Global Nerdy : Page 14 of 656 : Tampa Bay’s Technology Blog

Laid off in 2024, part 20: One of the upsides of being laid off (electronics and IoT)

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 16, 2024

Joey de Villa’s “IoT box” — a clear plastic storage container containing Pimoroni Badger 2040W, Elegoo UNO R3 Super Starter Kit, Rasberry Pi 3 Model B, Adafruit Circuit Playground Express, 2 Raspberry Pi 4 Model Bs, Elecrow 5" HDMI screen, Elegoo 37 sensor module kit, and Raspberry Pi Pico.

One of the upsides of being laid off is that you get a couple extra hours a day — and only a couple, because getting a new job is your new job — to pick up some things that have fallen by the wayside. For me, one of those things was playing around with electronics and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, and I’d been waiting for a chance to pull out my “IoT box,” pictured above.

Clockwise from the top:

Pimoroni Badger 2040W: It’s an ID badge that’s also a wearable computer with Wifi and buttons, so it’s interacive as well! It has an E Ink screen, so the display can still show text and graphics, even with the power cut off.
Elegoo UNO R3 Super Starter kit featuring the Arduino UNO revision 3 microcontroller board, a breadboard for building circuitry without soldering, and a whole lot of electronic parts. It’s programmable in the Arduino language, which is pretty much C++.
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B: I’ve had this one for a while, performing all sorts of yeoman service tasks for me in the background.
Adafruit Circuit Playground Express — Another microcontroller board with blinking lights, motion sensor, temperature sensor, light sensor, sound sensor, mini speaker, push buttons, and infrared transceiver. It’s programmable in Microsoft MakeCode blocks or JavaScript, CircuitPython, or Arduino.
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B: This was a gift from Computer Coach.
Elecrow 5″ resistive touch screen: For the Rasberry Pis.
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B: Yup, I have two! This one’s from my time as a student at the Undercroft’s UC Baseline cybersecurity course, and the other
Elegoo 37 sensor module kit: Lots of blinking lights, speakers, buzzer, laser emitter, keypad, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, light sensors, sound sensor, infrared motion sensor, magnetic spring sensor, and more.
Raspberry Pi Pico: A really tiny microcontroller board, programmable in MicroPython and C. Can easily be used to fashion a USB Rubber Duckie to do what Tony Stark did to the SHIELD Helicarrier’s systems in the first Avengers movie.
Fomu: (Not pictured) A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that fits into a USB port — basically my tiniest computer.

I also have a basic electrical/electronics kit:

Joey de Villa’s electronic kit, a plastic container containing soldering iron, digital multimeter, and various electronics tools.

I’ve used it for all sorts of little repairs, including the time I fixed a manufacturing defect in one of our emergency lights.

There are big payoffs to being able to tinker with and fix physical things: it helps build a “can do” mindset that will serve you well, especially during a long post-layoff job search during a time when the jobs market is tough. It’ll take you far in work, life, and play.

I’ll write more about my IoT/electronics projects as I complete them.

Also in this series…

Tags laid off in 2024

Career What I’m Up To

Laid off in 2024, part 19: Why I’m relying on connections and referrals

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 15, 2024

There are two main reasons why I’m relying on connections and referrals to land my next job:

With one notable exception*, every job I’ve ever had came via a connection or referral, and
Applying “cold” means filling out asinine applications like the one pictured above — and hoping to get noticed among the hundreds of others filling out the same form.

At the very least, they could’ve posed the question in a cool way…

🚨 Content warning: Samuel L. Mother-effing Jackson!

The “years of experience” field for English is probably the result of the application form software or the person who set up the form. They probably wanted a fluent English speaker and entered “English” into the “required skills” section. The software simply asks for years of experience for any required skill.

It should be noted that if your primary language is English, filling out the “years of experience” field for it gives away your age.

✳️ That exception? Auth0, which was later acquired by Okta. I saw the job on LinkedIn and filled out the application form.

In case you haven’t read it, here’s how I landed that job.

Also in this series…

Tags laid off in 2024

Current Events Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events list (Week of Monday, March 18, 2024)

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 15, 2024

Here’s the “official unofficial” list of tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events for Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for Monday, March 18 through Sunday, March 24, 2024.

Monday, March 18

8:00 p.m., in-person: Defcon813’s Seminole Heights Social. This is the DC813 crew’s monthly social for those interested in all things cyber and techh. Hacking, certification or simply learning more techniques in this vast field of cybersecurity. This location is non-alcholic and kid friendly!

