The Boston startup scene is bustling this month. In addition to the below community events, the Boston Business Journal has four events in April: Middle Market Insights (virtual discussion), Future of Health Care, Future of Energy and The Transformed Workplace: Retain and Recruit During a Workforce Shortage. Check them out and reserve your spot.
Now let’s take a look at events in the greater Boston area. From mentorship programs and accelerator pitch competitions to the How to Boston While Black Summit, this is your Inno-approved events calendar for April 2022.
Wednesday, April 6
Northeastern Demo Day Spring 2022: The event features the top 12 student-led venture finalists from the Spring 2022 Cohort of the Husky Startup Challenge. These early-stage ventures have worked hard all semester to turn their world-changing ideas into a reality through a series of bootcamps. At Demo Day, they'll compete for more than $6,000 in cash prizes and other resources in front of judges and a live audience. This free event will take place at the Curry Student Center at 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115 at 6 p.m.
Thursday, April 7
Future of Human Engagement with OkCupid Founder: The pandemic has only accelerated reliance on virtual forms of interaction: we can now gather, work with, date and befriend others who are geographically close or at the far corners of the earth. Hear from an entrepreneur innovator who helped create this digital transformation of human interaction: Sam Yagan, co-founder of OkCupid, former CEO of Match (where he oversaw Tinder) will share learnings from his entrepreneurial journey, insights on human behavior and what he sees as opportunities and challenges for social engagement in our digital future. This free event will take place online starting at 4:30 p.m.
Friday, April 8
The E Forum Mentorship Program: Entrepreneurs may apply to this mentorship program at any stage of development. Mentors are also encouraged to apply to be a part of the program and are expected to take an interest in the success of the entrepreneur(s) they are matched with and to get to know the entrepreneur’s needs, including personal situations. Applications are due Friday, April 8.
Friday, April 8
Transatlantic Tech Leader Breakfast: Guests at this private breakfast will include tech leaders from the Boston business community as well as a C-level delegation traveling over from Ireland. Speakers will include leaders from Drift, Compt, Acadia and Woebot. This event starts at 8:30 a.m. and is free to attend. The breakfast will take place at Drift, 222 Berkeley St. (6th floor), Boston, MA 02116
Tuesday, April 12
Evolve Health Care Accelerator — Final Showcase: This event will start off with investor pitches given by the Northeastern accelerator’s spring cohort. The pitches will be followed by three speeches given by two representatives from Northeastern and the program director of technology strategy and implementation at Mass General Brigham, and will conclude with a networking session. The free event starts at 6 p.m. and will take place Horticultural Hall in Northeastern University at 300 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115
Wednesday, April 13
Breaking Down the Clinical Development Process for Startups: The journey from discovery, through clinical trials and to commercialization is a long, challenging and complex venture that ends in failure more often than not. Life science entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success by developing an understanding of the numerous regulatory and clinical hurdles that must be overcome. The Mansfield Bio-Incubator and Halloran Consulting are hosting this seminar and networking at 241 Francis Ave. in Mansfield, MA 02048. This event is free and starts at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, April 20
ODSC East 2022 Conference: AI continues to play an increasingly essential role in business across a wide range of industries. The in-person AI Expo & Demo Hall @ODSC East 2022, on April 20-21, will cover the latest industry trends and innovations. This is an opportunity to access and interact with industry leaders from the organizations and startups shaping the future of AI. There are free passes available to the AI expo, and a one-day pass to the expo and keynotes is $113. Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02115.
Thursday, April 21
M2D2 IMPACT Cycle 2 Accelerator Pitch-Off: Join the Massachusetts life sciences community at UMass Lowell as the startups from the cycle two cohort pitch their medical device solution to a panel of judges. These startups have been working with M2D2 and BARDA to advance the commercialization of their innovation through the IMPACT Accelerator Program. The event starts at 4 p.m. at UMass M2D2, 110 Canal St., 4th Floor in Lowell, MA 01852. This program is free to attend.
Thursday, April 21
Made In MA at PAX East 2022: This event is hosted by MassDigi and WPI and will be held at WPI’s Seaport location after the gaming conference. The event will include games and a showcase from several companies and is free for students. 303 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210.
Thursday, April 28
How to Boston While Black Summit: This inaugural summit is three days of workshops, panels and experiences to align Boston’s Black leaders, community and allies on the solutions and strategies to create the city we all want to live in. The three-day event will include panels on building a Black tech and life sciences ecosystem; information and opportunities needed to navigate Boston’s professional, cultural and civic landscapes’; and experiencing Boston's social and nightlife culture. The summit will take place at The Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02116. A one-day pass costs $115.
Thursday, April 28
Bookkeeping and Taxes for Startups: Debra Demeule of Supporting Strategies will discuss the “Three C’s” of proper bookkeeping — consistency, controls and cash — for your business to ensure you can produce accurate and useful financial information. Robert Traester of WithumSmith+Brown PC will discuss tax planning opportunities for your business in a post-tax-reform climate. This virtual event is free for E Forum members and $10 for nonmembers.
