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Ann Arbor SPARK’s a2Tech360 is returning Oct. 1-8 to celebrate Ann Arbor’s spirit of innovation through experiences, conversations, and connections that strengthen and expand the region’s vibrant ecosystem. The week of events will feature in-person and virtual opportunities for people with varied interests, including entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, businesses, academic institutions, non-profits, job seekers, and the public.

The lineup of events include:

Friday, Oct. 1

• The FastTrack Awards are an annual celebration that honors fast-growing companies headquartered in Washtenaw and Livingston counties. On Oct. 1 at 7 p.m., Ann Arbor SPARK will announce the 2021 award winners. Awardees will be invited to attend an in-person celebration following the announcement, and the public can view the event online for free. Register for the event here.

Saturday, Oct. 2

• On Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bold Features and Hero Nation are coming together to present Heroic Futures, a virtual event that helps students (ages 14-18) identify and address social issues using visioning, entrepreneurship, values, comics, and superheroes. Dorphise Jean, creator of Spirit’s Destiny Comics, and Greg A. Elysée, creator of Is’nana the Were-Spider, will speak at the event. Register for Heroic Futures here.

Sunday, Oct. 3

• On Oct. 3, at 4 p.m., the 2021 Ann Arbor Film Festival Presents Series will play Machine to Live In, a film by Yoni Goldstein and Meredith Zielke, filmmakers from Brazil. Daily Life of Human, an accompanying short by Siavash Naghshbandi, a filmmaker from Tehran, Iran, will also play. Tickets to watch the film and short are $10.50 for the public, $8.50 for students, seniors, and veterans, and $8 for Michigan Theater members. Ann Arbor Film Festival members and Michigan Theater Gold members can attend for free. Learn more about the event here and buy tickets here.

Monday, Oct. 4

• On Oct. 4, at 5:30 p.m., Women in Mobility is hosting Mobility Movers: Exploring Diverse Real-Life Mobility Work Experiences, a regional panel discussion that will explore real-life work experiences. The event will feature Julia Milagros Hawley, Global Strategy Manager, Ford Motor Company; Tara Lanigan, Head of Policy and Advocacy, May Mobility; Anne Partington, Director, Advanced Transportation Commercialization MTRAC Innovation Hub, University of Michigan Office of Tech Transfer; Ayobami Bell Torrence, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, Detroit Department of Transportation; Janine Ward, Account Supervisor, Mobility, Antenna Group. Register for the event here.
• Ann Arbor SPARK hosts the fourth annual Michigan Angel Summit on Oct. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The summit will provide valuable information for people considering angel investing and those who have been investing in entrepreneurs and startups for years. Keynote guests will include Scott Shane of Comeback Capital and Commissioner Hester M. Pierce of the U.S. Security and Exchanges Commissions. The Michigan Angel Summit ticket purchase includes free admission to Invest360: Information Technology following the summit. Learn more about the Michigan Angel Summit and buy your ticket here.
• The Invest360 Investor Showcase will consist of three virtual events over Ann Arbor SPARK’s week-long a2Tech360. The first event, Information Technology, is on Oct. 4, from 4-6 p.m. Admission to this event is included in Michigan Angel Summit tickets. Learn more about Invest360: Information Technology and buy your ticket here.
• In 2021, 48 college students and recent graduates found paid internships with 24 startups through the Digital Summer Clinic internship program, a partnership between the Center for Digital Engagement at Eastern Michigan University and Ann Arbor SPARK. The Digital Summer Clinic Spotlight at a2Tech360 will highlight some of the interns, mentors, and companies involved in the program and discuss its value. The event will be hosted virtually on Oct. 4, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.

Tuesday, Oct. 5

• The fourth annual Ann Arbor Mobility Summit will be hosted on Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees can purchase tickets to attend in-person for $150 or virtually for $50. The summit provides a platform for mobility leaders to build connections across sectors and share visions for safeguarding the future of mobility. The Mobility Summit ticket includes free admission to Invest360: Mobility.
• The second event in the virtual Invest360 Investor Showcase will be on Oct. 5, from 4-6 p.m. Its theme will be mobility. During the event, young tech companies from Southeast Michigan will pitch a panel of investor judges for the chance to win a $50,000 award. The three finalists will then pitch after Tech Talk on Friday, Oct. 8, when a “People’s Choice” vote will select the top Investor360 company to receive an additional $50,000. Admission to Investor360: Mobility is included with Mobility Summit registration. Learn more about the event and buy your ticket here.
• Entrepreneur Boot Camp is an intensive program to help entrepreneurs of early-stage, technology-driven companies quickly determine if they have a viable business opportunity and focus on crucial next steps. The Entrepreneur Boot Camp Celebration, held on Oct. 5, from 5-7 p.m., will celebrate the participants who have worked tirelessly to validate their business concepts since May 2021. They will virtually present their journey with event attendees and a panel. The event is free to attend virtually. Select people will be invited to participate in in-person. Register here.