Event name and locale	Group	Time
In person at Fords Garage St Pete	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	11:00AM – Monday, Mar. 18
Networking at Ford’s Garage	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:00AM – Monday, Mar. 18
Downtown St Pete Business Professionals Lunch	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:00AM – Monday, Mar. 18
Start the Week with more connections MONDAYS at Romi’s Tacos All Welcome!	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	11:30AM – Monday, Mar. 18
Networking at Romi’s Tacos	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:30AM – Monday, Mar. 18
Business Networking Meeting	Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay	11:30AM – Monday, Mar. 18
In PERSON Networking Lunch East Brandon Reserve your seat	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Monday, Mar. 18
Monday Business Introductions at Romi’s Taco’s	Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & Mixers	11:30AM – Monday, Mar. 18
St. Pete Networking Lunch! Fords Garage! Monday’s	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Monday, Mar. 18
How to Drive B2B Sales Growth with LinkedIn & Social Selling	Tampa Startup Founder 101	1:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Orlandopreneur Monthly Happy Hour	Orlandopreneur	5:30PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Introduction To The Exposure Triangle- Settings, Shooting Modes & Light Metering	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Monday Feast & Game Night	Tampa Bay Tabletoppers	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Monthly N. Pinellas Humanist Social Dinner	Tampa Bay Coalition of Reason is disbanded	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Speakeasy Toastmasters #4698	Toastmasters District 48	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Casual Pokemon League at Nerdy Needs	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Rising Sun – with Daimyo Box!	Sarasota Strategy Board Game League	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
MTG: Commander Night	Critical Hit Games	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Monday Weekly Board Game Night! (Lazy Moon Colonial Location)	Board Game Meetup: Board Game Boxcar	6:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
North Port Toastmasters Meets Online!!	Toastmasters District 48	6:30PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Three Bridges Brewing Trivia Night with the Smartphone Trivia Game Show	Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice	6:30PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Woodshop Tool Sign Off-Jointer, Planer, & Bandsaw (Members Only)	Tampa Hackerspace	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Urban Exploration Photography Introduction – Methods, Techniques, Safety & MORE!	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Board Game Night at Armada Games	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Stirling Toastmasters Club #7461614	Toastmasters District 48	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Members as far back as 2008 can access their photos	School is closed- Light Study PRO – A Photography Workshop	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Virtual Event: Hiawassee Book Club	Library Book Clubs – OCLS	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
ONLINE: The Stoic Response to Grief, Part 2	Orlando Stoics	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)	Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg	7:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
DigiMondays	Sunshine Games	7:30PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Seminole Heights Social	Defcon813	8:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Weekly Meetup	Beginning Web Development	8:00PM – Monday, Mar. 18
Return to the top of the list

Tuesday, March 19

10:00 a.m., online: Computer Coach presents Career Q&A on LinkedIn Live. Elevate your career to new heights with “Career Q&A: Ask a Coach,” a dynamic live LinkedIn session where you’ll receive real-time answers to your burning career questions while forging meaningful connections and gaining invaluable insights to drive your professional growth.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:00 p.m., online: Computer Coach presents their Free Intro to Cyber Bootcamp. Are you curious about the world of cybersecurity? Ready to take the first step towards a rewarding career in tech? Join our free three-night introductory cyber class! Led by experienced instructors, this live, instructor-led, remote online course is the perfect starting point for individuals interested in exploring the field of cybersecurity.

6:00 p.m., online: Tampa Startup Founder 101 presents Meet the Florida Startup Ecosystem w/ Rokk3r & Startup Grind Miami. At this online and interactive event, they will gather representatives from different entrepreneurial organizations, including Rokk3r and Startup Grind Miami, and top local entrepreneurs, to outline the local resources and provide tips on how to build a startup in Miami and in Florida in general.

6:00 p.m., in-person at 615 Channelside Drive, Tampa (the Rapid7 office building): Tampa Bay SQL Server User Group is holding their monthly meeting. SELECT ‘you’ FROM People WHERE Attending = TRUE!

