List of hackathons organized by code district in 2017

This FREE workshop, presented by Amazon and Code District is intended for anyone interested in learning how to program voice controlled devices.  Amazon Alexa is a great place to start learning. Hands-on labs will teach you how to code cool skills for Alexa. Lucky participants will win a free Amazon devices! The need for Alexa Skill Developers is growing rapidly, as many companies move toward adding Alexa voice control to their products and services.   Join Code District and Senior Solution Architect at Amazon, Justin Jeffress for this one day training event. You will learn how to build Alexa skills that reach millions of customers that utilize Alexa-enabled devices, including Amazon Echo, Fire TV and more!  Both seasoned and beginner developers are welcomed and encouraged to participate.  What you will learn: Introduction to Alexa Skills Kit How to setup your development environment Introduction to basic concepts like intents, utterances, and slots How to build your first skill The development of template based, custom, smart home and flash briefing skills How to leverage AWS Lambda Best practices for voice user interfaces Testing How to set your skill up for successful certification Requirements Be sure to bring your laptop/notebook computer. Get a developer account: developer.amazon.com (free) Get an aws account:  aws.amazon.com (free - but CC required for signup) Download sample templates to your desktop from github.com/amzn/alexa-skills-kit-js   Why Attend?  Take your experience to the next level! Amazon Echo and the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) open new doors of opportunities to build voice-enabled apps without deep knowledge of Natural Language Processing (NLP). This course, Developing Alexa Skills for Amazon Echo, will get you started working with voice-enabled devices.  Click here for important parking info! Justin JeffressSenior Solutions Architect, Alexa Hackathons. at Amazon

Learn Where and How to Get Money for Your Startup! Attend this exclusive event and connect with investors.  This exclusive Women's Voices in Tech event is designed to help empower women entrepreneurs.  You will learn from and have the opportunity to talk to Angel Investors, VCs and successful women entrepreneurs.  You will get advice on how to take steps toward seeking business startup and growth capital.  Discussion Topics Include:  How to find the money you need to get your venture going The criteria VCs use to make investment decisions Where to find smart and strategic investments from VCs How to identify the right investors How to craft your pitch  Different options for funding including convertible debt, crowdfunding, pre-sales and other non-traditional methods How to negotiate a fair deal How to avoid business and legal pitfalls and more Meet Angel Investors & Sucessful Entrepreneurs   Event Schedule           6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. - Networking - (Appetizers & Refreshments will be served)          7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Panel talk          8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. - Audience Q&A Don't miss this chance to learn from some of the top women in tech in Los Angeles! All Are Welcome! About the Participants Katherine Gaffney - Founding Partner at Xcelerate Financial & Angel Investor Katherine is a senior financial executive with consistent track record of exceeding growth and profitability goals; proven success in facilitating organizational change within high-growth technology companies through strategic planning, financial management, operational improvements, and business development. Deborah Sellers - Business Development, Corporate Strategist, Entrepreneur & Angel Investor Deborah Sellers is a demonstrated  C-level executive, award winning entrepreneur and corporate strategist. with the ability to quickly surmise any business situation in any environment and create strategies to capture large opportunities. She has been awarded "Most Innovative Entrepreneur"​ SF Business Alliance & City of San Francisco and awarded "Entrepreneur of the year" City of San Francisco. Priscilla Vento - Founder/CEO at 30 Miles North 30 Miles North (30MN) is a Public Relations agency in Santa Monica, California specializing in fashion, entertainment and technology PR. Priscilla has an innovative marketing talent and has the ability to think outside the box to find unique and relative ways to market a product.  Nicole Klein - CEO of Betagig Betagig is a new tech company, two female founders deep. Betagig, was born March 2016 from a 1st place win at Launch Hackathon 2016 in SF. Betagig allows you to "beta test" your next career before deciding on a major and pursuing an educational path.  Aurora Meneghello - Event Moderator & Co-HostMarketing Director and Strategy Consultant Interconnected Strategy creates brands and strategic plans from scratch, marketing systems for companies at specific growth stages, and optimize your current marketing strategy.  This event is sponsored by Paru Tea - a new woman-owned company that focuses on energizing and healthy tea. Come to network with fellow entrepreneurs and investors, and sample Paru Tea!