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Tech Meetups in Northern New Jersey Encourage Networking Among Entrepreneurs

Understanding that networking is vital to fostering innovation within the Garden State, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) routinely promotes events and gatherings through which entrepreneurs can share information and learn from one another.

New Jersey’s many technology Meetups create an atmosphere of collaboration and, through frequent events, provide a platform for entrepreneurs to discuss topics that affect their businesses. Meetup organizers often invite industry leaders to these events to provide attendees insight into areas relevant to New Jersey’s thriving technology industry. In addition to in-person events, Meetup websites offer members an online forum to communicate, leading to a free-flowing exchange of ideas. The Meetups are free to join, but there may be fees for specific events.

“As a longtime leader in innovation, New Jersey prides itself on its synergetic technology ecosystem,” EDA Chief Executive Officer Melissa Orsen said. “The abundance of technology Meetups throughout northern New Jersey is indicative of a lively community of entrepreneurs and industry leaders that have launched numerous startups and are driving innovation in the State.”

The EDA regularly attends Meetup events, which provide an opportunity for the Authority to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening within New Jersey’s technology sector and to learn about emerging technology and biotechnology companies.

These Meetup events include:

NJ Tech Meetup (Hoboken) – With nearly 5,500 members, NJ Tech Meetup is the largest technology Meetup in the state. Founded by entrepreneur Aaron Price, the group meets at Stevens Institute of Technology, with the goal of creating a place to sharing best practices and learning from both failure and success. On May 20, NJ Tech Meetup is hosting its inaugural Propeller, a day-long festival that will bring the entrepreneurial community together from all around the region. More than 40 speakers have already signed on, including serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, Jet.com co-founders Marc Lore and Mike Hanrahan, and Stevens Institute of Technology President Nariman Farvardin.

Montclair Entrepreneurs Meetup – Housed at the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship at Montclair State University, the Montclair Entrepreneurs Meetup enables entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs to network, learn, connect and collaborate. Led by a team of individuals at the Feliciano Center that includes Program Manager and Professor Sharon Waters, the group currently has more than 3,200 members. During the Meetup’s May 4 TeleBrands Inventors Day for Aspiring Entrepreneurs, student entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to compete to determine who has the best pitch for their product or service innovation.

Launch NJ Meetup (Morristown) – Launch NJ Meetup, started by Carlos Abad, takes a grass-roots approach. With a hub-and-spoke model, the group has a core Entrepreneurial Tech group, which has nearly 1,400 members, and subgroups including a women’s group, art & tech, and life sciences. Life sciences subgroup co-organizer Sam Kongsamut, who is currently an Executive-in-Residence at the EDA’s Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies, started his group to provide a space for life sciences entrepreneurs to mingle and find resources (legal, accounting, other team members) to help them.  The group meets at different locations around the State. On April 26, Launch NJ Entrepreneurial Tech Meetup will host “How much money (and when) should you raise for your startup?” at County College of Morris.

Brick City Tech Meetup (Newark) – Entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts in Newark have access to their own city’s Meetup, geared towards bolstering the entrepreneurial community within the community. The group is run by Anthony Frasier and has nearly 1,300 members. At its April 23 event, Brick City Tech Meetup invites members to “Elevate Your Business to the Next Level with Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation (GNEC).” Attendees will learn how to find the right capital strategy for their businesses, develop feasible action plans, create validated marketing and sales plans and understand their business financials and projections.

Morris Tech Meetup (Morristown) – Under the leadership of entrepreneur John Carini, Morris Tech Meetup is designed for entrepreneurs and technology professionals who are interested in startups, entrepreneurship and innovation in the Morris County area. With more than 1,250 members, the group meets monthly at Fairleigh Dickinson University. On May 17, entrepreneur and serial angel investor Mario Casabona, Founder of TechLaunch, will speak to Morris Tech Meetup attendees about seed investing and valuation.

Jersey City Technology Startups (Jersey City) – Run by entrepreneur Neal Singh, Jersey City Technology Startups has more than 1,200 members. Singh started the Meetup to create a community of technology enthusiasts seeking to broaden their horizons by learning from industry leaders, interacting with professionals, and creating a peer collaborative environment. The group meets roughly monthly at Ishi Systems Inc. offices in Jersey City. On May 19, Jersey City Technology Startups is hosting Demos, Drinks & Networking to give the Meetup’s members an opportunity to mingle.

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