Event name and locale	Group	Time
The Business Networking Midday Power Hour by Simply Referrals on Zoom!!	Simply Referrals Tampa Business Networking	12:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament	Sunshine Games	7:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Venice Area Toastmasters Club #5486	Toastmasters District 48	7:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
NPI St. Pete Business Builders Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals	Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)	7:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Career Q&A: Ask a Coach with Suzanne Ricci	Tech Success Network	10:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Career Q&A: Ask a Coach with Suzanne Ricci	Front End Creatives	10:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Career Q&A: Ask a Coach with Suzanne Ricci	Tampa Cybersecurity Training	10:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Career Q&A: Ask a Coach with Suzanne Ricci	Career Success Academy	10:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Jog & Calisthenics	Orlando Night Shift Third Shift Workers	10:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Westchase Business Networking Lunch ~ All Welcome JOIN us and connect!	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Tuesday Westchase Business Networking Lunch at Sea Glass Tavern	Business Professionals of Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough	11:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Westchase Professional Business Networking Lunch ~ All Welcome	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	11:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Networking at SeaGlass Tavern~ All Welcome, join us!!!	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:00AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Westchase Professionals Business Networking Lunch -Grand Hacienda 11955 Sheldon	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Professional Business Networking Lunch Glory Day’s New Tampa	Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All Welcome	11:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
New Tampa Networking Lunch at Glory Day’s Grill New Tampa	Wesley Chapel, Trinity, New Tampa, Business Professionals	11:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Networking at Glory Days Grill	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
New Tampa RGA Chapter ~ Glory Days Meet your next referral partner!	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
The Business Alliance Club	The Business Alliance	11:45AM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
HEALTH FREE WEBINAR – Focus & Productivity Hacks	Tampa Small Business Owners – EVERYONE WELCOME	12:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Homeschool Board game days	Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup	12:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
B SASSY AT🎉OUR FIRST EVER ‘BOARD GAME DAY’🪃🎯⛳🎠🏇⛷️🤺	SASSY	1:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Launch Your Print-on-Demand Empire from Home with Minimal Investment!	Digital Success Mentors – Tampa	3:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
🟢 How To Turn Your Images Into Income – An Introduction To Stock Photography🔴	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	5:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Meet the Florida Startup Ecosystem w/ Rokk3r & Startup Grind Miami \|Online Event	Tampa Startup Founder 101	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
FREE Intro to Cyber Bootcamp	Tech Success Network	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Weekly Open Make Night	Tampa Hackerspace	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
TBSSUG Monthly Meeting	Tampa Bay SQL Server User Group (TBSSUG)	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
FREE Intro to Cyber Bootcamp	Career Success Academy	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Magic: The Gathering Night at Felicitous	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
📸 An Introduction To Portrait Shoots For Photographers – Techniques & Tips 📸	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
FREE Intro to Cyber Bootcamp	Front End Creatives	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
FREE Intro to Cyber Bootcamp	Tampa Cybersecurity Training	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Disney Lorcana Night	Critical Hit Games	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Meet & Greet at O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant	Florida Center for Creative Photography	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Weekly Tuesday Evening Online Zoom Meeting	Pinellas Writers Group	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Authors Anonymous – Writing Group	Authors Anonymous – Writing Group	6:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Ask Us Anything: WordPress Support Crowdsourcing Meetup	WordPress Tampa Bay	6:30PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
March Meetup Book Club	Saint Petersburg Book Club Meetup Group	6:30PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
The Sarasota Creative Writers	The Sarasota Creative Writers Meetup Group	6:30PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Tampa Bay Technology Center (TBTC) Monthly Meeting	Tampa Bay Coalition of Reason is disbanded	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Twenty Ways To Break The Ice W New Portrait Subjects & Clients – Methods & Tips	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Street Photography, “How I See It!” by Rafael Perdomo	The Art Of Photography – Tampa/St. Pete Chapter	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Trivia Night with Trivia Nation	Trivia Night at Irish 31 Seminole	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults	St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young Adults	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Trivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show	Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Street Photography “How I See It” by Rafael A. Perdomo	The Art Of Photography – Sarasota / Venice	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Meet-and-Greet (March 19, 2024)	Page’s Edge Book Club	7:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Let’s play chess at 54th Ave Kava House!	TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup Group	7:30PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Online Event: Shut Up & Write on Zoom	Shut Up & Write!® Tampa	7:45PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
Return to the top of the list

Wednesday, March 20

This particular Wednesday is packed with events, one of which is mine!

8:00 a.m., online: Data, Cloud and AI in Tampa present Living with Autonomous AI. This one’s about how “Robots with Autonomy” will likely play an important role in creating a sustainable future in areas such as maintaining our built environment, keeping a rapidly ageing population secure in their homes or keeping degraded land due to climate change productive.

2:00 p.m., online: Gen AI Tampa’s first meetup — Revolutionizing Predictive Models with Generative AI-Driven Feature. Extract new value from your predictive models with this expert panel, tailored to data executives. Join them for an insightful exploration of how Generative AI is reshaping feature engineering, automating the discovery of key variables, and elevating the performance of predictive models.

5:30 p.m., in-person at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center, Tampa: Computer Coach presents A look at Diversity Equity & Inclusion in 2024! Join Computer Coach for a thought-provoking and insightful panel discussion as we delve into the dynamic landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in 2024. In a world that continues to evolve rapidly, our understanding and approach to fostering diversity, ensuring equity, and promoting inclusion are more crucial than ever.

6:30 p.m. in-person at Kforce, Tampa: Tampa Bay AI Meetup presents How to build AI applications with Python and LangChain. Learn how to build an AI application using Python and LangChain. You’ll see how LangChain can help you build more sophisticated AI applications that can use additional data sources, “remember” what you told it previously, and provide structured output that your application can use. We think this session will take your AI app development to a whole new level!

7:00 p.m., in-person: CitySec is an unaffiliated collection of informal meetups for like-minded security professionals. CitySec groups meet to discuss topics of interest in a non-work, non-vendor setting; preferably while drinking.

