Local community innovation and entrepreneurship events

students standing in front of a sign at the Tech Garden

Join CenterState CEO and The Tech Garden for these events over the next month:

Diversity and Women in Tech with Dr. Erica Mitchell and Latisia Hall-Cannon, Tuesday, August 18, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Join Generation Next for a special series highlighting the distinct experiences that women have in tech. Hear from two dynamic speakers, Dr. Erica Mitchell, Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources Research Group leader from the Army Cyber Institute at West Point, and Latisia Hall- Cannon, Quality Program Manager at Lockheed Martin. Centered as a celebration of diversity, this series aims to create more awareness and advocacy for women doing amazing work in tech related fields. Attendees must register to receive information on how to participate.

The Tech Garden Webinar: How to Pitch to Investors in Under 10 Minutes, Wednesday, August 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Join The Tech Garden for an interactive webinar with award-winning high stakes presentation coach, Nathan Gold. You will learn how to craft and deliver your best elevator pitch to attract investors. Nathan Gold, also known as The Demo Coach, hails from the San Francisco Bay Area where he coaches entrepreneurs globally on how to prepare for high-stakes speaking opportunities and how to harness speaking anxiety. Cost: Free. Attendees must register to receive information on how to participate in the webinar.

Tech & Culture Speaker Series with Evan Williams, Composer/Conductor, Wednesday, August 26, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  The Tech and Culture Speaker Series is devoted to promoting diversity, inclusion, and belonging in tech related fields. The series will highlight diverse speakers who are currently leading in the tech industry and allow them to share their personal stories, which will inspire, motivate and transform the mindset of the diverse audiences. The speaker for the upcoming program is Evan Williams a composer/conductor. His work reflects inspirations from the Baroque, Romanticism, Modernism, Minimalism, contemporary popular music, and everything in between. Williams’ music has been performed across the country and internationally in Canada, Italy, and Switzerland. This event is sponsored by JPMORGAN CHASE&CO. Cost: Free. Attendees must register to receive information on how to participate.

Personal Financial Preparedness Series, With Vicki Brackens, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.  Join CenterState CEO’s Generation Next for this special, three part financial preparedness series, presented by Vicki Brackens, president and financial planner, Brackens Financial Solutions Network, LLC. Brackens will share how the next generation of leaders can begin to think about finances and financial management differently in order to be prepared for the things that happen in life, particularly in times of crisis. Each week, participants will take away tools, information and strategies to get themselves and their families through the next part of their lives, including managing earnings in a manner that prepares for rainy days. Cost: Free. Attendees must register to receive information on how to participate in the webinar.

The Tech Garden: GENIUS NY Pitch Finals, Thursday, September 17, 4:00 p.m.  Join The Tech Garden and CenterState CEO as we give away $3 million in awards to the five startups in the 2020 GENIUS NY accelerator cohort. Each team will get 5 minutes to tell their story – who they are, what problem they’re solving, how they plan to scale, and why they want to do it in Central New York! Following the pitch there will be a Q/A from our judges. Throughout the premiere there will be chances for the audience to get involved and win prizes. Attendees must register to receive information on how to participate.

Leadership Lessons from 7 Inspirational Influencers, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.  A new interactive take on CenterState’s popular 7 Habits event.  Hear from seven influential executives and community leaders. Each will share a leadership lesson that has shaped how they manage, motivate themselves and others, and build success in their lives and careers. Attendees will have an opportunity to interact with the speakers through breakout sessions and take away inspiring new approaches to be more effective and impactful in their personal and professional life. Cost: $17 for members ; $27 for non-members. Presented by D’Arcangelo & Co. LLP.

For more information and to register for any of these events, please visit the events page at the CenterState CEO website: https://www.centerstateceo.com/news-events/events