With the COVID-19 outbreak forcing many businesses to shift operations to online and remote platforms, professional development has been no different. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners are finding themselves in unprecedented situations, and it can be challenging to navigate these times.
Here is a list of some virtual seminars and conferences targeted to entrepreneurs and community members alike. Many of the events listed below are free, but conferences listed that do charge an admission fee have been significantly discounted due to the inability to meet in person.

FREE – Hispanicize #UnidosTogether Virtual Summit (July 1, 2020) - This free, half-day event (from noon to 4 pm EST) will join influencers, tastemakers, content creators, executives, and entrepreneurs to spotlight Latinx frontline heroes and small business owners. Follow Hispanicize on Instagram and Twitter.  Learn more about #UnidosTogether here.

FREE – Forbes CIO Summit Virtual Series, Episode 1 (July 1, 2020) - This summer, Forbes is hosting a 4-part series on how Chief Information Officers can adjust to the COVID-19 outbreak and rethink business operations. Visit Forbes on:  the web, Instagram and Twitter.   Register here for Episode 2 (Aug. 5), Episode 3 (Sept. 2), and Episode 4 (Sept. 30).

FREE – Small Business Post-Covid-19 Survival Online Seminar (July 2, 2020) - Jesse Torres and Mark Villalovos will host this event targeted to small business owners. Torres is Principal, Arroyo West, LLC and was recently the Deputy Director, Small Business Innovation in the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development and Villalovos is Principal at Zenon Consulting, LLC and a former Disney marketing and customer experience executive. Visit the website for Covid-19 Business Tools to learn more about this organization. This organization mainly serves small businesses operating in California. Additional one-hour consultations are available for $59.00

FREE – 360 Digital Marketing DNA Webinar (July 2, 2020 – 2:00 – 3:30 PM CDT) - Cheryl McCants is an award-winning, bilingual communication professional and business strategist. In this conference, she will present on creating a brand for small businesses, building a successful marketing program, and connecting customers with your products and services in the most efficient ways possible. For more information about the Rutgers-Newark Small Business Development Center (RNSBDC), visit their website, Instagram, and Twitter profiles.

FREE – Small Business Guide to Intellectual Property Webinar (July 2, 2020) - This event is hosted by the Rutgers-Newark Small Business Development Center. This workshop will help small businesses gain a clearer understanding of what intellectual property is and what protection exists. Additionally, it will highlight common issues with patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks. For more information about the Rutgers-Newark Small Business Development Center (RNSBDC), visit their website, Instagram, and Twitter profiles.

FREE – Unflinchingly Authentic: Standing Out in the Digital Space (July 9, 2020 – 3:00 – 4:00 PM CDT) - The Kite + Dart Group is partnering with Moxie Writing Co. To host this one-hour event, which focuses on translating business ideas and concepts authentically across digital channels. Both Kite + Dart Group are based out of Denver, Colorado. For more information about the Kite + Dart Group, visit their website, Facebook, and YouTube profiles. For more information about the Moxie Writing Company, visit their website, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.

FREE – Women in Tech WTSVirtual Webinar Wednesday Series - All events are from 11 AM – noon CDT. Anyone who identifies as a woman is invited. For more information about Women in Tech SEO, please visit:  website, Instagram, Twitter July 8:  SEO for Shopify with Izabela Wisniewska - Shopify is loved by many retailers, but it can be challenging from an SEO perspective. Izabela will cover some key SEO challenges and provide tips on optimizing websites build with Shopify.Visit Shopify on:  the web, Instagram, Twitter

July 15:  Being an SEO Entrepreneur with Susan Hallam – Susan will share her personal journey from starting a business at home and working on her own for 10 years, then growing her business, Hallam, into an agency that has been awarded The Drum’s Grand Prix two year’s running. Visit Hallam on:  the web, Instagram, Twitter

July 29:  Google Sheets for SEO with Aleyda Solis - Aleyda will share tips on how to make the most out of Google Sheets, giving lots of actionable examples that can be used in our day to day.

International Conference on Machine Learning (July 12-18, 2020) - Now in its 37th year, the ICML is a seven-day conference hosting virtual tutorials, lectures, workshops, and paper discussions on various topics in AI, data confidentiality, health technology, and machine learning. For more information about ICML, visit their website and Twitter profiles. Tickets:  $100, or $20 for students (includes conference and the workshops).

International Conference on Machine Learning (July 12-18, 2020) - Now in its 37th year, the ICML is a seven-day conference hosting virtual tutorials, lectures, workshops, and paper discussions on various topics in AI, data confidentiality, health technology, and machine learning. For more information about ICML, visit their website and Twitter profiles. Tickets:  $100, or $20 for students (includes conference and the workshops).

FREE – Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Webinar (July 14, 2020 – 2:00 – 3:30 PM CDT) - This conference is hosted by the Rutgers-Newark Small Business Development Center and works to inform small business owners of cybersecurity options. This program will provide insight into the basics of security and privacy laws, web-based authentication, as well as various best practices and tools that can be used to protect business in online spaces. For more information about the Rutgers-Newark Small Business Development Center (RNSBDC), visit their website, Instagram, and Twitter profiles.

FREE – Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Small Business E-Expo (July 16, 2020) - From 10 AM to 2 PM CDT, the City of Chicago BACP department will host this free small business expo, including a keynote address, business education workshop webinars, and more. For more information about the Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection department, visit their website, Instagram, and Twitter profiles.

MozCon Virtual 2020 (July 14-15, 2020) - This conference is hosted by Moz, a Seattle-based search and content provider. This two-day event will highlight tech areas, including:  SEO, paid search, content marketing, digital PR, social strategies, conversion optimization, and more. For more information about Moz, visit their website and Twitter profiles. Tickets:  $129 for a two-day pass

FREE - VentureBeat Transform 2020 (July 15-17, 2020) -- This three-day conference focuses on enterprise AI, specifically: Computer Vision; Conversational AI; IoT and AI at the Edge; and RPA and automation. Additionally, this conference will highlight AI within the following industries: financial services; retail/ecommerce; healthcare; and manufacturing/industrial. For more information about VentureBeat, visit their website, Instagram and Twitter profiles. Tickets range from FREE (livestream only) up to $600 for a 3-day digital access pass. Single-day access passes are also available for $219/day.

The Last Word

The above resources are just a few of the resources available to help you up your B-game while geting you through the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mary Kathryn Whitaker (“MK”) is a third-year law student at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Mary Kathryn interns at Precipice IP, PLLC, where she researches and drafts materials relating to intellectual law.

Angela Grayson, CIPP/US, CLP is an author, speaker, and lawyer. She is the Principal and Founder of Precipice IP, PLLC.  Angela is a patent, trademark, copyright, and technology law attorney with almost 20 years of experience helping science and technology companies protect products, brands, designs, and data from idea to launch.

👉🏿 Sign up to join our community and to learn more about our legal services visit www.precipiceip.com/purchase. Precipice provides intellectual property legal services to science and technology startups.