Event name and locale	Group	Time
Grow Your Business with focused Referral Networking	BNI Tampa -Referral based networking	7:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
St Pete Networking Breakfast at the Hangar Meet St Pete’s Top Pro’s All Weclcome	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	7:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Networking at The Hanger Restaurant & Flight Lounge!	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	7:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Tampa Highrisers Toastmasters	Toastmasters District 48	7:45AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Living with Autonomous AI	Data, Cloud and AI in Tampa	8:00AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
1 Million Cups – Orlando Weekly Meetup	1 Million Cups – Orlando	8:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
FCCP Morning Photowalk to Eagle Lake Park, Largo, FL	Florida Center for Creative Photography	8:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Career Transition & Job Seeker Networking & Support Meeting – In Person Meeting!	Career Rebound – New Job or Career Search for Professionals	9:00AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Craig Park in Tarpon Springs	Suncoast Drone Club	9:00AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Midjourney Prompt Help & Advanced FAQ with A.I. Creative Compass!	Midjourney A.I. Art Meetup Group	11:00AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
6 smart ways to spot login attacks	ManageEngine’s Cybersecurity Meetups	11:00AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
In Person Networking BRANDON! Just Love Coffee Cafe – Brandon FL	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:15AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Sun City Center Professional Business Networking Lunch ~ All Welcome	Business Professionals of Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Carrollwood Networking Lunch! Join us and win!	Tampa Bay Networking Meetings and Mixers	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Networking at Glory Days Grill!	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Brandon Networking Professionals Networking Lunch	Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & Mixers	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Carrollwood Professional Networking Lunch Wednesday All Welcome JOIN us	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Brandon Business Professionals Just Love Coffee	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Brandon Business Professionals IN Person!!!!	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Networking at Just Love Coffee!	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
NPI North St. Pete Networkers Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals	Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Business Networking Lunch	Bradenton/Sarasota Networking Meetings and Mixers	11:30AM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
How to Optimize Fundraising Efforts through Strategic Marketing Techniques	Tampa Startup Founder 101	1:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)	Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg	1:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Revolutionizing Predictive Models with Generative AI-Driven Feature	Gen AI Tampa	2:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Inspiring Authors & Book Immersion Meetup	Lady Lake Memoir Writing Meetup Group	2:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Playing Games in the Alley	The Tampa Chapter of the Society for the Exploration of Play	5:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Wednesday Night Gaming	Brandon Boardgamers	5:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Bay pines toastmaster’s hybrid meeting	Bay Pines Toastmasters	5:15PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
A look at Diversity Equity & Inclusion in 2024!	Career Success Academy	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Felicitous Game Night w/Heritage Dim Sum	Tampa Game Nights	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Wednesday Board Game Night	Tampa Gaming Guild	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Felicitous Game Night w/Heritage Dim Sum	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
A look at Diversity Equity & Inclusion in 2024!	Tampa Cybersecurity Training	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
A look at Diversity Equity & Inclusion in 2024!	Front End Creatives	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
A look at Diversity Equity & Inclusion in 2024!	Tech Success Network	5:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Introduction To Composition For Photographers! Techniques To Improve Your Images	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Casual Commander Wednesdays	Sunshine Games	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Digital DeLand Monthly Meeting	DigitalDeLand	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Board Game Night	Critical Hit Games	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Great Big Trivia Wednesdays @ Terra Ceia Bay Country Club Palmetto 6-8PM	South Florida Poker, Music & Entertainment Group	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Dungeons & Dragons One Shot Wednesdays	Clermont Nerd Games	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Learn to Play Moon River at Meeple Movers Board Game Cafe	Meeple Movers Gaming Group	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
1st & 3rd Wednesdays – Backgammon Casual Games	Sanford Backgammon Group	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Monthly Meeting: Focus on Critiques	Prose Society Writers Group	6:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
TBUX Quarterly Social	Tampa Bay UX Group	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
How to build AI applications with Python and LangChain	Tampa Bay Artificial Intelligence Meetup	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Virtual Feedback!	We Write Here Black and Women of Color Writing Group	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Happy Hour for Young Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders	Young Entrepreneurs of America YEA Meetup Group	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Jewelry laser making	Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Game Night!	Drunk’n Meeples the Social Tabletop (Board) Gamers	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Skybox Rooftop Bar	Wesley Chapel Fabulous 40s and 50s Food and Fun Meetup Group	6:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Woodshop Safety (Members Only)	Tampa Hackerspace	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
CigarCitySec	Defcon813	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
[Virtual] Tampa Bay Bitcoin Meetup: News, Markets, & Community	Tampa Bay Bitcoin	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
MtG Modern Constructed at Armada Games	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Carrollwood Toastmasters Meetings meet In-Person and Online	Toastmasters District 48	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
CigarCitySec Meetup	Central Florida CitySec	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Sales Webinar – Learn The Most Effective Closing Technique	Tampa Small Business Owners – EVERYONE WELCOME	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Agile Speakeasy: An Open Conversation	Agile Orlando	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Nerd Night: Board Games and Beer at Deadwords Brewing	Adventures On Tap: TTRPGs and Board Games	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
New Beginnings & Old Rivalries	Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards Guild	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Mastering Communication: A Key to Professional Success	Professionals Meetup For Networking And Social Skillsets	7:00PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Cardfight Vanguard!! OverDress Weekly	Sunshine Games	7:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Carollwood Professionals Networking Lunch!	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:30PM – Wednesday, Mar. 20
Castaways Euchre Club	Castaways Euchre Club	6:50PM – Wednesday, Mar. 27
Return to the top of the list

Thursday, March 21

6:00 p.m., online: Tampa Bay Data Engineering Group presents TBDEG – Exploring the Apache Iceberg Ecosystem with Alex Merced! This month, Alex Merced will present “Exploring the Apache Iceberg Ecosystem” – A pivotal component in the evolution of open lakehouse architectures. He’ll cover querying tools, cataloging vendors, unique use cases, and open source projects.

