Global Nerdy

Hey Tampa Bay people who work in tech, or work adjacent to tech, or aspire to work in tech — the annual holiday tech meetup / celebration is happening on Wednesday, December 11th at 5:30 p.m. at Embarc Collective! If you want to catch up with your peers in the industry, make new friends in the industry, or break into the industry, you’ll want to be there.

The tl;dr:

• The event: 4th annual Tampa Bay end-of-year tech meetup
• What it is: A holiday party comprising members of Tampa Bay’s various tech organizations and meetups
• Who’s behind it: Computer Coach and High Tech Connect
• When: Wednesday, December 11, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Embarc Collective (802 E Whiting St., Tampa)

Last year’s event and the growth of the Tampa Bay scene

Here’s a photo from last year’s event:

As you can see, it was a full house last December, which is a tribute to the growth and activity of Tampa Bay’s tech scene.

I moved to Tampa in March 2014, and back then, it would’ve been hard to get this many attendees at Embarc Collective. Part of this is because there wasn’t an Embarc Collective back then, and it’s also because the scene was much smaller, less active, less organized, and there were fewer groups. Over the past ten years, I’ve seen our tech scene grow in leaps and bounds, and it continues to evolve. Let’s celebrate this!

There’ll be a raffle!

There’ll have plenty of raffle prizes to win! To enter,  you can:

• Bring an unwrapped gift or gift card (valued at $10 or more) for donation, or
• Purchase a raffle ticket at the door.

All gifts and funds raised will go to Joshua House, a safe haven for children and teens who’ve been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Last year, the end-of-year tech event raised over $1000, and this year, we’re aiming even higher! Help us make an even greater impact by reaching our new goal and supporting children in need across our community.

If you’re thinking about entering by donating a gift, here’s a list of items they’re asking for this year:

• Gift cards: Visa, Target, Walmart, McDonald’s, Hot Topic, AMC Movie, etc.
• Hoodies! Name brands, any anime or anything from Hot Topic—junior and adult sizes
• Graphic t-shirts: Name brands, any anime, cartoon, etc. in junior and adult sizes
• Anything anime/manga: clothing, books, posters, etc.
• LEGO sets: Star Wars, superheroes, cars, etc.
• Crocs – adult sizes & the jibits, too!
• Make-up & nail kits – Ulta, Urban Decay, etc. (Press-on nails, too – great for stocking stuffers!)
• Fragrance sets: Bath & Body Works, AXE, Victoria’s Secret, etc.
• LED lights for room decorating
• Superhero comic books for all ages
• Books/book Series for teens/pre-teens: graphic novels, joke books, popular YA novels

Once again, the event is the 4th annual Tampa Bay end-of-year tech meetup, and it’s happening on Wednesday, December 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Embarc Collective. We’ll see you there!