Now that the weather is getting kind-of-sort-of-not-really-okay, the tech networking scene is blossoming. EdTech companies are hiring, Trunk Club is showing off their women leaders and the Nerdette is taping live. Hone your tech skills—or tech-adjacent skills—at a hackathon, hear from career-changers at Dev Bootcamp or meet the folks leading the tech apprenticeship movement in Chicago. Get out there, folks. Chicago's tech scene is warming up for spring.
Inside the World of Trunk Club: United Women in Business: Meet some of the top women executives at Trunk Club and learn about how they got where they are today. Enjoy cocktails, appetizers and desserts at the (appropriately swank) Trunk Club River North offices. (Trunk Club, 325 W Ohio St, 7th floor, Wednesday, May 4, 5:30pm. Free.)
Learn from the Experts: Meet Creators of Software Apprenticeship Programs: Software apprenticeships are a fast-growing category of jobs that help junior developers get up to speed with hands-on projects and mentorships. Hear from tech leaders at companies like Trunk Club, 8th Light and Clique Studios about their apprenticeship strategies. (Dev Bootcamp, 351 W Hubbard St, Suite 700, Tuesday, May 10, 6pm. Free.)
Nerdette Live!: WBEZ’s favorite nerdy podcast, The Nerdette, will be hosting a live taping at Victory Gardens Theater. Join hosts Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen and their nerdtastic guests for an evening of geek-friendly enthusiasm (and games!). (Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Ave, Wednesday, May 11, 6pm. $25.)
EdTech Job Fair: Interested in the booming business of education technology? Educelerate and EdSurge are teaming up for a jobs fair to find people like you. Come out to meet Chicago’s EdTechers at Coalition, a River North co-working space. (Coalition, 405 W Superior St, Thursday, May 12, 6:30pm. Free.)
Startup Weekend EDU: This weekend “hackathon” is really a pitch contest, hackathon, business accelerator and schmoozefest all rolled into one. Focusing on education, participants pitch ideas at the top of the program and spend all weekend working on them. Policy folks, designers, devs and educators are all welcome. (LEAP Innovations, 222 W Merchandise Mart Pl, Suite 1212, Friday, May 13 to Sunday, May 15. $10-$99.)
Teachers Who Code: Dev Bootcamp, the 19-week coding school, is hosting a panel discussion with alumni who used to be teachers and have become software developers. Hear from educators who learned to code and changed careers. (Dev Bootcamp, 351 W Hubbard St, Suite 700, Tuesday, May 17, 5:30pm. Free.)