6:30 p.m., in-person at Cigar Citry Brewery, Tampa: Tampa Bay Agile’s Lean Beer for All Things Agile. You’re not required to drink beer, but you will be asked to participate in a discussion of all things Agile and Lean!

Event name and locale	Group	Time
Commander Open Play Night at Armada Games	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	1:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
RPG: Pathfinder Society at Meeple Movers Board Game Cafe	Meeple Movers Role-Playing Games (RPG) Group	2:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Gulfport Scrabble and Social	Gulfport Scrabblers and Social	5:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Thursday Night Gaming	Brandon Boardgamers	5:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Tomb of Annihilation (T2-APL8)	Orlando Adventurer’s Guild	5:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
New Members Meet & Greet	Power BI Data Geeks Support Group	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Introduction To Street Photography – Techniques & Methods That Will Work For You	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
2nd ed. AD&D Campaign.	Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Pathfinder Society	Critical Hit Games	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Central Florida Board Gaming at The Collective	Orlando Board Gaming Weekly Meetup	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
BABOK IIBA Tampa Bay Study Group	IIBA Tampa Bay	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Operations Automation Office Hours	Tampa Robotic Process Automation Group	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
One Piece Thursdays	Sunshine Games	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
FABulous Thursdays	Sunshine Games	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Palm Harbor Toastmasters Club #8248	Toastmasters District 48	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament	Balance Martial Arts and Gaming	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Thursday chess at 54th Ave Kava House!	TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup Group	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Smartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza	Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Dungeons and Dragons with Donavan	Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Live streaming production and talent	Live streaming production and talent	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
The Business Networking Midday Power Hour by Simply Referrals on Zoom!!	Simply Referrals Tampa Business Networking	12:00PM – Tuesday, Mar. 19
TBTLA Valspar Golf Volunteer Opportunity	TECHnically Volunteers of Tampa Bay	7:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Business Over Breakfast ~ Happy Hangar IN PERSON JOIN US!	Wesley Chapel, Trinity, New Tampa, Business Professionals	7:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Happy Hangar Early Bird Professionals Networking	Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All Welcome	7:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Happy Hangar Early Bird Professionals Networking	Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All Welcome	7:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
LUTZ, FL – HAPPY HANGER CAFE THURSDAY NETWORKING	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	8:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Women’s Business Networking Mixer: Building Relationships for Success	Land O’ Lakes Business Women	9:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Mastering Cloud SIEM: Strategies for Effective Threat Detection and Response	Orlando Cybersecurity Meetup	10:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Clearwater Professional Networking Lunch	Business Professionals of Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough	11:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
The Founders Meeting where it all Began! JOIN us! Bring a guest and get a gift	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	11:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Pinellas County’s Largest Networking Lunch and your invited!	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Clearwater/Central Pinellas Networking Lunch JOIN us and connect your business	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Pinellas County’s Largest Networking Lunch and your invited!	Tampa Bay Business Networking Happy Hour/Meetings/Meet Up	11:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Clearwater/Central Pinellas Networking Lunch JOIN us and connect your business!	Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & Mixers	11:00AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Lutz / Wesley Chapel Professional Networking Lunch at Bahama Breeze!	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Wesley Chapel Professional Networking Lunch	Wesley Chapel, Trinity, New Tampa, Business Professionals	11:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Lutz / Wesley Chapel Professional Networking Lunch at Bahama Breeze!	Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All Welcome	11:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Breakroom Bar & Grill 11:28 Doors open at 11:00am IN Person	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals	Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)	11:30AM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Sarasota Speakers Exchange Toastmasters	Toastmasters District 48	12:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Telecom Park Toastmasters #6745	Toastmasters District 48	12:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Apex Systems – Code Faster, Smarter, Better: Productivity with GitHub Copilot	IIBA Tampa Bay	1:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Living with Autonomous AI	Data, Cloud and AI in Tampa	3:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
DUG Tampa March Power Meetup: Dynamics and Power Platform Wave 1 Update Overview	DUG Power Platform & Dynamics 365 – Tampa	5:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
TBDEG – Exploring the Apache Iceberg Ecosystem with Alex Merced!	Tampa Bay Data Engineering Group	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Data Analytics – Tampa Bay – MARCH MEETUP	Data Analytics – Tampa Bay	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Tampa SEO and Internet Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott	Tampa SEO & Internet Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Sean Conklin – Shopify vs. WooCommerce	West Orlando WordPress Meetup	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Adult Game Night at Conworlds Emporium	Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup	6:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Dinner at Cali	► Tampa Bay Young Professionals Group	6:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Lean Beer for All Things Agile (Tampa)	Tampa Bay Agile	6:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
TBDSG: Your Presentation Title HERE!	Tampa Bay Data Science Group	6:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Pt. 3 Learning how to use Lightburn software	Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group	6:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Join FaithTech Orlando’s March Meet up!	Orlando Christian Technologists and Entrepreneurs	6:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Chess night!	Lakeland Chess Meetup Group	6:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
3D Printer Orientation: Printing at Tampa Hackerspace (THS Members only)	Tampa Hackerspace	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
What is Money?	Tampa Bay Bitcoin	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Blood on the Clocktower – Bad Moon Rising	Beyond Catan, A Group of Board Game Geeks	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Let’s set a shooting time and date and crew assignments.	Lights… Camera… TAMPA. Filmmaking Alliance	7:30PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Weekly Hacks	Hacktivate – Hackathon Meetup Group	8:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 21
Return to the top of the list

