Headliners, part II: Previewing 70 events across NC in December

Here’s our latest wrapup of upcoming conferences, contests, workshops, application deadlines and socials happening across North Carolina through the end of 2018.

Included are upcoming meetups, conferences, workshops, socials and networking events happening in Asheville, Charlotte, the Piedmont Triad, Wilmington and other areas across North Carolina.

To find out what’s happening this month in the Triangle, check out part one of this week’s column.

Another post previews events coming in January. Recurring monthly meetups are listed here. And, we made a special holiday events guide for this festive season.

These columns are an extension of our interactive calendar of tech and startup events. If you’d like to suggest an event to be added to the calendar, feel free to send me an email.

Launch Challenge Showcase

December 3, 2-4 p.m. @Wake Downtown, Winston-Salem

Forsyth Tech Community College presents its Launch Challenge Showcase, in which six colleges and universities will provide financial capital to selected startups and small businesses in Winston-Salem.

How to Start a Startup (Davidson)

December 3, 6-8 p.m. @Flywheel – Davidson

Flywheel Coworking is offering a weekly course on startup business development, covering lean startup methods, best-practices, validation, business models, and more. The curriculum is developed by experts from Stanford University and Y Combinator.

Application Deadline: CED Life Science Featured Company

December 4

Entrepreneurs: Now’s the chance to apply to have your company featured at CED’s 2019 Life Science Conference, coming up in February. The deadline is December 4.

CIO Peer2Peer Meeting

December 4, 7:30-9 a.m., location to be announced

NC TECH members are invited to join local CIOs and senior IT leaders to discuss relevant topics at the next CIO Peer2Peer meeting. Location, topic and facilitator to be announced.

Collider Lunch & Learn: Spatial Data 101

December 4, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider

Mike McDougall, founder of Blue Spatial, will lead a session covering open spatial standards and their applications for vector data.

INFORM: 6 Research-Based Ways to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work for

December 4, 12-1 p.m. @Winston Starts

Dr. William Gentry, director of Career and Professional Development at High Point University, will present a session on effective business leadership.

Charlotte Chamber: Speed Networking at the Speedway

December 4, 4-7 p.m. @Charlotte Motor Speedway

Come network with the business community while getting a sneak peek at the Speedway’s Christmas light decorations at the next “Speed Networking at the Speedway” event, held by Charlotte Chamber. Beverages and appetizers will be provided.

2018 Holiday VIBE

December 4, 5-7 p.m. @Linville Team Partners, Winston-Salem

Join for music, networking, food and beverage tastings at this holiday-themed social, presented by the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Linville Team Partners, Allegacy Federal Credit Union and the Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce.

EPIC Energy Seminar: Panel Discussion on Transportation Electrification Infrastructure

December 4, 5-6:30 p.m. @EPIC Building, UNCC

UNC Charlotte’s Energy Seminar Series features experts discussing insights and trends related to energy. This event is free.

Intro to Programming for Business People: Part 2

December 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m. @Advent Coworking

Learn the jargon, functions and tools of programming in this two-part course hosted by Tech Talent South Charlotte. Part one of the program is on November 27.

2018 NC TECH CIO Online Auction

December 5-7

The winning bidder of this online fundraiser gets the opportunity to facilitate a one-on-one lunch meeting with a CIO and an executive at a North Carolina tech company.

Asheville Chamber Smart Series

December 5, 8-9 a.m.

For the latest in Asheville Chamber’s “Smart Series,” Anna Buys of Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP will show participants how they can boost community engagement among employees.

Tech Talk Live Greensboro: Ransomware

December 5, 8:30-10 a.m. @UNIFI

Greensboro’s business community is invited to attend this informative discussion covering the impacts of ransomware and how companies can protect their data from attacks.

1 Million Cups CLT

December 5, 8:30-10 a.m.

Held every month, 1 Million Cups Charlotte features a presentation from a local startup followed by a Q&A from the community. Free coffee is included.

2018 Year End Tax Planning Considerations

December 5, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Packard Place

Join this event to learn how the federal tax code changes can influence you and your business in 2018 and 2019.

The Climate of Trade & International Business Affairs

December 5, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Hilton Garden Inn

Charlotte Chamber’s Ballantyne chapter hosts Greg Sizemore, director of U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce, for a discussion on Charlotte-area exports and the impacts of trade policy on the private sector.

Marketing Outside the Box: End-of-Year Series

December 5, 12:30-1:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking, Winston-Salem

HUSTLE Winston-Salem is offering an email marketing series in two parts this month. On December 5, participants will learn sales campaign strategies. Later, on December 12, they will learn how to prepare a 2019 marketing plan.

Learning on the Job—Planning vs. Taking the Leap

December 5, 5:30-7 p.m. @UNC Charlotte, Bioinformatics Building

The latest in UNC Charlotte’s Entrepreneurial Decisions Public Speaker Series features a talk from Christopher Moxley, Jerri Shephard and Scott Wooten of 704 Shop.

