— Not many people can say they’ve traveled to space. Not many can say they were also the original developer of software so prevalent today that most people wouldn’t be able to work without them. But Charles Simonyi can claim both of those accomplishments, along with a slew of others. Simonyi started the applications group at Microsoft that built the first version of Word and Excel. He has also been to space as a tourist five times; started his own company (which was subsequently purchased by Microsoft); and created a non-profit foundation that donates millions of dollars to the local arts and sciences communities in Seattle. Simonyi will be speaking about his life and career from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 at Atlas Workbase.
— Homelessness has become pervasive in the Seattle area. City leaders are looking to large tech companies such as Amazon to pay taxes to help combat the problem. But the solution to the homeless crisis may go beyond one company and its taxes. Radio station KNKX and The Seattle Times have worked on a Project Homeless podcast series that examined the problem in Olympia in an effort to learn more. The Project Homeless team members will be talking about their experience in Inside ‘Outsiders’: What One City Can Teach Us About Homelessness at 7:30 p.m. on March 3 at The Great Hall.
Here are more highlights from the GeekWire Calendar:
- Astronomy on Tap: Cosmic Rain and White Dwarf Snow: A talk by local astronomers about how cosmic rays affect the galaxy at Peddler Brewing in Seattle; 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26.
- Geeks on Floats: A series of one-day excursions for entrepreneurs in the tech space leaving from the Kenmore Air South Lake Union Terminal in Seattle; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27.
- SAC Workshop: How to Prepare for Due Diligence: A workshop about what startups need to do before approaching angel investors for funding at WeWork Labs in Seattle; 12 to 2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27.
- Founders Live Seattle: An event where five startups pitch their companies in 99 seconds at Galvanize in Seattle; 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27.
- Ignite Seattle #41: An event where community members give 5-minute talks on a variety of topics at The Great Hall in Seattle; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27.
- Fundamentals for Startups: Top Ten Ways to Screw Up Your Startup: A talk about common mistakes made by startups at Fluke Hall at the University of Washington in Seattle; 12 to 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28.
- Permission to Succeed: Why We Self-Sabotage and How We Can Stop: A presentation about overcoming common problems with career motivation at Code Fellows in Seattle; 12:15 to 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28.
- Star Brews Beer Festival: A Star Wars-themed beer tasting event at WithinSodo in Seattle; 7 to 10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28.
- Faraday Cage Match: An Evening of Competitive Science Improv: A presentation where grad students take a research idea and create improv around it at The Auditorium at UHeights in Seattle; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28.
- XR Day: Exploring the Future of XR Design and Technology: A one-day conference about advances in VR and AR at the Husky Union Building at the University of Washington in Seattle; 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 3.
- A Conversation with Rahm Emanuel: A presentation by the former mayor of Chicago about how city governments often have more power than federal agencies at Temple De Hirsch in Seattle; 7 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 4.
For more upcoming events, check out the GeekWire Calendar, where you can find meetups, conferences, startup events, and geeky gatherings in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Organizing an event? Submit details here. Source: Geek Wire
