Fall is upon us, and with it comes a colorful range of hackathons, speaking events and career fairs for the tech-savvy, the "wannabe tech-savvy" and the "maybe-I-want-to-get-into-tech?"-savvy. Want to laugh your way to prizes? Check out Comedy Hack Day. Want to build things that help others? Try the ChicagoNext Hackathon. Learn about Grace Hopper, what happens to coding bootcamp grads after graduation and the career trajectories of black entrepreneurs at tech panels across the city.
Chicago Comedy Hack Day: This is a hackathon with a twist. Bring an idea, dev skills, design skills or all three. Also, be funny. This two-day hackathon is a spin-off of the original, which was organized by Cultivated Wit, and will be held at the Cards Against Humanity office. (Cards Against Humanity Office, 1917 N Elston Ave, Saturday, October 3, 8:30am-midnight, Sunday, October 4, 8:30am-10pm. $10-$15.)
Black in Tech: The Founders Series For Tech Entrepreneurs of Color panel at 1871 is the second in a series featuring black entrepreneurs. It will include the founders of Nexercise, LISNR and Flat Out of Heels. (1871, 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, 12th Floor, Wednesday, October 7, 6pm-9pm. Free.)
City Code Chicago: This one-day conference for developers looking to spark their creativity will be held at Second City Theater and cultivates an intimate, collaborative vibe. Topics range from unikernels to the inimitable Admiral Grace Hopper. (Second City Theater, 1616 N Wells St, Friday, October 9, 8am-6:30pm. $119.)
Chicago Uncubed: Billed as “the most creative recruiting event in tech,” Uncubed is a conference and hiring fair hybrid with tech speakers, workshops on the fly and a traditional employer expo. (Revel Downtown, 440 W Randolph St, Friday, October 9, 10am-5pm. $30-$40)
ChicagosNext Not-for-Profit Hackathon: Held at Pilsen’s tech hub Blue 1647, this hackathon focuses on solving local community problems by bringing technologists and developers together with community members. Focused on using Azure and other Microsoft technologies, this “overnight” hackathon also has chef-curated meals and late night tamale snacks. (Blue 1647, 1647 S Blue Island Ave, Saturday, October 24, 5pm-11pm, Sunday, October 25, 8am-8pm. $50.)
Life After Dev Bootcamp: What Kinds of Jobs Do Graduates Get?: Curious about this whole “coding bootcamp” thing? Wondering whether it actually leads to real, paid, grown-up jobs? Hear from a panel of Dev Bootcamp alumni who work at a range of companies, from small startups to global organizations. (Dev Bootcamp, 351 W Hubbard St, Suite 700, Wednesday, October 28, 5:30pm-7pm. Free.)