ScaleUp WNC Info Session & Happy Hour

December 5, 5:30-7 p.m. @Innovation Brewing Innovation Station

At this info session, Western North Carolina-based entrepreneurs and small business owners can learn more about Mountain BizWorks’ upcoming ScaleUp WNC program ahead of the January 27 application deadline.

Port City Young Professionals Networking Event

December 5, 5:30-7 p.m. @UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Join UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for a free networking event. Food and beverages provided.

Healthtech Women’s 1st Annual Happiest Holiday Party

December 5, 5:30-8 p.m. @Chima Steakhouse

At this holiday-themed networking event, Healthtech Women Charlotte will recognize the organization’s partners and volunteers, receive feedback on the year’s events and reveal 2019 programming. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided.

Manufacturers Council Luncheon

December 6, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Duke Mansion

Charlotte Chamber members are invited to join this event to hear a discussion from Fifth Third Bank Chief Investment Strategist Jeff Korzenik on the challenges of today’s manufacturing workforce.

SciTech Lecture Series: Future of the Technician Workforce

December 6, 4-5 p.m. @Forsyth Tech Main Campus

This event features a lecture from Forsyth Tech Community College’s president, Dr. Gary Green.

Venture Café Thursday Gathering

December 6, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more. This week’s event features the work of women in life science professions (see below).

Elevating the Influence & Impact of Women in Life Science

December 6, 5-8 p.m. @Venture Cafe

Join Venture Cafe and the NC Biotech Center for an event featuring women who work in all areas in the fields of life science.

Wilmington Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Meetup

December 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @tekMountain

Come out to the next Wilmington Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Meetup to hear about the latest innovations and projects in the crypto world.

Silicon Hollar Year End Celebration

December 6, 6-8 p.m. @American Legion Hall

Join Silicon Hollar for food, drinks and celebration of the accomplishments of Western North Carolina’s startup community. This event also features pitches from Velocity Labs companies, a raffle and a talk from NC IDEA President Thom Ruhe.

Blockchain LKN Labs: Crypto Talks Thursdays

December 6, 6-9 p.m. @Jay Hurt Hub for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

This weekly meetup is an opportunity for fellow blockchain enthusiasts in the Lake Norman area to join together for beer, coffee, tea or food to discuss all-things-blockchain. Topics rotate every week.

Venture 15 Awards and Venture Asheville Honors

December 6, 6-9 p.m. @Isis Music Hall

Venture Asheville’s “Venture 15 Awards” are positioned in recognition of the 15 fastest-growing startups in the Asheville area.

Get2Know NC TECH Webinar

December 7, 9-9:30 a.m.

This free monthly interactive webinar provides participants with an overview of NC TECH’s activities, resources and member offerings.

BABC Charlotte: Holiday & Good Cheer Luncheon

December 7, 11:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @Charlotte Country Club

BABC Charlotte invites the community to join for a holiday party to wrap up the year.

Fusion Conference: Community Edition 2018

December 7, 12:30-5 p.m. @Camp North End

This quarterly mini-conference features sessions from Charlotte professionals working in web design, user experience and development.

PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour

December 7, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider

The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.

Charlotte Chamber South Chapter Brews & Bites

December 10, 5:30-7 p.m. @Legion Brewing Company Southpark

Chamber members and non-members will gather to celebrate year’s end at the last South Chapter event of 2018. Registration includes two drinks and appetizers. Tickets are free for members, $20 for access-level members and $40 for non-members.

How to Start a Startup (Davidson)

December 10, 6-8 p.m. @Flywheel – Davidson

Lunch & Learn: A Point Well Made with Katie Marshall

December 11, 12-1 p.m. @Action Greensboro

Katie Marshall of Creative Machine Consulting will present a session on strengthening communication, team dynamics and presentation.

Collider Lunch & Learn: Principles of Ethical Marketing

December 11, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider

In this workshop, Justin Belleme of JB Media Group will discuss the fundamentals of ethical marketing and the common decisions and strategies involved.

IoT Charlotte: HMI & Interconnect for Your IoT Designs

December 11, 12-1 p.m. @Advent Coworking

At this lunch and learn, Tim Sweet of DNA Group will lead a session on human-machine interface and connectivity solutions that can be applied to IoT designs.

INFORM: Level up Your Communication, with Jen Brown

December 11, 12-1 p.m. @Winston Starts

Jen Brown, founder of The Engaging Educator, presents a workshop on public speaking and communication best-practices.

Tech Talk Live Wilmington: Competing w/ Urban Markets for Top Talent

December 11, 3-5 p.m. @Ironclad Brewery

NC TECH will be hosting top IT employers for a discussion on talent acquisition and competing with more urban areas in North Carolina. The panel features Harold Zeishner of APC (moderator), Thomas Eggleston of Live Oak Bank and Chris Bartosik of Castlebranch. This event is free and open to the public.

Brews + Bytes Wilmington

December 11, 5-6:30 p.m. @Ironclad Brewery

NC TECH welcomes Wilmington’s tech community for a laid-back networking event over beverages and some light bites. This event is free and open to the public.

