8 tech events to reflect on 2020 — and then look forward — this December

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: philly@technical.ly.

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No matter what month it feels like to you, I have some sobering news: It is in fact December.

It’s been a long year, and we’ve watched meetup groups, big corporations, small startups and anyone else who gathers for regular events figure out how to do these things virtually over the last nine months. Your Zoom fatigue (and ours!) is very real, so we made sure to bring you the best and most worthwhile virtual events this month.

Whether you’ll spend the next ~30 days looking back at the year or hoping for the future, there’s an event to encourage that kind of reflection. Hear from startups across the region about how they’ve grown and learned through the pandemic; get a little holiday shopping done while supporting women in STEM careers; or pop into a future-focused investing event because if you ask us, 2021 can’t come soon enough.

Cheers!

Build a “no code app” workshop

Echo Me Forward is hosting this hour-long workshop lead by Erik Goins, founder of Automate Intelligently, who will walk you through how to build an e-ommerce app using a “no code” platform. Attendees only need a Google Account with access to Drive.

• Thursday, Dec. 3
• Noon to 1 p.m.
• Free, register here

LIFT Labs Demo Day

After the 12-week accelerator, founders from the 2020 Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator powered by Techstars will reveal their progress during an online demo day. The startups focused in new categories: advanced connectivity, future of work, interactive and immersive experiences, and personalized experiences. Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money“; Sheinelle Jones, co-host of the “TODAY Show“; and Kevin O’Leary, host of “Shark Tank,” will attend.

• Thursday, Dec. 3
• 1 to 2:30 p.m.
• Free, register here

BarCamp Philly

The 13th annual BarCamp Philly unconference, a day of programming collaboratively built by the people, is happening virtually in Philly this year. Talks will range from working in our new environments (working remote, working with teams) to the practical and insightful (accessibility, building an HTML5 player), to the public good (overcoming bias, fixing democracy with technology), to the personal and creative (tales from a New Zealand expat, digital camera lessons, sewing masks).

• Saturday, Dec. 5
• 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Tickets are $10

Data and Art

This four-day art auction will feature speakers and artists around the world and proceeds will benefit the Women in Data Career Tracks, which is aimed to make data careers accessible to all. “It doesn’t matter if you do not have a STEM/Data background, if you are willing to learn and challenge yourself, Women in Data Career Tracks provides guided learning paths into different careers in data,” the event page says.

• Monday, Dec. 7, through Thursday, Dec. 10
• General admission is free, but there are tickets available for those interested in sponsoring the event.

The Future of Everything

This evening event featuring Wharton School professor Mauro Guillén will walk you through the major shifts we could expect to happen over the next 10 years. Guillén will look at global and economic trends like global wealth owned by women, children, robotics, Western economies and culture. “By 2030, a new reality will take hold,” the event page says.

• Tuesday, Dec. 8
• 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Free, register here

Put a bow on it: The art of wrapping up the year

As we head into the last month of the year, business attorney Frank Vito of Vito Law, LLC will share legal tips, strategies and best practices for closing out 2020 and planning for what’s ahead. “In this session you’ll learn how to evaluate where you’re currently at as an organization, determine your goals for the year ahead as well as build and implement a strategy that will help you get there,” the event page says.

• Thursday, Dec. 10
• 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Free, register here

Women in Tech Soiree and Launch Lane Showcase

The 2020 Women in Tech Soiree and Launch Lane Showcase, organized by Mogulette in partnership with the University City Science Center, will explore how we can use innovation and tech to enter 2021 with “re-focused strategies on rebuilding health, workforce and employment.” Launch Lane accelerator startups will also show off their growth during the pandemic. The annual event is presented through Venture Café Philadelphia’s Thursday Gathering virtual platform and will feature a keynote from Dr. Ala Stanford, the founder of Black Doctors COVID-19.

• Thursday, Dec. 10
• 3:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Free or via donation to Black Doctors COVID-19, register here

The Philly Forward Forum

This daylong event will showcase innovative, impactful and sustainable investment initiatives and projects that are working toward closing the wealth gap and building on the city’s assets. This event will feature speakers on racial equality investment, neighborhood investment projects, City of Philadelphia initiatives, ESG- and SDG-aligned investment structures, and more. Anyone from the investors, entrepreneurship, nonprofit, public and private sectors are encouraged to attend.

• Thursday, Dec. 17
• 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tickets are free