Innovate Pasadena Presents: Connect Weekend

March 13-16, 2014

For more information:  http://www.innovatepasadena.org/connect/ for the overview and http://www.hackforpasadena.org/ for the hackathon. 

Join us in celebrating innovation in the Greater Pasadena area for an inaugural citywide weekend of talks, panels, hack and code events, open-houses and mixers. This is a unique opportunity to explore and learn more about the key institutions, companies and people in the vibrant tech and design ecosystem in the Northeast side of Los Angeles.

You’ll have the opportunity to connect with movers and shakers in Pasadena’s rich density of innovation and creativity, including entrepreneurs as well as the business, academic, civic and professional communities.

The CONNECT Weekend launches with a kickoff party on Thursday night and concludes with a closing event on Sunday. In between, collaborator events will showcase the inventors, scientists, and reachers that make the Greater Pasadena area a prime place for difference makers and disruptors.

CONNECT Weekend Events

TechSparks Pre-Weekend Fast Pitch & Mixer Wednesday, March 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fast Pitch winner will get a meeting with a local influencer AND the opportunity to give their pitch at the #GeekNight closing event. Visit TechSparks for more information.

Connect Weekend Kick-off Mixer Thursday, March 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Join the innovators, difference-makers, and disruptors from the Greater Pasadena area and beyond for a kickoff mixer celebrating the launch of Connect Weekend. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration

Innovate Pasadena Friday Morning Coffee Meet-Up Friday, March 14 from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Details will be available soon.

Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative Open House Friday, March 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative will open the doors to its main wet-lab to allow visitors to meet entrepreneurs behind innovative research happening at PBC and see science in action. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration.

Oak Crest Institute of Science Open House Friday, March 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Open House and informal tours of the Oak Crest working chemistry and biotech lab. Details will be available soon.

Government Business – Is It for Me & How? Friday, March 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Los Angeles County Business Tech Center and Sachs Management will offer a free  workshop on local tech start-ups partnering with government. Topics will include how to market and offer services to government agencies. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration.

Big Ideas – Connect Weekend Edition Friday, March 14 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Calling all entrepreneurs, educators and students interested in the intersection of arts, science and technology.  Have we got an event for you!  Register for the Connect Weekend Edition of Big Ideas for panel discussions and networking. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration.

Future Process: Artists and Designers Reflect on Ray Eames at the Art Center College of Design Friday, March 14 from  7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The dynamic working processes of Ray Eames inspires invited panelists–all women working in the fields of art, design, science, technology and architecture–to consider the diversity of design and its current interests, sparking a multifaceted conversation about the state of working/making/creating today. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration.

Hack for Pasadena Saturday, March 15 & Sunday, March 16 Hack for Pasadena is two-days of open-sourced talks and hands-on problem solving, to re-imagine the way the web, applications, technology, and community participation will shape the future of the City of Pasadena. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration.

Rails Girls LA Saturday, March 15 & Sunday, March 16 Free two-day Ruby on Rails workshop for women of any age with basic knowledge of working with a computer. Visit here for more info.

FabLab Opening Saturday, March 15 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pasadena City College will showcase their Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) which will support digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing and coding technologies to innovate ideas for personal use or entrepreneurial measures. Demonstrations and seminars of the technologies and signup for future training sessions. See how you can design and create your ideas in your local community and be part of a creative supportive community to launch your potential. Details will be available soon.

Digital Media Pitchfest Saturday, March 15 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Coming up with an idea for a cool new tech or social media company is one thing. Getting investors to believe in your idea enough to give you money toward it is another thing entirely. Is your pitch refined and ready to go? Join us for a collaborative session where entrepreneurs and startups can practice their pitch in front of a live audience. We will feature 4 startups who will each give a 5-minute pitch, followed by 15-minutes in Q&A and feedback from mentors and advisors. Details will be available soon.

Innovation Mixer Saturday, March 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Interact with the best and the brightest of today’s innovators, from CEO’s and founders, engineers, developers and designers. Motivated to redefine networking events, the mixer fosters an environment of authentic and fun connection with live music, where participants can interact with the innovators and talents of Pasadena. Details will be available soon.

#GeekNight at the Ice House Sunday, March 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Join us in wrapping up our weekend of Innovation with a night of geek fun at the Ice House! Electrical engineer turned stand-up comedian, Don McMillan will be performing, and the winners of all pitch fests and events will be featured. Details will be available soon.