Wednesday, Oct. 6

• AI is Ann Arbor’s applied artificial intelligence conference. Its mission is to educate professionals on the best AI, ML, and BI tools and strategies available while providing networking opportunities. The third annual conference will occur during a2Tech360 on Oct. 6, at Junge Family Champions Center (333 E. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor), from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The 2021 A2.AI is hybrid, with attendees choosing to attend in-person or watch live streams. In-person tickets cost $49, and virtual access is complimentary. Register for in-person here and for virtual here. Learn more about the A2.AI Conference here.
• Join Ann Arbor SPARK and the University of Michigan Office of Tech Transfer for 2031: What the Future Holds during a2Tech360. The event will provide an insightful tech forecast as global thought leaders discuss trends and revolutionary products in healthcare, IoT, AR/VR, mobility, and other driving industries that have a foothold in the region. The event will be held from 2-4 p.m. Register here.
• CREW Detroit is hosting Influence of Mobility and Technology on Today’s Workforce during the week-long a2Tech360 on Oct.  6, from 9-11 a.m. It will be held at Cahoots (206 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor) and will consist of a conversation with technology, mobility, and startup companies. Attendees will also enjoy a light breakfast from Zingerman’s, tour the Cahoots’ co-working space, meet various technology and mobility companies, and ride in the A2GO Autonomous shuttle, which is debuting during a2Tech360 week. The shuttle is not available to the public yet, so event attendees will be the first to ride it. Tickets for the event cost $40 for Cahoots members and $60 for non-members. Learn more and buy your tickets here.
• The Distinguished University Innovator Award honors University of Michigan faculty who have made significant contributions to society by developing novel ideas and insights through research, then translating them to practice. The virtual awards ceremony will be held on Oct.  6 at 4 p.m. Register here.

Thursday, Oct. 7

• Tech on the Edge, a biotech expo hosted by Michigan Innovation Headquarters, will be held on 7, from 3-8 p.m., at 648/600 S. Wagner Rd., Ann Arbor. The expo will celebrate the technologies, innovation, and talent of more than 40 companies from the Ann Arbor area who will showcase their unique products and projects. Tech on the Edge is free to attend. Register here. Registration for Invest360: Healthcare is included in Tech on Edge registration.
• The final event in the virtual Invest360 Investor Showcase will be on Oct. 7, from 4-6 p.m. Its theme will be healthcare. Admission to the event is included with Tech on the Edge registration. Learn more about Invest360: Healthcare and buy your ticket here.
• Women in Tech, a free panel, will be held on Oct.  7, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Speakers will discuss their experiences navigating the tech industry and propelling their careers as leaders in the field. They will also advise about building up career experience, maneuvering a room of doubters, and discovering your personal success story. The current speaker lineup includes Shanley Carlton, CultureVerse; Christin Gibbons, Serial Entrepreneur; Priya Gogoi, Celsee; Jenn Cornell Queen, Ann Arbor SPARK. The event is free to attend virtually. Learn more and register here.

Friday, Oct. 8

• On Oct.  8, from 1-5 p.m., Ann Arbor SPARK is hosting Tech Talk, a free event that features inspiring TED-style talks by leading innovators in the tech field. Speakers will share origin stories to behind-the-scenes accounts of the fascinating technologies being developed. Attendees can attend for free in person or virtually. Register here.
• Ann Abor’s largest public tech-inspired event, Tech Trek, is returning both in-person and virtually on Oct.  8, from 1-5 p.m. The event will be hosted in person as a street fair. The region’s visionary tech companies will display and demonstrate their innovative products. The event will be held along Liberty Street, between Division and Fifth Street in Downtown Ann Arbor. Virtually, the A2 Tech Trek immersive experience will go live, featuring companies participating in Tech Trek and Mobility Row. People worldwide will explore Ann Arbor’s companies through virtual storytelling, 3D tours, and online product demonstrations. Learn more about Tech Trek here and register here.
• Explore leading-edge connected and autonomous vehicles at Tech Trek’s annual Mobility Row on Oct. 8, from 1-5 p.m. Attendees will gain insight and inspiration on how we move through the world how advancements in mobility will define and change transportation in the years ahead. Mobility Row is part of Tech Trek (see the previous event). Register here.

Written by Krishaun Burns, Let’s Detroit