Events Roundup: 10 chances to fall in love with your career again this February

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.

Ahh, Philadelphia in February.

One of the shortest, darkest, coldest months out there. If you’ve stuck with your New Year’s resolution — whether it’s to work on your side hustle or simply drink more water — we commend you.

And if you’d rather spend Valentine’s Day making a professional connection rather than a romantic one, we also hear you on that. (If that’s the case, make sure to come to Technical.ly’s own NET/WORK event on Tuesday, Feb. 25! Deets below.)

So, fellow professionals, grab your business cards and head on over to these events. And not-so-patiently wait with us until Feb. 15, when all the chocolate will be on sale. Cheers!

Black in Space: Breaking the color barrier

Head to the African American Museum in Philadelphia this week for a screening and discussion of “Black in Space,” a documentary on pioneering Black astronauts during the Cold War. The evening will consist of a viewing and panel discussion of Laurens Grant’s production.

• Wednesday, Feb. 5
• 6 to 8:15 p.m.
• African American Museum in Philadelphia (701 Arch St.)
• Free

Fintech Half-Day Conference

Join PACT for this afternoon conference talking all things tech and innovation in the financial services industry. The event will include lunch, networking, practice pitching, discussions on blockchain and crypto as well as presentations from emerging fintech companies.

• Thursday, Feb. 6
• 12 to 5 p.m.
• Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business (3220 Market St.)
• Tickets range from $25 to $100

Angel Venture Fair Education Day

Looking for some startup capital? This event, held two months before the 22nd annual, prize money-awarding Angel Venture Fair, features seven investor groups offering entrepreneurs insights into what angels are looking to invest in. And hey — readers of Technical.ly have until noon on Thursday, Feb. 6, to register and use the discount code of Education2020 for a totally free ticket.

• Friday, Feb. 7
• 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Quorum at University City Science Center (3675 Market St.)
• Tickets cost $25 (or free with code “Education2020”)

Kickoff of 2020 Data Hack: Data Science for a Healthier Community

Code for Philly’s six-week hackathon to address questions in the ongoing opioid crisis kicks of this week and continues through March. The goals of the hackathon are to provide health organizations with insights that may normally be unavailable to them and to create analyses that help inform the public about the opioid epidemic in our city. (Full info on the month-and-a-half-long hackathon here.)

• Friday, Feb. 7
• 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• 3675 Market St.
• Free

First Steps to Business Planning

If you’re considering starting your own business, but don’t know where to start, this event is for you. Temple University‘s Small Business Development Center is hosting this event that will cover the basics of business planning.

• Tuesday, Feb. 11
• 6 to 8 p.m.
• Temple’s Small Business Development Center (1510 Cecil B. Moore Ave.)
• Free

Young Professionals Networking Event

Hopeworks Camden, the the technical training nonprofit just across the bridge in New Jersey, is putting on a Philadelphia networking and fundraising night this month. All proceeds will support the Hopeworks Recode Your Future program which provides paid training, weekly life readiness coaching, academic support, internships, mentoring and more.

• Wednesday, Feb. 12
• 5 to 8 p.m.
• The Hive (30 S. 15th St.)
• Tickets cost $35

Challenging Perceptions: Inspiring a New Generation of Data Scientists

This Women in Data Science Philadelphia conference, held at University of Pennsylvania, is aligning with Stanford University’s annual Global WiDS Conference and will include talks on training the next generation of data scientists, statistical challenges and the industry as a whole. The goal of the global conference is to inspire, educate and support women in data, the event site says.

• Friday, Feb. 14
• 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Perry World House (3803 Locust Walk)
• Tickets for Penn students, faculty or staff cost $20; others, $125

Startup Grind featuring Jumoke Dada

This evening event welcomes Jumoke Dada, the creator of the Tech Women Network and HUE Tech Summit for women of color. Startup Grind events are essentially a fireside chat with entrepreneurs and change makers, so expect to learn about Dada’s journey, best practices and founder stories.

• Thursday, Feb. 20
• 6 p.m.
• Pennovation Center (3401 Grays Ferry Ave.)
• Students, $10, entrepreneurs, $15

NET/WORK Philly 2020 

Join us (yeah, us, your super resourceful BFFs at Technical.ly) at the city’s biggest tech job fair and networking event. Come meet tons of interesting companies looking for tech talent, attend a workshop and grab a coffee and some free headshots while you’re at it.

• Tuesday, Feb. 25
• 3 to 8 p.m.
• The Fillmore (29 E. Allen St.)
• Tickets $10 for entry, $5 for just happy hour

Black Girl Ventures Philly Launch Party

Last September, the D.C.-based org that creates opportunities for women entrepreneurs of color to access capital announced that it would be setting up a chapter in Philly. This month, meet local chapter members and hear a talk by founder Shelly Bell at the Science Center’s Venture Cafe.

• Thursday, Feb. 27
• 6 to 8 p.m.
• University City Science Center (3675 Market St., Suite 400)
• Free