways to stay connected to Pittsburgh’s tech community this summer

From baseball games to panel discussions to happy hours, check out the myriad ways to network and stay involved in the innovation scene.

Pittsburgh Robotics Network's April happy hour at Aurora. (Photo by Atiya Irvin-Mitchell)

School may be out for the summer, but for the Steel City’s tech community, things are very much in full swing.

From baseball games to happy hours to accelerators, we at Technical.ly have spotted a slew of new events and programs designed to keep entrepreneurs and technologists engaged as the temperature rises. Seriously — what’s below isn’t even all of them.

If you’re ever in need of plans, hubs like Innovation Works, RustBuilt and the Pittsburgh Robotics Network never have a shortage of info on meetups worth attending or resources worth exploring. Here are just a few things happening in the coming months we think are notable. Let us know if we missed any: pittsburgh@technical.ly.

Programs

AlphaLab Health 2023

This program cofounded by Innovation Works and Allegheny Health Network gives healthtech startups guidance in navigating healthcare spaces and up to $100,000 in funding.

  • Application deadline: July 23

2023 Pittsburgh TechFest

This professional development event for software developers to discuss coding, tools, agile and project management is accepting presentation submissions now.

  • Application deadline: Aug. 1

LifeX Fall 2023 Accelerator

This accelerator for early-stage and spinout life sciences companies offers mentorship, networking opportunities and access to experts in the field.

  • Application deadline: Aug. 7

Ascender Founder’s Hat

This program allows founders a space to share accomplishments and build relationships.

  • Application deadline: Aug. 14

L.A.U.N.C.H Fall Cohort

This program is for high school girls in grades 10 and 11 interested in the STEM industry.

  • Application deadline: Sept. 8

Events

Dinks and Deals

This weekly game of pickleball gives angel investors and founders a chance to interact and make business deals.

  • When: Every Friday, 7 to 9 a.m.
  • Where: Blue Slide Playground at Frick Park

BioBreakfast series

This is a weekly gathering where life sciences founders and employees gather for breakfast, networking and the occasional invited speaker.

  • When: Every Tuesday, 8 to 10 a.m.
  • Where: The Riviera Building, 350 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh

PGH Lab 8.0 Showcase

This is a chance for the latest PGH Lab cohort members to showcase their products and for city government pros to discuss their role in innovation efforts.

  • When: Wednesday, July 12, 5 to 7 p.m.
  • Where: Nova Place Conference Center, 100 S. Commons, Pittsburgh

AutoML as it Always Should Have Been

PyData Pittsburgh is hosting this talk from Zerve confounder Greg Michaelson about his new open source project, Pypelines.

  • When: Wednesday, July 12, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Where: COhatch Shadyside, 5428 Walnut St., Pittsburgh

Black Tech Nation: Summer Kickoff Mixer

This is a night of networking for BTN members and a chance for Black leaders in the tech community to examine the state of tech entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh.

  • When: Thursday, July 13, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
  • Where: Emerald City PGH, 213 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh

Robotics and Tech Happy Hour

This recurring night of networking includes demonstrations of Thoro AI’s technology.

  • When: Thursday, July 13, 6 p.m.
  • Where: Thoro’s office, 210 48th St., Pittsburgh

Generative AI Innovation Incubator

Carnegie Mellon University’s Generative AI series continues with this talk from Yale researcher Jill Fain Lehman about separating truth from fiction with regard to technology.

  • When: Friday, July 14, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Where: Zoom via Carnegie Mellon University

NOT-A-PITCH Pitch Practice

This is a chance for founders to practice their pitching techniques and give their peers feedback on perfecting their own pitches.

  • When: Wednesday, July 19, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Where: Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave., 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh

Startup Drinks Pgh

At this networking event, members of the Pittsburgh tech community can network, get feedback on their ideas, and learn about investment opportunities over beers.

  • When: Thursday, July 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Where: Brew Gentlemen, 512 Braddock Ave., Braddock

BSidesPGH

This cybersecurity event includes ’90s-style Capture the Flag.

  • When: Friday, July 21, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • When: Rivers Casino, 777 Casino Drive, Pittsburgh

Life Sciences PA Day at the Park

This night in Pittsburgh at the ballpark is for members of the life sciences communities to mingle and take in a baseball game.

  • When: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 6 p.m.
  • Where: PNC Park, 115 Federal St., Pittsburgh
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.
Companies: RustBuilt / Pittsburgh Technology Council / City of Pittsburgh / Black Tech Nation / LifeX

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