Here’s our exclusive wrapup of upcoming conferences, contests, workshops, application deadlines and socials happening across North Carolina in May.
Included are upcoming meetups, conferences, workshops, socials and networking events happening in Asheville, Charlotte, the Triad, Wilmington and other areas across North Carolina.
This post is part of our weekly column of upcoming events. To find out what’s happening this month in the Triangle specifically, check out part one of this week’s column.
Another post previews events coming in June. Recurring monthly meetups in the Triangle are listed here.
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.
Cybersecurity in the Age of Digital Transformation
April 29, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte Waverly
Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s Ballantyne Chapter is hosting an in-depth conversation with industry leaders on cybersecurity and virtual reality.
Velocity Creative Accelerator Info Session (Wilmington)
April 29, 12-1 p.m. @UNCW CIE
Velocity, a new 9-week accelerator from the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem, delivers one-on-one online and in-person programming with mentors. Join this brief info session to learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due June 2.
Business & The Mompreneur Dollar
April 29, 6-8 p.m. @HQ Greensboro
This event, hosted by Piedmont Business Capital, features panelists speaking about their experiences in starting and growing their mompreneur business, and how other Triad innovators can do so as well.
Tech Talent South Wilmington: Web Development Essentials
April 29, 6-9 p.m.
Tech Talent South Wilmington is hosting a workshop on the basics of web development, covering HTML, CSS and Bootstrap.
Women > A Force in Business
April 30, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. @Charlotte Convention Center
This annual event, one of NC Chamber’s largest programs, addresses the different ways to create and harness opportunities for women in North Carolina’s workforce and business community.
Small Business Appreciation: SBA Resources for Small Business
April 30, 9-10 a.m. @Asheville Chamber of Commerce
Asheville Chamber is hosting an informative program covering the many resources and services offered to local businesses by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This event is free and open to the public.
Build Your Business 2019
April 30, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. @Foundation for the Carolinas
The annual Build Your Business program, hosted by the Foundation of the Women Presidents’ Organization, provides informative talks and sessions covering strategic and operational issues common among startups and small businesses.
Embracing the Entrepreneur Mindset to Achieve Purposeful Action
April 30, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider
Consultant, speaker and author John Canter will lead a workshop on understanding and overcoming the psychological factors that limit people’s ability to take risks and fulfill goals.
2019 Charlotte Venture Challenge
April 30, 4-8 p.m. @UNC Charlotte PORTAL Building
In this pitch competition, the latest participating teams in the Ventureprise Launch program will present their innovations.
Getting SH*T Done: Tech Tools for Operation Management
April 30, 6-8 p.m. @BLKTECHCLT @The Nest
Sherrell Dorsey and Enovia Bedford, co-founders of BLKTECHCLT, will present a workshop on the best platforms and tools for operation management.
Application Deadline: Empower U—The Entrepreneurial Mindset
April 30
Applications are live for Empower U: The Entrepreneurial Mindset, a four-week program starting June 4 that educates small business owners on effective communication, problem-solving, action-oriented frameworks, strategy, and more.
Application Deadline: Collider 2019 Climate Tech Challenge
May 1
The Collider’s Climate Tech Challenge seeks the most innovative climate change solutions from students, researchers and experienced professionals around the world. The winner gets $5,000, entry into The Collider’s Climate Tech Incubator and a 12-month membership.
1 Million Cups CLT
May 1, 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.
Action Greensboro Talent Together Summit
May 1, 4:30 p.m. @Barber Park Event Center
In this event, Action Greensboro will present the results of last year’s Generation Greensboro Survey, which included more than 2,500 professionals in the city. Refreshments will be served.
Bunker Brews ILM: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to Your Business
May 1, 5-7 p.m. @Salty Turtle Beer Company
Bunker Labs Wilmington’s next event will feature a talk from Rob Campbell, who will share how veteran entrepreneurs can apply leadership lessons from the battlefield to their business. The discussion includes an intro from Ryan Casey of Tilia Fiduciary Partners.
Small Business Month Kickoff w/ Charlotte Business Resources
May 1, 5-7 p.m. @Resident Culture Brewing
Join Charlotte Business Resources for its third annual Small Business Month kickoff social with local business leaders. Appetizers and live music provided.
Crowdfunding & Other Alternative Sources of Capital
May 1, 6-8 p.m. @Fayetteville Technical Community College
This workshop covers alternative financing sources and opportunities available for small businesses. Speakers include John Panaccione of LogicBay Corporation, Clem Seifert of INVESTinNC, Richard Geisel of Mustardseed Veteran Funding and Kent Hill of FTCC’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business.
