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In nature, an ecosystem is an interconnected network of organisms that shape and support each other. In tech and business, the same is true — individuals and organizations are influenced by their environment, and in turn they contribute to it. Find out how 1Philadelphia, Ballard Spahr LLP, Morgan Lewis, Next powered by Shulman Rogers, Rittenhouse Communications Group and TEDCO actively help their local tech communities thrive, grow and become more inclusive in this sponsored roundup article. https://lnkd.in/gfXJA8Zh #TechnicallyPartner24

Embracing Change: The New Normal in Austin Discover how Austin is evolving and what it means for its residents. From an influx of tech professionals to a shift in community vibes, we explore what makes this city distinct and its promising future. #AustinTexas #NewNormal #CityGrowth #TechJobs #CommunityVibes #WeatherBenefits #LifestyleShift #MentalHealthMatters #UrbanDevelopment #ChangeIsGood

Innovation in City Government: Insights from Burlington's CIO In the latest episode of the Chief Innovation Officer Series, Nick Jain, CEO of IdeaScale, sits down with Scot, Burlington's Chief Innovation Officer, to discuss how innovation is transforming city government. Scot’s background in tech and community-driven initiatives offers a fresh take on balancing challenges and opportunities in small-city settings. 💡 Key takeaways from this 20-minute chat: • How smaller cities like Burlington leverage technology to innovate. • Strategies to boost community engagement through creative solutions. • The importance of adaptability in overcoming local challenges. Explore how Burlington is leading the way in public service innovation. 🔗 Watch now on YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q02Zz-j30 Remember to subscribe! What do you think is the role of innovation in shaping better cities? Let us know! #InnovationLeadership #SmartCities #CIOChat #IdeaScale #CityInnovation

Our executive director, Sera Linardi, will be speaking at HackHarvard this Saturday, 10/12/2024, at 9 AM ET. Her talk, "Not Knowing as a Doorway," will focus on how we can rethink the way we approach the intersection of technology and equity. The talk will explore the importance of understanding the limitations of our fields—recognizing where our current methods and frameworks fall short, especially when it comes to reaching and serving marginalized communities. In addition, the talk will highlight the need to create radically different spaces for innovation, where diverse perspectives and unconventional ideas can flourish. These spaces should be inclusive, encouraging fresh thinking to find solutions to longstanding challenges. Finally, we must emphasize the significance of building long-term engagement. Lasting change requires ongoing, meaningful participation from all stakeholders. Only that way we can ensure that the solutions we develop continue to grow and evolve with the communities they serve.

We sent out a survey after last year's Utah Tech Week. It had an NPS score in the high 70s. 💅 That said, we had 4 main bits of constructive feedback that were the most recurring. 1. There should be more *tech* in Utah Tech Week. Too much emphasis on the business side of things, and not enough on the tech. 2. Better representation. Not just race and gender, but lots of the feedback was about underrepresented industries/verticals. 3. Too much time in the car! 4. Keep the quality of events high! We'll discuss each of these in at our event tomorrow at 3pm at Pelion. (link in comments) 150+ founders/community builders/event hosts attending our event, which to my knowledge is the largest gathering of community builders in Utah. Stoked at the ways our community comes together to build. Come tomorrow! And also, lmk if the comments if you feel like a community/industry/group that you're a part of is underrepresented.

When it comes to Milwaukee's tech community, there's a different feel to the air. The room has a different energy to it. Is it... Pride? Excitement? Opportunity? Yes! A vibrant regional tech ecosystem doesn’t just happen by chance—it takes bold vision, tireless collaboration, and the courage to experiment together. The journey isn’t easy, but one insight makes all the difference: we build momentum through collaboration. For five years, the MKE Tech Hub Coalition has been assembling a diverse, cross-sector membership of businesses, educators, startups, and community leaders, united by a shared belief in our region's growth potential. Together, this coalition has built something extraordinary: ✨ A thriving tech ecosystem that attracts top talent and businesses from across the country ✨ Strong talent pipelines connecting education, industry, and innovation ✨ A startup and innovation community that’s turning big ideas into lasting impact As we mark this 5-year milestone, we'll recognize the partnerships, dedication, and resilience that brought us here. And we'll look to the future, continuing to build a region where innovation is at our core and opportunity is all around us. 📅 When: Friday, November 22nd 9-11am 📍 Where: Northwestern Mutual Headquarters 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/gExp2jK8 Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or are just now discovering this community, we invite you to join us in celebrating this moment—and in shaping the future ahead. Let’s keep the momentum going! #mketech #momentum #collaboration #innovation

