Looking for a safe space to talk about your idea? Wondering if being your own boss could be for you?
Our virtual and physical Community Hub exists to support you in exploring your digital/tech ideas and, if you’re interested, start something new for yourself.
So how can you get involved? Aside from receiving one-to-one support from a member of our team, we are running a range of social and educational events and workshops for you to get involved with. Check out some of the brilliant events we’ve got coming up in Spring 2022 (April – August)!
Book Clubs
Interested in developing both your mindset and your skills before you take the next step?
Learning from others can be a great way to build the soft skills that are useful when starting your own business. In our monthly virtual Book Club @ The Hub, we discuss a range of learning resources to help you develop your startup mindset.
The book clubs are flexible toward different time commitments and learning preferences. For every session we offer a range of short and long reads, visual materials and/or podcasts so participants can engage with whatever they like, whether they have a few hours to read a book, or only 15 minutes for a Ted Talk!
Check out the following upcoming sessions for Q2:
- May: Dealing with failure.
- June: Problem-solving
- July: Creative & critical thinking
What If: Our creative sessions
Do you have an idea for the next app, social media platform, or smart home device, but need to give it some structure and talk through it in a supportive environment?
Join one of our informal What If sessions to explore the problems you and your fellow peers would like to solve, and think about the apps we wish existed.
These sessions are all about having fun thinking about ideas for new digital/tech products or services. If you’d like to see if any of these ideas might be worth turning into a business, we are able to provide follow-on startup support to take you from A to B, but this is completely up to you!
Check out all the upcoming What If sessions on our Eventbrite.
Spotlight on.. Issues impacting the world of work:
Interested in dipping a toe in the tech sector or hopeful that hearing others' experiences will spark your next bright idea? In these sessions, we discuss different issues impacting the world of work and how individuals in our communities have overcome them.
Confirmed for Q2 are the following sessions:
- April: Neurodiversity at work
- May: Tech and the creative and cultural sectors
- June: Work/Life balance
Check out all of the upcoming Spotlight On sessions on our Eventbrite.
Workshops
Alongside our regular creative sessions, we have a few unique workshops lined up for you. Got any suggestions for themes you’d like to see delivered? Please let us know – our Community Hub Manager can be reached at katie.mitchell@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com
Navigating your narrative: This informal workshop on 20 April focuses on non-linear career/life paths and helps you narrate your experiences to date. By understanding how to communicate confidently about our previous experiences (all the successes and failures!) you’ll be able to explore potential career or self-employment options going forward, and set achievable goals to work towards.
Confidence coaching: This workshop on 21 June focuses on helping you build your confidence and tackle those moments when you feel “less than” in a supportive group environment and will provide tips and tricks to keep yourself confident in more uncertain times
Socials
Of course, our community hub isn’t just about exchanging knowledge. As featured in the name, community is CORE to the Hub! That’s why we’re running regular socials that anyone is welcome to join. We’re planning networking events, hackathons and more over the coming months so keep an eye on our social media, or get in touch with our Community Hub Manager for more details.
Watch this space for more details!
Join our hub
You don’t have to sit and wait for one of our events to take place to get involved with our Community Hub! We have a virtual presence (through Slack) or you can get in touch with our Community Hub Manager, Katie, at any time.
Join us on Slack
We’ve recently launched an online Slack (virtual chat platform) for our Community Hub community! Joining is completely free and gives you the chance to meet like-minded people in Sunderland, to exchange ideas, and to learn more about any support available to help you achieve your goals.
Get in touch with Katie
We would absolutely love to hear about your ideas or any thoughts you may have for the Community Hub. Please get in touch with our Community Hub Manager, Katie, for an informal chat or just to learn more about what we do and how we can help you.
You can book an appointment with Katie every Thursday via Calendly.
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