Hang on to your fireworks. We still have another week to go before the 4th of July. Still, you'll find plenty of cool options this week to one-up your networking game, pick up a few new skills and grab a few free cocktails.
Here are our top picks for Austin tech and startup events this week
Monday, June 27
Happy hour and hacking -- not a bad way to start the week. The Maptime ATX meet up, which is the local chapter Maptime, is hosting an informal meet up at 4th Tap Brewing Co-Op. They're inviting folks to just hangout or bring a laptop along for some hacking or a lightning talk to share cool new tips with everyone.
If your Monday focus is strong, there's also a Design in Motion discussion hosted by General Assembly. They've asked a few awesome local designers to show how they might use graphics, widgets, videos and more to create user-friendly web experiences for NBC's build up to the Olympic Games. Among those who will share and discuss their approach are: Oscar Llarena, UX leader at IBM Partnerworld; Dany Hotea, founder of Consultic; Milena Pribic, product designer at IBM Design; and John Berry, interaction designer at Thinktiv. It's free.
Tuesday, June 28
SXSW is a catapult that can propel people and companies to the next level through exposer and networking. A big part of that is being on a panel to share authority and insight. Hugh Forrest, director of SXSW Interactive, will be at the New York Code + Design Academy's Austin speaker series at IBM to talk about how PanelPicker works and all other topics SXSW. It starts at 5:30 p.m.
Bunker Labs LIVE, a workshop-style environment where innovative veterans and other entreprenuers get together to inspire each other, riff on great ideas and network, runs from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Capital Factory.
Wednesday, June 29
It's the kickoff of the Data-Driven Product Innovation Summit, which fills June 29 and 30. Tickets are a bit pricy, but the lineup of speakers is top notch. Among 25-plus speakers are high-level directors from eBay, Nike, Paypal, American Express, LinkedIn and more.
Time to get that pitch locked and loaded. General Assembly and WeWork are bringing in Melissa Murphy, founder of The Pitch Academy, and Jeff Levine, executive program director of 3 Day StartUp to help founders and their teams perfect an elevator pitch. The roundtable gives folks a chance to practice their pitches and get pro tips on how to improve.
Also, Capital Factory and Conde Nast are setting up a big job fair. So grab your resume and some business cards. Folks who check this one out will flow through the fair and have a chance to chat with several potential employers. The rest is mostly drinks and networking, along with opportunities to follow up with a few recruiters if you need more information. It starts at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 30
It's thirsty Thursday, and Bunker Labs is having one of its Bunker Brews happy hours. No word on which Bunker Labs team is hosting this week. But you'll find veteran entrepreneurs, mentors and other innovators hanging out, sipping beers and talking about how to build a business.
Racing at startup speed can grind us all down from time to time. Gustavo Padron, of Wanderlust, and Danielle Sobel, founder of Juice Society, will be at WeWork University Park from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. to talk about the importance of shifting down a gear or two to recollect and reenergize. That chat will be followed by a yoga class.
Urban Co-Labs is bringing Natalie Betts, the city's recycling economic development liaison to talk about "innovating to zero waste." It's also a great networking opportunity. It starts at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, July 1
Well, hey there July, nice to see you again. Plus, it's Friday. Get your weekend started with a happy hour at General Assembly's weekly happy hour where you can grab a cold drink and chat with instructors and other techies.
Coming Soon
July 4: Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic at the Austin360 Amphitheater. The Zebra hosts its Stars and Stripezzz fireworks-watching event at the edge of Lady Bird Lake.
July 6: The Austin Forum on Technology and Society hosts a discussion on "Unlocking Opportunities: Achieving Diversity in Tech."
July 21: Urban Co-Labs and Austin Inno host a Diversity in Tech Reception to celebrate diverse founders, and network over a few drinks.