Friday, March 22

Event name and locale	Group	Time
Improve your communication, listening, and leadership skills	Winter Park Toastmasters – Learn while having FUN!	7:15AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Caffeine & Connections: Friday Fuel for Black Professionals	Pinellas County Black Business Meetup Group	8:00AM – Friday, Mar. 15
A.C.T. Acquire Connections Today Morning Business Networking All Welcome!	Entrepreneurs & Business Owners of Sarasota & Bradenton	8:45AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	8:45AM – Friday, Mar. 15
A.C.T. Acquire Connections Today Morning Virtual Business Networking	Network & Social – Orlando Networking Events	8:45AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Networking over breakfast	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	9:00AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Business over Breakfast Clearwater	Tampa Bay Networking Meetings and Mixers	9:00AM – Friday, Mar. 15
FBI ~ Friday Business Introductions at Largo Family Restaurant	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	9:00AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Online Networking with Brandon Biz Pros	Brandon Biz Pros	9:00AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Toastmasters – Improve Speaking Skills & Build Confidence	Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay	9:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorm together	Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorming together	10:00AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Networking at McAlisters Deli every Friday	Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & Mixers	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Friday International Business Introductions at McAlisters Westshore	Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.net	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Westshore Business Networking Lunch at McAlisters Deli Every Friday All Welcome	Tampa Bay Networking and Events	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Professionals Networking Meeting	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
Friday Business Introductions Tampa	Tampa Bay Networking Meetings and Mixers	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Networking at McAlisters Deli every Friday	Business Professionals of Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Networking at McAlisters Deli every Friday	Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Networking Westshore McAlisters Deli	Tampa Bay Business Networking Happy Hour/Meetings/Meet Up	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Professionals Networking Meeting	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
International Professionals Networking Meeting	Tampa / St Pete Business Connections	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 15
WEEKLY FRIDAY NIGHT GAMING AT GAMER’S COMMAND	Brandon Boardgamers	5:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Board Game Night!	Clermont Nerd Games	5:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Friday Board Game Night	Tampa Gaming Guild	5:30PM – Friday, Mar. 15
🟦 Introduction To Focal Length & Lenses In Photography + Recommendations & Tips	Beginner Hobby and Amateur Photographers Of Tampa St Pete	6:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Taps & Drafts \| Casual EDH/MtG Social Night	Nerd Night Out	6:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Commander Night	Magic the Gathering Tampa/Brandon/St Pete	6:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
MTG: Commander FNM	Critical Hit Games	6:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
GROWTH MINDSET	Self-Perfected Orlando	6:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Taps & Drafts \| EDH/MtG Night \| Centro Ybor	Nerdbrew Events	7:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Modern FNM	Sunshine Games	7:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Friday Pokemon Tournament	Sunshine Games	7:30PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Solana Hackathon WorkGroup	Solana Tampa	8:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
Friday night game night	Indica Cafe Events	9:00PM – Friday, Mar. 15
FOURTH Friday WordPress Collaboration Meetup – March 2024	West Orlando WordPress Meetup	8:00AM – Friday, Mar. 22
March 2024 VIRTUAL Homebrew Hillsborough: HCC ICCE	Homebrew Hillsborough	8:30AM – Friday, Mar. 22
Power Women Expo	Tampa Business Club/Networking After Hours	9:00AM – Friday, Mar. 22
S Orlando/Dr Phillips: Join us for fun connection growth & networking too!	Powerful Women Networking	11:30AM – Friday, Mar. 22
The Rest of What AI Can Do	CLEARWATER eMarketing Groups	12:00PM – Friday, Mar. 22
TBUX Virtual: Portfolio Share & Review	Tampa Bay UX Group	12:00PM – Friday, Mar. 22
ONLINE Board Game Fridays!	Meeple Movers Gaming Group	5:30PM – Friday, Mar. 22
Dune – Friday March 22!	Sarasota Strategy Board Game League	6:00PM – Friday, Mar. 22
Shut Up & Write!® Gulfport	Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg	6:30PM – Friday, Mar. 22
St. Pete Arthouse Cinema Club-“The Peasants”	St. Pete Arthouse Cinema Club	6:45PM – Friday, Mar. 22
MakerFX Makerspace 3D Printing Guild	MakerFX Makerspace	7:00PM – Friday, Mar. 22
3D Printing Hang Out	3D Printing Orlando	7:00PM – Friday, Mar. 22
Return to the top of the list