Train the Trainer Workshop on Winning SBIR/STTR Grants
May 2, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. @UNC Wilmington
Hosted by First Flight Venture Center, this full-day training event will demonstrate how early-stage companies can obtain funding from the SBIR/STTR grant programs, covering strategy, preparing competitive proposals, internal procedures, and more.
5th Annual Small Business Resource & Client Appreciation Day
May 2, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. @Halifax Community College Small Business Center
At this event, small business owners will have an opportunity to network with local and state partners.
Appalachian Leadership Institute Webinar
May 2, 1-2 p.m.
The Appalachian Leadership Institute is a nine-month leadership program involving extensive training, skills-learning, seminars, field visits and more programming for people who live and/or work in Appalachia. Join this webinar to learn more. Applications are due June 1.
Innovate Charlotte Social
May 2, 5-7 p.m. @Catawba Brewing
Join Innovate Charlotte alum, mentors and ventures for a casual networking event over beers.
Venture Café Thursday Gathering
May 2, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant
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.
Pitch Party, Presented by Hatch + Venture Asheville
May 2, 6-7:45 p.m. @HatchAVL
This event offers an open-mic night opportunity for any entrepreneur who’s looking to perfect their pitch. The top-voted presentation will win a guaranteed spot at an upcoming 1 Million Cups Asheville session. This event is free and open to the public.
Get2Know NC TECH Webinar
May 3, 9-9:30 a.m.
This free monthly interactive webinar provides participants with an overview of NC TECH’s activities, resources and member offerings.
Velocity Creative Accelerator Info Session (Charlotte)
May 3, 12-1 p.m. @Advent Coworking
Velocity, a new 9-week accelerator from the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem, delivers one-on-one online and in-person programming with mentors. Join this brief info session to learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due June 2.
PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour
May 3, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider
The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.
BLKTECHCLT Presents: Career Development Bootcamp
May 4, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Advent Coworking
This interactive workshop led by Latesha Byrd of Byrd Career Consulting will cover job search strategies, salary negotiation, resumes and more.
Application Deadline: LaunchCamp Tech
May 4
LaunchCamp Tech, sponsored by NC IDEA, is a weekend workshop covering business model frameworks, funnel-building strategies, design methods, and more related concepts.
Velocity 2019 Conference
May 5-7 @The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
MercuryGate International, Inc., a Cary-based provider of SaaS-based transportation management system solutions, will be hosting its Velocity Conference in Las Vegas, featuring over 40 informative sessions on topics affecting the transportation management industry.
Utility Analytics Summit
May 6-8 @Westin Charlotte
Join this conference to find out how utilities are using data and analytics to drive innovation in the industry.
Davidson PitchBreakfast
May 7, 8-10 a.m. @Hurt Hub @Davidson
In this monthly event, a group of three Davidson/Lake Norman-area companies will present their products and services for five minutes, after which they will answer questions from the audience and a panel of experts. Breakfast and coffee provided.
Charlotte Healthcare Matchmaking
May 7, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. @Queens University Sports Complex
Join Healthtech Women in Charlotte for a day of networking, panels, workshops, presentations and a pitch competition featuring emerging innovations in healthcare technology.
Charlotte IoT Lunch & Learn: Concept to Delivery
May 7, 12-1 p.m. @The Launch Factory
Tim Sweet of DNA Group will lead a workshop guiding participants through the steps of design, prototyping, validation and launch for their products.
Winston-Salem M/WBE Mixer
May 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @Enterprise Center at S.G. Atkins CDC
At this free networking event, minority and woman-owned businesses can learn more about the opportunities to do business with local contractors in Winston-Salem. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
Startup Grind Charlotte: An Evening w/ Tariq Bokhari
May 7, 6-8:30 p.m. @AvidXchange HQ
Startup Grind Charlotte is back, hosting a fireside chat with Tariq Bokhari, Charlotte City Councilman and founder of Carolina Fintech Hub.
Charlotte PitchBreakfast
May 8, 8-10 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.
May On Tap: The Barking Deck
May 8, 5:30-8 p.m. @The Barking Deck
Join synerG and the Greensboro Jaycees for a social with local young professionals in Greensboro.
Talent Jam Charlotte: Startup Edition
May 8, 6-9 p.m. @Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts
Hosted by StartCharlotte, Talent Jam Charlotte connects local tech and creative talent with companies that need them. The event features dueling open-mic pitches from employers and jobseekers, plus a networking reception.
Spark Session, Featuring Michael Whelchel of Big Path Capital
May 9, 8-9 a.m. @Hatchworks Coworking
Join Venture Asheville and Hatch AVL for an engaging talk with Big Path Capital Managing Director Michael Welche.
