Week of events celebrating Ann Arbor tech to return in September

Registration is now open for Ann Arbor SPARK’s a2Tech360, an annual weeklong series of events spotlighting Ann Arbor’s tech sector, which will return Sept. 22-Oct. 2.

“We’re always excited to put together another great lineup,” says Lydia Mitchell, a2Tech360 program manager. “I think the thing we’re most excited about is that we are opening a2Tech360 this year with Tech Homecoming, which is our job fair.” 

Tech Homecoming and Tech Trek, a lively street fair featuring more than 60 tech innovators, are a2tech360’s largest events. They’ll bookend the week’s festivities on Sept. 22 and Oct. 2, respectively. 

“They’re really the big events in a2Tech360 that bring the community together,” Mitchell says. “I think that that’s going to be a really great way to bring as many people together as we can across the lineup, from beginning to end.”

She highlights Tech Trek, which she says will feature something for attendees of all ages.

“There’s giveaways for the kids, and there’s cool tech and robots and all kinds of stuff happening on Liberty,” Mitchell says. “Everyone should check it out.”

Overall, a2Tech360 will feature eight SPARK-hosted signature events and approximately 15 partner events, some free of cost. This year will bring an expansion of the annual FastTrack Awards, which recognizes local companies that have grown more than 20% over a three-year period. Two new awards will debut. 

‘We’re going to recognize an individual for a community impact award, and that award will come with a cash donation to a local nonprofit of their choice,” Mitchell says. “We’re also going to do a small business recognition award.”

a2Tech360’s ever-popular Mobility Summit will take place on Sept. 30 at the American Center for Mobility (ACM) in Ypsilanti Township. Mitchell says ACM will be showcased as a hub for advancing technologies in mobility. 

“Anything that moves people or things is mobility, and ACM is at the center of that right here in Washtenaw County,” she says. 

Mitchell is also excited about this year’s Women in Tech event, which will take place Sept. 28. This year’s speaker is Alana Karen, author of the bestselling “Adventures of Women in Tech.”

“She worked for Google for 20 years and her book really focuses on how to advance your career as a woman in tech,” Mitchell says. “All of the attendees will actually walk away with a workbook from Alana Karen.”

This year will also mark the first time that Women in Tech, one of a2Tech360’s larger events, will be held during the day. 

“Not everyone’s a mother, but lots of women are mothers,” Mitchell says. “We wanted to put that event during the day, where hopefully it’s easier to have child care and those kinds of things.”

Attendees will also have access to the Women in Tech Resource Marketplace. Women who lead a group, or who want to help build something for other women, are invited to table at the event. Nunchi, a women-owned and -created tech tool for networking, will be rolled out for the event as well.

“It’s created by Trista Van Tine, who is a local woman founder,” Mitchell says. “It’s one part kind of LinkedIn social networking, one part conference app where you can build networks live with the other members of the event.”

She underscores that Women in Tech is “a really great place to network and build your tools, and put those mentors and those tools in your pocket to continue to expand your career.” 

Overall, Mitchell says survey data show that the networking opportunities at a2Tech360 events are “really the biggest attraction.”

“We hope folks leave any event inspired to do the thing they’re already doing, or to dream big and build something new here in Washtenaw County,” Mitchell says. “I hope that what they leave with is a sense of ‘we can build that,’ or ‘we can invent that, and we can do it here in Washtenaw County.'”

Registration and more information are available here.