Mass Conference for Women: Empowerment 2018

The 14^th Annual Massachusetts Conference for Women took place in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Hailed as the largest women’s conference in the United States, the annual event brought a record breaking 17,000 individuals together. Opening night took place on December 5^th, 2018. Opening night featured a workplace summit. Within the summit, key topics discussed included gender partnership and collaboration. The full day conference took place on December 6^th and within it participants took part in countless workshops and seminars and had opportunities to network.

Since the conference’s inception in 2005, the annual event has continued to promote professional development as well as personal growth for women and men. Keynote speakers included human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, happiness researcher Shawn Achor, and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid. Olympic gold medalist, Aly Raisman was another conference speaker. Raisman moved the audience in sharing, “I saw a quote that said, ‘Everyone should take at least five minutes for themselves every single day.' If you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time to take five minutes for myself because I’m too busy,’ then you need a full hour every single day.'" Raisman's words echoed the words of many other speakers in that she shared a message of empowerment. Participants of all ages were able to learn from speakers and network with fellow conference attendees.

The conference also included a program for women in high school. This program highlighted such topics as coping with anxiety. The conference is sponsored by companies which include State Street, Dell, Cisco, Target, and Wayfair.

For more information, visit: https://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/

Inbound 2018

Inbound 2018 brought its people first focus to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for four consecutive days. Deepak Chopra provided the keynote address.

The first tenet for attending Inbound was: actionable education and this year's Inbound provided a wide array of opportunities in that area. From studio fitness classes to 100+ ways to differentiate, the convention showcased a diverse group of professional growth and learning options. The other tenets of Inbound: endless inspiration, uproarious entertainment, and human connections. Networking opportunities also abounded as there was an #Inboundsolo Happy Hour for mixing and mingling.

Of note, the topic of engaging audiences through variety was presented. Recommendations for how to provide variety:

1) Vary your approach:

Use

free

form

text

2) Ask questions!

So what do think?

 Inbound 2018 boasted 104 countries represented, over 250 educational sessions, over 24,000 attendees, and 870 signature rubber ducks in club inbound!

TechJam 2016 Exclusive

The Red Balloon is proud to share an exclusive Press Release from Boston'sTechJam 2016.
Please read below:

Local Bands to Rock Tech Community at Boston TechJam 2016

Music, Food Trucks, Libations and Games Provide Entertainment as Local Tech Community Takes Over City Hall Plaza at 4^th Annual Outdoor Innovation Event

Boston – May 24, 2016 – Boston TechJam, an event that combines a tech block party, innovation showcase and live music to connect the technology community’s contributors, has released its 2016 entertainment lineup. As over 5,000 Boston TechJam attendees gather at City Hall Plaza on Thursday, June 16 from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. to celebrate the tech community, two of the area’s top bands will perform, Harpoon Brewery will provide beer and food trucks will line up, creating an environment for fun networking, discovery of local innovation and idea sharing to accelerate the region’s technology ecosystem and culture.

“Boston TechJam, now in its fourth year, is a networking event unlike any other, part innovation showcase and part live concert,” said Ben Maitland-Lewis, CEO of PrettyInstant.com and Founding Music & Entertainment Director of Boston TechJam. “The entertainment really gets people up and talking to others in the community, making meaningful connections in an incredibly fun and unique-to-the-area atmosphere. Like in past years, our bands will represent multiple local tech companies and will create a great backdrop to a night of conversation and discovery.”

This year’s entertainment line-up includes:

• Live Music – From 4:00-10:00 p.m. ET, award-winning bands will play funk, soul, R&B and pop to keep the party grooving. Continuing the event’s tradition of having tech community members entertain the crowd, this year’s band members work for several Boston companies including Converse, Karmaloop, Rue La La and Wayfair. Bands this year include East Coast Soul and the nationally acclaimed Bad Rabbits, previous winners of the Boston Music Awards Artist of the Year, who will be playing their only local show this summer at BTJ.
• Games and Exhibits from Over 90 Local Companies – While the bands are rocking, entrepreneurs, startups, established tech companies, venture capitalists, non-profit groups and students will be checking out local innovations and enjoying fun, festival-style activities and games. This year, the exhibiting companies will be organized as “Innovation Villages,” to inspire community and networking within the event.
• Student Village – New for 2016, New England Venture Capital Association’s (NEVCA) TechGen program has moved its Urban Beach to Boston TechJam. Sponsored by Boston-based ed tech company Cengage Learning, the student village will feature networking and startups from many of the country’s top universities.
• Food & Libations – Attendees will stay fueled for the festival by enjoying beer from Harpoon Brewery and munching on eats from a variety of Boston-favorite food trucks, including: Chicken & Rice Guys, Taco Party Truck, Captain Marden's Cod Squad, Roxy's Grilled Cheese and The Sausage Guy.

Register for the event now at www.bostontechjam.org and be entered to win weekly prizes including an Amazon Echo from Autodesk, chargeHRs from Fitbit, Noise-Cancelling Headphones from Rocket Software, an AppleTV from PTC and a Helix Bluetooth speaker from Monster. By registering and completing actions on social media platforms to stay informed and help spread the word, you’ll also be entered into the grand prize raffle, a private party, tour and custom brewing session for up to 60 people at Harpoon Brewery. The winner will be announced at the event, and don’t forget, two-thirds of this year’s admission will support computing education in Massachusetts through the MassTLC Education Foundation.

The event would not be possible without the thought leadership and financial support of underwriting sponsors Autodesk, Constant Contact, an Endurance International Group company, Equinix, Fitbit, firstPRO, Kronos Incorporated, Monster, PTC and Rocket Software.

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About Boston TechJam

Boston TechJam is a showcase and accelerator for new ideas and world-class innovations coming out of the Boston region. The event brings together early stage companies, entrepreneurs, students, established enterprises, venture capitalists and artists to celebrate the region’s technology, entrepreneurship and culture. Equal parts idea exchange and celebration, Boston TechJam is an unconventional meeting ground for local innovators, visionaries and up-and-comers. The 18+ event will take place June 16, 2016 in Boston City Hall Plaza.

Boston TechJam is supported by Autodesk, Constant Contact, an Endurance International Group company, Equinix, Kronos Incorporated, Fitbit, firstPRO, Monster, PTC and Rocket Software. Founding collaborators include Apperian, MassTLC, East Coast Catalyst, Pretty Instant, Influence Central and SHIFT Communications, additional collaborators include and GreenHorn Connect, MassChallenge, MassDiGi, MITX, Tech Generation, the City of Boston, New England Venture Capital Association, ONEin3 Council and VentureFizz.