Flywheel Idea Tap

December 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Idea Tap is an opportunity for local startups to present their products/services to an audience and receive feedback on how to refine their pitches. The format involves: a five-minute pitch, a five-minute Q&A and five minutes of audience feedback. This monthly event is always free.

Seed the South Info Session

December 11, 6-8 p.m. @Hygge Coworking

Join Collective Hustle for an info session about Seed the South, an upcoming pitch competition and investor symposium featuring promising startups in the Charlotte innovation ecosystem. Apply to pitch by December 16.

Charlotte PitchBreakfast: IDEA Fund Pitch 

December 12, 8-11 a.m. @The Garage at Packard Place

Every month, a handful of Queen City-based companies headline Charlotte PitchBreakfast, pitching their products and services for a total of five minutes, after which they will answer questions from the audience and a panel of entrepreneurs and experts.

Barings/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast

December 12, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. @UNC Charlotte Center City

This program, running since 1981, offers economic data insights from one of the top economists in North Carolina. Dr. John Connaughton will share his latest forecast for North Carolina’s economy in the upcoming quarter.

Cybersecurity Continuum…People, Process & Technology

December 12, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Packard Place

This session will discuss the current cybersecurity threat landscape and review tactics being used across an organization’s staff, technology and operations that can help reduce the risk of an attack.

Marketing Outside the Box: End-of-Year Series

December 12, 12:30-1:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking, Winston-Salem

High Country Year-End Celebration & ScaleUp Info Session

December 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @Hatchet Coffee

Boone entrepreneurs: Join the Mountain BizWorks team and partners for a night of networking and presentations covering local crowdfunding offerings and the upcoming ScaleUp 2019 program. An early glance of Mountain BizWorks’ 2019 plans will also be shared.

Young Professionals On Tap 2018

December 12, 5:30-8 p.m. @O. Henry Hotel

This annual event brings young professionals and organizations across Greensboro together for an evening of food, drinks and networking.

Beyond The Buzz: Blockchain

December 12, 6-7:30 p.m. @Anthroware

This Anthroware event features a roundtable discussion all about blockchain, facilitated by industry insiders, experts and innovators. Drinks and snacks provided.

Department of Defense SBIR/STTR Funding

December 13, 9-11:30 a.m. @Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in Greensboro

At this no-cost event, participants can learn about the $1 billion in R&D funding available for innovative technologies via the Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs.

Venture Café Thursday Gathering

December 13, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Idea Tap Davidson

December 13, 5:30-8 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking – Davidson

Held by Flywheel at the HurtHub@Davidson once a month, the Idea Tap Davidson event series offers local entrepreneurs the opportunity to share their ideas through short pitch sessions and network with like-minded innovators in the community.

Blockchain LKN Labs: Crypto Talks Thursdays

December 13, 6-9 p.m. @Jay Hurt Hub for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour

December 14, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider

The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.

Application Deadline: Seed the South Pitch Competition

December 16

Seed the South, taking place January 9, is a pitch competition and investor symposium featuring promising startups in the Charlotte innovation ecosystem. The pitch application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on December 16.

HUSTLE Night: Year-End Celebration

December 17, 5:30-7 p.m. @Forsyth Tech Small Business Center

HUSTLE Winston-Salem invites the Triad community to come celebrate the year’s accomplishments with an evening of community-building and networking.

Application Deadline: Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Project

December 17

Cleantech innovators are encouraged to apply for the first in three consecutive rounds of funding allocations under the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) project, funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Deadline: ReCONNECT Rural and Urban Community Cohort

December 18

The Institute for Emerging Issues is putting out a call for communities to participate in its second forum in the ReCONNECT NC series, ReCONNECT Rural and Urban, taking place February 11 in Raleigh.

HQ and The Forge Holiday Party

December 18, 5:30-8:30 p.m. @HQ Greensboro

HQ Greensboro and The Forge join to present a special holiday celebration, unveiling a new CNC milling machine at The Forge. The event also features holiday crafting, light food and beverages.

Flywheel Coworking Indeavor Club Lunch

December 19, 12-1:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Indeavor, a networking club offered to all Flywheel Coworking members, is an opportunity to get to know fellow entrepreneurs and swap helpful resources with one another. The lunches are held on the third Tuesday of every month.

Packard Place Public House

December 19, 5:30-8 p.m. @Packard Place

On the third Wednesday of every month, the Queen City’s entrepreneurial community joins together for an evening of networking and connections over free beer and snacks.

Venture Café Thursday Gathering

December 20, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Blockchain LKN Labs: Crypto Talks Thursdays

December 20, 6-9 p.m. @Jay Hurt Hub for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour

December 21, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider

The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.

Application Deadline: NC IDEA LABS

December 24

NC IDEA LABS is a four-week intensive program that helps startup founders with customer discovery, validation and product-market fit for their ventures. The first cohort of the 2019 LABS program starts January 28. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on December 24.

Skookum Volcano Tour

December 27, 12-1 p.m. @Skookum Charlotte

Join an open tour of the Skookum office to get an introduction to the tech and ideas powering the community. The Skookum team will be available for any questions or comments participants may have. Lunch will be provided.