Venture Café Thursday Gathering
May 9, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant
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.
Idea Tap Davidson
May 9, 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.
UNCW AI Meetup
May 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @UNCW Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Every month this meetup group joins to discuss a hot topic in the artificial intelligence space. Join to hear insights and meet others in the Wilmington AI community.
Charlotte Biomedical 2019
May 10, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. @UNC Charlotte Center City Building
UNC Charlotte’s Center for Biomedical Engineering and Science is hosting its annual symposium followed by a student poster competition. Representatives from Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Levine Cancer Institute, Cannon Research Center and OrthoCarolina Research Institute will present keynotes.
PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour
May 10, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider
The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.
LaunchLab Growth Demo Day
May 13, 5-7:30 p.m. @Co//ab
Hear about the latest innovations in the Triad at this pitch and demo event featuring Launch Lab Growth’s latest cohort.
IGNITE Innovation Week 2019
May 13-18, Lake Norman
This week-long innovation celebration is presented in partnership with the Town of Cornelius, Launch Lake Norman and the local business community. More details here.
Velocity Creative Accelerator Info Session (Asheville)
May 14, 12-1 p.m. @Venture Asheville
Velocity, a new 9-week accelerator from the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem, delivers one-on-one online and in-person programming with mentors. Join this brief info session to learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due June 2.
RIoT XXXVI: IoT, Energy & Cleantech
May 14, 6-8 p.m. @Levine Museum of the New South
RIoT and Charlotte IoT are hosting a free event covering the latest projects, organizations and companies that are leading IoT’s expansion into the energy/cleantech sector.
Reach Your Customers Online with Google
May 15, 8:30-10:30 a.m. @Western Carolina University at Biltmore Park
Google’s Get Your Business Online program covers search engine optimization, online advertising, Google Analytics and Google Trends, among other important topics business owners need to know when advertising their brand online. This event is presented by the Small Business & Technology Development Center at Western Carolina University, Asheville Chamber of Commerce and Venture Asheville.
Velocity Creative Accelerator Info Session (Greensboro)
May 15, 12-1 p.m. @Launch Greensboro
Velocity, a new 9-week accelerator from the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem, delivers one-on-one online and in-person programming with mentors. Join this brief info session to learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due June 2.
Packard Place Public House
May 15, 5:30-7:30 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 drinks.
Spring Cleaning for Startups: Fireside Chat w/ 2ULaundry
May 16, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Hurt Hub @Davidson
Startup Grind Davidson is hosting a fireside chat with Alex Smereczniak, CEO and co-founder of 2ULaundry, who will share his entrepreneurial journey, his experience in Techstars Atlanta and Wake Forest University’s entrepreneurship program, and lessons learned along the way.
Venture Café Thursday Gathering
May 16, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant
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.
Founders & Funders Happy Hour
May 16, 6-8 p.m. @204 North Kitchen and Cocktails
StartCharlotte is hosting an informal networking event for startup founders, investors and partners. Free beverages and hors d’oeuvres provided.
Women in Tech: Charlotte
May 17, 8:30-10:30 a.m. @Wells Fargo Auditorium at Knight Theater
NC TECH is hosting a panel discussion on how the tech sector can expand its female workforce.
PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour
May 17, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider
The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.
LaunchCamp Tech
May 18-19
LaunchCamp Tech, sponsored by NC IDEA, is a weekend workshop covering business model frameworks, funnel-building strategies, design methods, and more related concepts. Applications are due May 4.
Energy Technology Series Featuring Cellwatch
May 20, 4:30-6 p.m. @UNC Charlotte – EPIC
Join energy professionals for a presentation on emerging energy technology from Cellwatch Frontier, a solution for rail, telecom and power utilities.
2019 Coastal Entrepreneur Awards
May 22, 7:30-10 a.m. @UNCW Burney Center
UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Greater Wilmington Business Journal are co-hosting an awards program to spotlight the latest leaders and entrepreneurs in the Cape Fear region’s business community.
Venture Café Thursday Gathering
May 23, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant
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.
PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour
May 24, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider
The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.
Cape Fear Women in Tech Meetup
May 28, 5:30-7 p.m. @tekMountain
Cape Fear Women in Tech’s next meetup features a talk with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Executive and Vice Chair of U.S. Women in Nuclear Jhansi Kandasamy.
Skookum Volcano Tour
May 30, 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.
Venture Café Thursday Gathering
May 30, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant
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.
PercCollider Climate Coffee Hour
May 31, 4-5 p.m. @The Collider
The weekly PercCollider event convenes Collider members for networking and collaboration over drinks.