Thursday, March 30th, Hackforge welcomes TechTown Detroit Diversity and Inclusion Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Marlin Williams to speak and participate in How To Build a Better Tech Community. This free evening talk and panel discussion starts at 7:00PM at Hackforge (255 Ouellette) and will discuss practical steps companies and teams can make to improve diversity and inclusion.
Marlin Williams has over 20 years experience as a Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer for two Fortune 500 Organizations, professional speaker, STEM Advocate, and media contributor. She will be speaking on her experiences, building diverse teams and creating environments where all people feel included.
The panel discussion will feature Williams; Elana Freeman, a project manager for Thyssenkrupp; Lori Dunford, a local computer programmer, and Sarah Mushtaq, an MBA candidate at the Odette School of Business. Moderated by Hackforge Managing Director, Sarah Morris, the panel will focus on practical measures and policies that can improve the working situation for a diversity of people in tech.
This is the final event under the Computer Girls initiative, in partnership with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training INC. (WEST), funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Join us after the panel discussion for a small reception for the program.
Details of event: How to Build a Better Tech Community
Date of event: Thursday, March 30th: 7:00 – 8:30PM
Location: Hackforge (255 Ouellette, Windsor ON)
Cost: Free Register Here // Facebook Event
Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon Saturday, March 11: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hackforge, Arts Council Windsor & Region and The School of Creative Arts at the University of Windsor invite people of all gender identities to take part in Windsor, Ontario’s first Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon!
This event is made possible by the Computer Girls program,coding classes for women by women. In partnership with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) and funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, these classes are taught by female professional computer programmers with the aim to get more women interested in coding. Reserve your spot & learn more here
Hackforge Annual General Meeting Monday, March 13: 7:00PM
Windsor Hackforge will hold it’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 255 Ouellette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario. At this meeting, all members deemed to be in good standing by the Managing Director as of March 1st, 2017 are eligible to vote in the election of Directors and Volunteer Representatives. More Detail Here Facebook Event
Board Game Night
Tuesday, March 14: 6:00 PM – 10:00PM
Join us for a night of board games and card games from 6-10PM. This event is free and open to everyone. If you’re new to board games, we encourage you to come by as we will have trusty Hackforgers there to help get you started. Facebook Event
Grand Circus Intro to Coding Workshop
Wednesday, March 15: 6:00PM – 9:00PM
Join us March 15th as we host a *free* Intro to Code Workshop with Grand Circus at Hackforge in Windsor. We’ll introduce you to the basics of programming in this three-hour class. JavaScript is the most widely used programming language in the world. Explore what it takes to use code through hands-on exercises and instructor-led lessons.
RSVP at goo.gl/36mg7Z
Open Coding Night Monday, March 20: 7:00 PM
Working on a project? Need to bounce ideas off other programmers? Bring your laptop and get coding! Great event for beginners as well! Tutorials will be available and the event is facilitated a real life computer programmer. Facebook Event
Project Management Group: the First Meeting! Wednesday, March 22: 7:00PM
This group is for all professionals from any industry, and business owners to come together and exchange ideas and good practices in Project Management, Agile Product Development and Process Improvement, in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Let’s get connected and brainstorm on what we want to discuss and see happening in this group. Facebook Event
HTML & CSS: Free Coding Class for Women
Saturday, March 25: 1:00 – 3:00PM
A match made in heaven! Come learn how to bring together these two programming languages into a functional, stylish way. Perfect for beginners. Bring your laptop to this free workshop.
Computer Girls is coding classes for women by women. In partnership with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST), these classes are taught by female professional computer programmers with the aim to get more women interested in coding. Reserve Your Spot Here Facebook Event
The Great Canadian Game Project March Meetup Sunday, March 26: 1pm – 4pm
The game jam is on from February 1 to July 1! Participants have 150 days to conceive and create a game that is proudly Canadian! Drop by the monthly meetup to discuss your ideas, ask questions, watch tutorials from mentors to help you get started, find existing projects to join, see progress of other developers and more!
