TechChicago Week looks to bring entirety of city's tech ecosystem together
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An event highlighting Chicago's tech scene will bring thousands together in the city next week.
TechChicago Week is billed as a "celebration of Chicago land's diverse tech ecosystem."
One of the organizers is P33 - a nonprofit focused on diversity and inclusivity within the city's tech sector.
Nuwan Samaraweera, COO of P33, says the goal of the event is to "attempt to try and bring the entire community of Chicago's tech ecosystem together."
"Chicago's huge strength is that it's incredibly broad in terms of its economy, very diverse economy, so no sector has privacy. So what we try to do here is to say instead of everyone being in different places, this is really the first time in the one week we can bring everyone together in one spot," Samaraweera said.
This year's event will focus on the city's tech makers – people in the tech ecosystem from overlooked communities. Those makers have either built a company, led substantial inclusion efforts, or created innovative ways for others from overlooked communities to enter the tech ecosystem.
"Those tech makers are really the builders who are leading at the frontier of inclusivity in Chicago tech," Samaraweera said.
The event takes place Monday through Friday, beginning July 10. More than 3,500 guests are expected to attend and will feature 100 speakers - including Gov. JB Pritzker and former Bulls player Scottie Pippen - in addition to numerous panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Tickets and additional information about TechChicago can be found at gotechchicago.com/week.