Here we are: December. The last month of a truly extraordinary year. Let us help you make the most of it.
To kick things off, on Dec. 3, we’re hosting our virtual Inno on Fire awards ceremony. We’ll honor the top startup leaders who are blazing a path forward in spite of everything, and we’ll also reveal this year’s Inno Blazers — the handful of innovators that stood out from the crowd. Register here if you haven’t already.
We also have a slew of virtual meetups, lectures and workshops before the year ends and we move into (amazingly) 2021. This is your Inno-approved events calendar for December 2020.
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Alternatives to VC and Angel Funding: Are you concerned with giving away too much equity to finance your startup? Do you know all the funding options available? The Boston Entrepreneurs' Network (ENET) has put together a panel that will focus on getting initial money from non-traditional sources when VCs and angels will not help, and friends and family will stress you out. More here. 7 p.m., $10 for nonmembers
Wednesday, Dec. 2
How They Got There: BIPOC Entrepreneurs: Join General Assembly for a virtual panel featuring entrepreneurs of color who are inspiring the next generation of founders and executives. Innovative industry heads will share their stories about how they got to where they are today as well as insights on how we can shepherd diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces in 2020 and beyond. More here. 6:30 p.m., free
Thursday, Dec. 3
BostInno's 2020 Inno on Fire: It's here — our annual celebration of the most innovative startups and tech leaders in Boston. Inno on Fire is designed to showcase those who are making the biggest impact on our local ecosystem. We'll kick things off with a fireside chat with Pat Kinsel of Notarize, then reveal this year's Inno Blazers before ending with a panel discussion with a few of this year's winners. Register here. 4 p.m., free
Friday, Dec. 4
#StartupMoves Virtual Job Fair / Career Expo: This virtual job fair is targeted to support the startup community in finding dream opportunities. Powered by artificial intelligence, the virtual job fair software will organize your interactions automatically. More here. 11 a.m., free
Tuesday, Dec. 8
Public Health v. Privacy: The Technology of Contact Tracing: Join MIT CSAIL Alliances and McDermott Will & Emery LLP for a discussion on contact tracing, featuring Daniel Weitzner and Laura Jehl. Weitzner will share an update on his PACT contact tracing research, and Jehl will discuss privacy considerations for contact tracing. More here. 11 a.m., free
Launch Clinic with Digital Health Startups: At this clinic hosted by the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, three digital health startups will present their pitches and receive feedback from a panel of experts and the audience. Organizers encourage entrepreneurs to attend to see what the experts are looking for in a pitch, what kind of questions they ask and their suggestions for refining the business plan. More here. 5 p.m., $10 for nonmembers
Holiday InnoMixer: It's the holiday season, in spite of it all, and the Massachusetts Innovation Network has organized a virtual mixer-slash-holiday-party for all to join. "Ugly holiday attire" is encouraged. Register here. 6 p.m., $10
Thursday, Dec. 10
Health Tech: Innovation, Adaptation & Pivoting: Venture Café Cambridge and the Cambridge Innovation Center have teamed up to put on this virtual conference. Attendees will learn about cutting-edge technology, diagnostics and therapeutics designed to keep you as healthy as possible, despite the global challenges we face today. More here. 1:30 p.m., free
Monday, Dec. 14
Nonprofit Fundraising in the Digital Space: Covid-19 has affected organizations around the globe, and nonprofits are no exception. With in-person events being taken off the table, fundraising efforts have been forced to adapt to a new normal. General Assembly is gathering leaders in the nonprofit field to discuss how they've pivoted to this digital space. More here. 6:30 p.m., free
Tuesday, Dec. 15
Raising Money for Your Startup & Storytelling as an Event Strategy: Competition to raise capital is fierce. ENET has put together a panel of leading angel investors and venture capitalists, along with leading entrepreneurs who have successfully raised funds. They will share success perspectives and tips to help attendees craft their fundraising stories. More here. 7 p.m., $10 for nonmembers
Thursday, Dec. 17
Virtual Office Hours at Venture Café Cambridge: Venture Cafe Cambridge runs weekly office hours — virtually — with its advisers every Thursday. Sign up to book a meeting with any of 11 advisers this week. More here. 3 p.m., free
Monday, Dec. 21
MIT Creative Arts Competition: Building a Nonprofit Business Plan Workshop: This session is designed to help those interested in the MIT Create Arts Competition's nonprofit track to build out a robust business plan by identifying target impact, stakeholders, key partners and more. More here. 7 p.m., free
Tuesday, Dec. 22
Virtual Rocket Pitch + Power Networking by CONNECTpreneur Investor Network: This virtual networking event will feature two networking sessions, along with a "Rocket Pitch" segment with early-stage companies. Organizers expect some 600 business leaders to be online for the event. More here. 11 a.m., free
Thursday, Dec. 24
Boston Area Virtual Networking For All: This is an open networking group for anyone interested in meeting new business professionals, focused on establishing connections — not selling. Multiple dates are available. More here. 5 p.m., free
Thursday, Dec. 31
The Future of UX & Design: Linerun will be broadcasting a discussion on the future of user experience and design, covering trends, issues, opportunities and best practices with expert data professionals. More here. 6 p.m., free