If you haven't heard yet...Milwaukee Founders Community is now Midwest Founders Community! What started as some simple founder-to-founder invitations to get together for coworking and happy hour back in the summer of 2021, and then quickly evolved into a founders only group chat, has now grown into somewhat of an accelerator/navigator for founders of all kinds. It's developed into operating on an informal "curriculum of community" that’s being simultaneously taught, learned, and tested by a conceptual classroom of entrepredoers. Like most startup/founder communities, MFC offers events (https://lnkd.in/gu5CAjbP). What’s special is that these events are created and hosted by the founders who see the value in the event and take it upon themselves to bring it into existence (with the community's support, of course). This approach to growth/operations has resulted in what I think is pretty close to regional PMF, in the sense that MFC’s lead curators are to the point of feeling more pull from those in the community than we are pushing what’s been built. It seems that founders are receiving the uniquely decentralized strategy a bit differently than the common community call-to-action to “get involved.” Several founders (and new MFC curators) have taken the call-to-action as not only an opportunity to get involved & help others, but perhaps more enticingly, as an opportunity to build something that gets them out of the day-to-day grind on their own company, if even for just a few hours a month. It’s why I think MFC’s event offering has grown significantly beyond the popular FOUNDER/FEST experience & now includes events to help founders: 💸 learn more about & connect with investors (#FounderFunderForum) 📈 learn more about & connect with customers (#SaaSClub) 🏕 disconnect from the grind to deeply connect with themselves & other founders (#MidwestFoundersRetreat) ♀feel safe & supported while navigating the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs (#LesFemmes) 💡 discuss, discover, workshop & test new product ideas (#ProductMarketRiff) 💻 build with AI-powered tech & tools in a casual, no pressure environment(#MilwaukeeGPT) 🗣 launch their startup idea with a formal, on-stage pitch for microgrant funds (#Launchpad) 🤓 learn from expert resource providers about nuanced aspects of the founder journey (#HowTo) -- Recordings are here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gfnu5fG8 And there’s still more being built by founders who have answered the call to become MFC builders and lead curators! We’re super proud of the new brand, website, and event offerings, so we’d love for you to check it out, sign up for the free founder membership and get yourself to the events that fit your needs as a founder. Maybe I’ll see ya at this week’s Product/Market Riff or next week’s FOUNDER/FEST! #midwestfounders #founderscommunity #founders #startups #entrepreneurs #startupcommunity #midwest

Not just a networking group… Collaboration at its finest!

Thanks Bill Kalivas. Your insights and guidance have been extremely helpful. See you in a couple of weeks. Here's the series so far. https://lnkd.in/gNKK_t5z

Toronto is home to Toronto Tech Fest. What started out early this year as a week long celebration of Toronto's founders, builders, and innovators at the leading edge of technology, soon ballooned into one of the city's largest tech gatherings spanning the entire innovation ecosystem and tech community. Generating this energy in Toronto, has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life as an entrepreneur and community builder. Here's the impact we've had in Year 1: ✨ 90+ events held across 4 days ✨ 255+ co-hosts and partners activated ✨ 10,000+ signups with people flying in from New York, Chicago, SF, LA to attend. By creating a platform for all participants (founders, investors, builders, community leaders) to create, connect, and catalyze each other, we amplified the power of the tech community at the grassroots to foster real change and opportunity for the Toronto innovation ecosystem. By the community, for the community. So now, with Collision moving to Vancouver in 2025, those of us who believe in the innovative future of Toronto must take up the torch 🔥! We at Toronto Tech Fest are committed to carrying forward the spirit of innovation in Toronto, across next year, and for years to come. This means activating our tech community and investing in even more innovative programming that draws in new talent, adds value for founders, builds bridges with local businesses, and showcases why the tech community in Toronto is world class. Let's fight for this future together! Comment below 👇 or connect with me or Mell Truong via DM if you're interested in joining us to make a lasting impact on Toronto innovation in 2025 and beyond.