More information to be updated at http://canada150game.ca/ Facebook Event
Border City Data: Organize! Intro to Google Forms
Monday, March 27: 7:00PM
Google Forms are easy to use, easy to collaborate, and already part of your Gmail account. Join us for a beginner friendly introduction to collecting data with Google Forms, a cloud based version of Excel. Perfect for small businesses, students, and those in the non-profit world! Facebook Event
Software Guild: Let’s Encrypt! RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL
Wednesday, March 29th: 7:00 – 9:00PM
It’s over-the-wire encryption night at Hackforge! Join John Haldeman and Randy Topliffe to gain an understanding of how encrypted websites with HTTPS work and get some practical advice on how to encrypt your own websites with Let’s Encrypt. Facebook Event
How to Build a Better Tech Community Thursday, March 30th: 7:00 – 8:30PM
We’re pleased to present Marlin Williams, TechTown Detroit’s Diversity and Inclusion Entrepreneur-In-Residence to speak on her experiences and advice for companies and teams. After, we will host a panel discussion with Ms. Williams; Elana Freeman, a project manager for Thyssenkrupp; Lori Dunford, a local computer programmer, and Sarah Mushtaq, an MBA candidate at the Odette School of Business.
While focused in the tech industry, the practical steps discussed can be applied to any organization looking to improve gender and racial diversity.
This is the final event under the Computer Girls initiative, in partnership with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training INC. (WEST), funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Join us after the panel discussion for a small reception for the program.
Hackforge and the University of Windsor Computer Science Department would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2017 Windsor Hackathon. Twelve teams competed throughout the weekend Hackathon.
WINNERS:
EPICentre’s Most Commercial Potential Award Team GeoRisk (AMF Challenge)
Atilla Saadat
Best Overall: TransitAR (City of Windsor API Challenge)
Moaaz Elsayed
Colin Matthews
Zach Shaver
Atilla Saadat
Most Creative: Team GoBot (Open Data Windsor Essex Challenge)
Clovis Nogueira
Yadwinder Singh
Judges’ Favourite & Bike Windsor Essex’s Pick: Team BRAV-O (Bike Windsor Essex)
vikneshwaran seetharaman
V N Bharadwaja T
Rumana Hakeem
Areeba Kamal
Best Use of Data Team Mighty Pythons:
Javeriya Khan
Atish Lewate
Emile Papillon
Baseer Haider
Take On Challenges from the Community and Industry with Teamwork and Creative Coding.
The University of Windsor’s Computer Science Department and Windsor Hackforge are teaming up for Winter Hackathon. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from the University, this weekend hackathon will test skills with creative challenges using data from the community and industry.
Awards will be given for Best Overall Project, Best Community Project, Most Creative Team, Best Use of Open Data, and more.
Friday, January 27 @ Engineering Building – University of Windsor (Room 1100)
o 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Registration and welcomes
o 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Opening ceremony, Talks, Announcement of Challenges
o 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Dinner, Networking, and Team build-up
o 7:00 PM: Hackathon begins, teams start working together and picking challenges. Continue at Essex Bldg. Computer Science Rooms Registration is open for the community to attend the launch
Saturday, January 28 @ Essex Bldg – Computer Science Rooms
o 9:00 AM – 12:00AM: Hackathon continues!
Lunch and snacks provided.
The Winter Hackathon is supported by EPICentre, WEtech Alliance, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs.
Board Game Night Tuesday, January 10: 6:00 – 9:00PM
Join us for a night of board games and card games from 6-10PM. This event is free and open to everyone. If you’re new to board games, we encourage you to come by as we will have trusty Hackforgers there to help get you started.
We’ll have a games like Smash Up, Small World, The Resistance, and more. Bring your favourite game (that can be played in less than four hours)! Facebook Event
Member Day: Two New Rooms!
Saturday, January 14: 1:00PM
Hackforge Members are invited to join us for a tour of our two new rooms! Check out the renovated basement and let’s talk about a better workshop and classroom space, plus plans for 2017.
Facebook Event
Open Coding Night Wednesday, January 18: 7:00PM
Working on a project? Need to bounce ideas off other programmers? Bring your laptop and get coding! Great event for beginners as well. Tutorials will be available and the event is facilitated a real life computer programmer. Facebook Event
Border City Data Monday, January 23: 7:00PM
Border City Data is a new interest group focused on data and databases. Our initial meeting will focus on a practical introduction to SQL. The Structured Query Language is one of the most common ways that users interact with databases, and it’s an essential skill for all kinds of professionals who work with data. Facebook Event
Software Guild Wednesday, January 25: 7:00 – 9:00PM
Nerd-o-meter: Beginner/Intermediate
Through the magic of Space Cats and Pizza, we’ll be set on a marvellous journey exploring Javascript’s this keyword. We’ll be learning how to bend it to our every will, all the while avoiding its radioactive pitfalls. Space-cadets of all ranks are welcome to come aboard! Even the most experienced space surfer might pick up a few new cheesy curds of knowledge. We’ll be boarding soon, so don’t delay! Come join us on this epic journey through the space-time of this.