Saturday, March 23

Event name and locale	Group	Time
Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament	Balance Martial Arts and Gaming	7:00PM – Thursday, Mar. 14
Wake Up and Think Clearly Saturday morning share and discuss.	Central Florida Philosophy Meetup	7:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Early Bird Ocala	Toastmasters Division G	8:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Saturday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa	Chess Republic	9:30AM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Dungeons & Dragons for Teens Saturdays	Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup	11:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Saturday DND	St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group	12:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
FREE Fab Lab Orientation	Suncoast Makers	1:30PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Y Read: Book Read Aloud	Library Book Clubs – OCLS	1:30PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Social climbing of Mount Chesseverest	Climbers of Mount Chesseverest	2:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Community Hang-out Night	Nerdbrew Events	6:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament	Sunshine Games	7:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 16
March Study Group	Tampa Bay Techies	9:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
FCCP – Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, 4 Part Class – Part 1	Florida Center for Creative Photography	9:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Tadhack 2024 (Day 1)	Hacktivate – Hackathon Meetup Group	9:30AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Wood Shop Lathe 101 (Members Only)	Tampa Hackerspace	10:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Workday – Make a Better Space!	Tampa Hackerspace	10:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Craft Saturdays	We Write Here Black and Women of Color Writing Group	10:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Renaissance Festival In Dade City March 23rd 2024	The Art Of Photography – Tampa/St. Pete Chapter	10:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Midjourney Basics: Intro & FAQ with A.I. Creative Compass!	Midjourney A.I. Art Meetup Group	11:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Hackathon – Feel free to arrive later	Orlando DevOps	11:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Alpha Strike Bragging Rights Tournament	Critical Hit Games	11:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Bravo Group Campaign Continues	Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG)	11:00AM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Intro to Sewing	Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group	12:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Online \| VIRTUAL Mastermind Experience: Connecting, Creating & Collaborating	Women’s Prosperity Network \| Fort Lauderdale Chapter	12:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Faceless YouTube	Tampa Amazon Seller Meetup Group	1:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Minigolf at Popstroke – Wesley Chapel	Geekocracy!	1:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Babcock Ranch Board Games – March 2024	Babcock Ranch Board Games	1:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Radiant Citadel Adventures (Tier 1)	Orlando Adventurer’s Guild	2:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Endpoint Protection Using Zero Trust	Information Technology Orlando Group	3:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Middle March Game Night	New Port Richey Casual Games and Fun Socializing Group!	5:30PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Saturday Nighrt Pericle Run: “Cam-Pain 1” post tutorial adventure	Orlando Pericle Gathering Darkness RPG Meetup Group	7:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Group Outing- Brews, Tabletop, Pinball and More! @Hourglass Brewery 21+	Gaming.net	8:00PM – Saturday, Mar. 23
Return to the top of the list

Sunday, March 24

Event name and locale	Group	Time
Warhammer 40K	Clermont Nerd Games	11:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Board Games at Big Storm in Odessa	Beyond Catan, A Group of Board Game Geeks	12:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Sunday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa	Chess Republic	2:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games	Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!	2:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
D&D Adventurers League	Critical Hit Games	2:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Sunday Game Day	Drunk’n Meeples West Pasco (Boardgames)	3:30PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Sunday Pokemon League	Sunshine Games	4:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Lankhmar: City of Adventure	Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group	5:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Open Game Night	Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup	6:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
A Duck Presents NB Movie Night	Nerd Night Out	7:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Hidden Gems Night, Presented by A Duck!	Nerdbrew Events	7:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 17
Plant City Adventure part 1: Sunday morning hike	► Tampa Bay Young Professionals Group	8:30AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Tadhack 2024 (Day 2)	Hacktivate – Hackathon Meetup Group	9:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
RE Olds Park	Suncoast Drone Club	9:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup at Maureen’s home	Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group	9:30AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
🌐 SUN 3/24 at 10 AM ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CRITIQUE PROGRAM	The Art Of Photography – Tampa/St. Pete Chapter	10:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Viking Weekend at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival	Geekocracy!	10:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Quest Day!! (Spring Equinox)	Thaliondor: Fantasy and Medieval Combat	11:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Brunch	Chan’s Book Club of Tampa Bay	11:00AM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Large format printing	Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group	12:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Pizza and Board Games on Bee Ridge	Board Games and Card Games in Sarasota & Bradenton	12:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
RPG: Twilight 2000 – a Post WWIII Survival RPG at Meeple Movers Board Game Cafe	Meeple Movers Role-Playing Games (RPG) Group	12:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Art Day with Sonya at Meeple Movers Board Game Cafe	Meeple Movers Gaming Group	12:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Writer’s Meet-Up: Let’s Hang Out and Write	Prose Society Writers Group	12:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Monthly Gaming at the DELAND Library!	Board Gamers of West Volusia	12:30PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Wall Springs Park	Gen Geek	1:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
4TH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH BOARDGAMING AT NERDY NEEDS	Brandon Boardgamers	1:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Entrepreneur Classes Preview	New Entrepreneurship Connections	1:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Alphabet Soup 2024 \| Finding Letters in the World Around Us	Florida Center for Creative Photography	5:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Let’s Learn to Turn Pens!	Tampa Hackerspace	6:00PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Find Your Funny Toastmasters	Toastmasters Division E	6:30PM – Sunday, Mar. 24
Return to the top of the list

About this list

How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.

