Just because we're nearing the end of the holiday countdown doesn't mean we should stop thinking entirely about building the city's innovation community. A number of organizations and companies are hosting valuable meetups. You may not be able to exactly put a price on what you'll gain – knowledge, networking, exposure and a cup or two of spiked hot cocoa – from attendance, but think of this as a gift from Boston tech to you.
Monday 12/16
Intelligent.ly: Personal Branding: Landing Your Dream Gig – Intelligent.ly's own Sarah Hodges will lead the dynamic session designed to teach you how to craft your personal brand; optimize your digital profiles to support your story; and use channels and strategies to support your personal branding goals. The class will also tack on 15 minutes or so to apply what you've learned to your own Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.
Boston New Technology: December 2013 Showcase – Half a dozen of presenters will take to the stage tonight to pitch their new tech products in front of the Boston innovation community. With only five minutes on the clock, each presenter will persuasively present and demo the new tech, followed by a short Q&A.
Startup Product Talks Boston – Lean vs. Roadmap Showdown – Is it better to have a committed roadmap or stay flexible and pivot-friendly? If you're involved in entrepreneurship in the slightest, there's a strong chance you've heard of these two opposing approaches to building a product and starting a company. Come here two experienced entrepreneurs defend the methods to their madness. Representing the Lean Startup ideology is Steven Cohn, the CEO of Prod Think. Bruce McCarthy, the Founder and CPO of UpUp Labs will argue for the Roadmap strategy. Head to HubSpot at 6:30 p.m. tonight to hear both sides of the story.
Tuesday 12/17
McCarter & English: Alternatives to Angels and VC Financing – If you're through with bootstrapping but hesitant about heading down the traditional funding path, this could be the class for you. While crowdfunding sites are on the rise, you may want to think twice about setting up your Kickstarter. The law firm McCarter & English has reserved a spot at the Cambridge Innovation Sector Tuesday morning starting at 9:30 a.m. to break down the intricacies of the JOBS Act and the future of crowdfunding.
Startup Institute Boston: Student Exposé Fall 2013 – Looking to add a few talented members to your startup team? Show up at the Harvard Innovation Lab Tuesday at 10 a.m. to hear Startup Institute's fresh crop of students pitch their interests and skills in 60 seconds. Stick around post-pitches to rub elbows with some of the city's startups and swipe some lunch.
Wednesday 12/18
NEVCA Holiday Party – There's no better way to kick out your seasonal celebrations than with some loving from the city's innovation ecosystem. You find food, drinks and holiday spirit in plenty at Matrix Partners, starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Thursday 12/19
Open Session at Venture Café – Take advantage of the fact that many of the city's entrepreneurs (and students) have packed up their bags and left Boston this Thursday. Head to Cambridge's famed Venture Café for the office hours of a number of sage mentors:
3 p.m. – Stephen Davis, Founder of CXO Advisory Group, which works with businesses, entrepreneurs and service providers to accelerate revenue growth.
4 p.m. – Allan Tear, Co-founder of managing partner at Providence-based accelerator Betaspring.
4:30 p.m. – Jennifer Jordan, Vice President of MassVentures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in Massachusetts high growth technology companies.
Happy Holidays! Stay tuned for Boston tech's events in 2014.