Also!
Looking to get your business or idea off the ground? Sara Alhasan from Ontario Centres of Excellence will be giving a short talk about their entrepreneurship programs, what they offer, and how to apply. Facebook Event
Winter Hackathon Open to University of Windsor Undergraduate and Graduate students Friday, January 27 to 29 2016
The University of Windsor’s Computer Science Department and Windsor Hackforge are teaming up for Winter Hackathon. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from the University, this weekend hackathon will test skills with creative challenges using data from the community and industry. More Details Here / Facebook Event Register NOW as a participant, volunteer, or mentor
Order of the Indie Game Developers: Great Canadian Game Jam Brainstorm Monday, January 30: 7:00PM
A Game Jam is a group of people planning, designing, and creating one or more games. January’s meetup, we will be giving an introduction to Game Jams and host a brainstorming session to what one spread across 2017 would look like. We’re inviting video game developers, artists, writers, and fans to join in the process. Facebook Event
Book Club: Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem (2006) Tuesday, January 31: 7:00PM
Liu Cixin’s science fiction novel The Three Body Problem was a smash hit bestseller in China, and has finally been translated into English by Ken Liu. It’s a mind-bending tale of politics, aliens and gaming. Join us for a discussion of this Hugo Award winning novel. Facebook Event Amazon | Chapters
**NB: Due to the holidays,Windsor-Essex .NET Developers will not be meeting in January**
Windsor-Essex .NET Developers: Running .NET in Docker Tuesday, November 1: 6:30PM
Join Nik as he shows how to start running your .NET applications in a Docker Container. Full .NET Framework on Windows or .NET Core on Linux. You now have options! The wonderful folks at Microsoft have sponsored this event with Subway. Find out more here
DIY Audio Group Wednesday, November 9: 7:00 PM Microphones, amps, synthesizers, oh my! Come out to learn all about sound. Whether you’re interested from a music or electronics perspective, there is something for everyone. Facebook Event
Computer Girls: Beginner’s Guide to Twitter Saturday, November 12: 2:00 – 4:00PM
Ever wanted to start your own Twitter account? Want to learn more about the features within this popular social media platform? Come out to a casual workshop and get tweeting! Bring a smartphone or laptop.
Computer Girls is an initiative to get more women in technology – from beginners to professionals. This program is in collaboration with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training and funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Due to the intention of the program, emphasis and priority is given to women, but anyone is welcome. Register here!
Board Game Night Tuesday, November 15: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
Join us for a night of board games and card games from 6-10PM. This event is free and open to everyone. If you’re new to board games, we encourage you to come by as we will have trusty Hackforgers there to help get you started. Facebook Event
Open Coding Night Wednesday, November 16: 7:00 – 9:00PM
Working on a project? Need to bounce ideas off other programmers? Want to just practice coding in a supportive environment? Bring your laptop and get coding! Tutorials are available for beginners looking to get started in programmer. Facebook Event
Electronics Club: Hack the Vending Machine Saturday, November 19: 1:00 – 4:00PM
Early in 2016, Hackforge bought a Rowe International Model 5900 JR vending machine on the cheap, and we want to hack it until it does our bidding. We need your help! Come out to this month’s Electronics Club meeting to brainstorm a list of kits & bits to stock it with, figure out how to interface to it with an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi (bonus homework: Google the service manual and read it!), and spec out a web-based payment system we can kick over to our software allies. Facebook Event
Order of the Indie Game Developers: iDream Interactive Chat
Monday, November 28: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Join us for a casual chat with Jacob Duhaime, founder and CEO of iDream Interactive. He’ll be talking about the proudly independent, Windsor game studio and answer questions from the audience. Great opportunity for devs, designers, and fans alike. Facebook Event
Book Club
Tuesday, November 29: 7:00 PM
“Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction “triple crown”—the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award.”
Join us for casual discussion on this classic cyberpunk novel. Facebook Event
Software Guild:
Wednesday, November 30: 7:00 – 9:00PM
The group for professional developers meets monthly to discuss best practices and professional development. Topic TBA. Stay up to date here!