In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.

What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:

Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
Tech project management / agile processes
Video, board, and role-playing games
Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
Anything I deem geeky

Tags 4698, 5486, 6745, 7461614, 8248, Tampa Bay Tech Events

Current Events Tampa Bay

Help Tampa tech reporter Sarah Perez rebuild!

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 13, 2024

TL;DR: TechCrunch Consumer News Editor and Tampa Bay Techie Sarah Perez escaped her burning house with her daughter and dog last night — but they lost everything in the fire. There’s a GoFundMe to raise money for her — please donate!

I’ve known Sarah since that fateful BarCamp Tampa Bay in 2011 when met Anitra, which led me to move here to “The Other Bay Area.”

If you read TechCrunch, you’ve more than likely read Sarah’s work. If you think that I write a lot, wait until you see her output — she’s a mean writing machine, and with the combination of her work and her handle — SarahInTampa — she’s helping put Tampa Bay on the technology map.

If you’re a techie in Tampa Bay, and especially if you’re in a startup that she profiled and gave some much-needed exposure, please donate to her GoFundMe!

What I’m Up To

My desktop, at the moment

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 11, 2024

I was sorting out some of the stuff in my office near the desk when I saw the scene pictured above and thought to myself, “this would tell an interesting story.”

Going counterclockwise from near the top left, the items are:

1000 won note from South Korea from my stash of travel currency that I was organizing
Adafruit Circuit Playground Express circuit board, which is programmable in CircuitPython and bristling with sensors and blinky lights
Adafruit PyGamer handheld game console, which is also programmable in CircuitPython, as well as Arduino’s C-like language and the languages supported by MakeCode Arcade.
“Googly eyes” rings from Flying Tiger
Yubico Yubikey Security Key NFC
Storyteller Tactics card deck, which I suspect I’ll be making regular use of soon
Box containing SmartQ SD card-to-USB-C adapter; used for installing a new OS for a Raspberry Pi
“K68”-style keyboard

The keyboard and Storyteller Tactics were prizes I won in the “Tracy’s Treasure Chest” raffle at last Friday’s Spring Tech Fest, a.k.a. Tracy Ingram’s 50th birthday party.

The raffle was unusual in that a winning ticket wasn’t for a specific prize. Instead, a winning ticket would allow you to enter a prize room containing over a hundred items, where you could choose what you won. You could buy multiple tickets, and you could win multiple times.

Proceeds from the raffle are going to girls’ STEM education in local high schools, so Anitra and I bought ten tickets and won three times (she got a Kemove K68 keyboard). I think we did all right!

What I’m Up To

Laid off in 2024, part 18: Timing is everything

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 8, 2024

They could’ve asked this two months ago,
but NOOOO…

Also in this series…

Tags laid off in 2024

Hardware

Additional notes for “Beyond the Circuit: The Everlasting Role of Hardware Skills”

Post author By Joey deVilla
Post date March 8, 2024
1 Comment on Additional notes for “Beyond the Circuit: The Everlasting Role of Hardware Skills”

Here are some follow-up notes for Computer Coach’s LinkedIn audio event, Beyond the Circuit: The Everlasting Role of Hardware Skills, which took place on Friday, March 8, 2024.

LED throwies

This is one of the simplest projects you can make, and you can learn how to make them at Instructables.com.

Sites for learning electronics

Starting Electronics is an excellent site for getting into electronics. It has tutorials, projects, and articles on electronics, embedded systems, microcontrollers, Arduino, Raspberry PI, tools, and related topics.

Reddit has a couple of good subreddits for people who want to get into electronics:

AskElectronics (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/)
Hackerboxes (https://www.reddit.com/r/hackerboxes/)

Books for learning electronics

Make: Electronics, 3rd Edition is a great guide for getting started. Here’s the link to buy the PDF edition, and here’s the link to buy the print version.

Recommended reading/viewing

Also in this series…

Also in this series…

This week’s events

Monday, March 18

Tuesday, March 19

Wednesday, March 20

Thursday, March 21

Friday, March 22

Saturday, March 23

Sunday, March 24

About this list

Also in this series…

LED throwies

Sites for learning electronics

Books for learning electronics

Where to get electronics and electronics kits

Beginner-friendly electronics kits

“Internet of Things” computers and devices

Online electronic components shopping for the more hardcore

Building your own PC