Denver Startup Week shifts gears Tuesday. If the kickoff luncheon and opening party were Monday’s highlights, Tuesday is all about business, at least until the speed dating for nerds (yes, you read that right.) Panels on jobs and fundraising are among the day’s events top events.
Check the Denver Startup Week calendar for more details about these events, plus lots of other events not mentioned here. The events are free, but they do want you to register in advance.
Also, some events are full or could fill up, so check the calendar to see. Some events have waitlists. Otherwise, check out what else is going on in that time frame.
The Big Event
Startup Job Fair: Monday featured the big kickoff luncheon and party; Tuesday is about business, especially jobs, with 39 startups set to appear at a job fair from 6 to 8 p.m. in the lobby of the Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis St.
Seemingly every tech company is looking to hire people, be they software engineers, systems administrators, user experience designers, and even marketing staff.
There are so many jobs from so many companies the organizers are having trouble keeping track.
“I don’t have data for the actual number of openings but suffice to say, from a hiring perspective, there is significant critical mass right now in the Denver tech and startup communities,” said Josh Anderson, a SendGrid employee who is helping to organize the fair.
The event also will feature a co-founder matchmaking event, plus they say there will be beer.
The companies are: SendGrid, ReadyTalk, FullContact, Placeable, CaptainU, GoSpotCheck, Ombud, SpireMedia, TrackVia, Revolv Inc, Commerce Kitchen, GutCheck, MedPassage, Rally Software, Return Path, Evolve Vacation Rental Network, SpotXchange, PivotDesk, Federated Media, Double Encore, Elevated Third, PaySimple, ShipCompliant, seOverflow, iTriage, Symplified, AlchemyAPI, Datalogix, Push IO, Craftsy, TalentRiot, Active Junky, Zen Planner, Stack Overflow, Legal Shield, Zizia Solutions, Built In Colorado, ShineRetrofits, and Signpost.
Money, Money, Money, Money: Three panels will tackle the topic of how to find investors in Colorado, and they take slightly different topics. Colorado State Funding Opportunities meets from 9 to 11 a.m. and will cover state programs that support innovative companies like the Advanced Industries Acceleration Act and the Colorado Enterprise Fund. It’s at the office of Deloitte & Touche, 555 17th Street, 35th Floor.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., entrepreneurs will get the chance to pick the mind of an angel investor in the office of David Graham & Stubbs LLP, 1550 17th St. Suite 500
After that, entrepreneurs might be asking whether they should try to court investors at all. Luckily, there’s the aptly titled “Are you ready to raise capital?” panel, which is from 3 to 5 p.m. That’s in the office of Holland and Hart, 555 17th St., Suite #3200.
Hands on Fun
If you’re a geek that likes to fiddle with electronics, you probably known SparkFun, the Boulder-based hardware retailer. They will be in town at Leon (1112 E. 17th Ave.) from 1 to 3 p.m. discussing the company’s roots in the open source hardware movements and will show off some new products.
Avert Your Eyes Part 1 and Face the Music
Ping Identity (1001 17th St., Suite 100) is hosting a panel from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. entitled “#FAIL: How to Survive (and Thrive) When Your Startup Goes Horribly Wrong.” It promises to offer a mix of horror stories and inspirational stories about living the startup life.
The panel entitled “Facing the Music: What The Music Industry Can Teach Us About Tech Startups” is hosted by Vokl CEO Tom Higley and Beatport founder and former CEO Jonas Temple, who know music, startups, and very big exits. The event is in the Denver Post Auditorium, 101 W. Colfax. Doors open at 3 p.m.
Avert Your Eyes Part 2?
With a title like “Talk Nerdy to Me: 8 Minute Dating,” there isn’t much more to say about this event at The Beauty Bar, 608 E. 13th Ave. It’s speed dating for tech geeks. Check online to register. The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Good luck, and remember—make eye contact, but don’t stare.