Chi Hack Night: CTO @ Shedd Aquarium (In Person & Online):

A free event in Chicago to build, share and learn about civic tech. Presentation from Shedd Aquarium. Join us for our monthly in-person Chi Hack Night! We will be at a new location: i.c.stars,a non-profit tech training & placement program! Chi Hack Night is a group of thousands of designers, academic researchers, data journalists, activists, policy wonks, web developers and curious citizens who want to make our city more just, equitable, transparent and delightful to live in through data, design and technology. Speaker: Danielle DuMerer, Vice President of Technology & Information Security, Shedd Aquarium (she/her) Presentation: Building for the future and honoring the past: Integrating technology into Shedd Aquarium’s Centennial Commitment and Experience Evolution Shedd Aquarium will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2030. Ahead of that milestone, Shedd launched its Centennial Commitment to accelerate access and connection to nature for all and amplify ways to care, conserve and act to ensure an equitable, sustainable and thriving future for people and aquatic life. Danielle DuMerer, Vice President of Technology & Information Security, will share how technology is helping to modernize the guest experience and support expanded programs, digital engagement, and aquatic conservation locally and globally. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the complexity of working within a historic building, the unique challenges an aquarium presents, and the solutions that continue to evolve as the Shedd completes construction and prepares for its centennial anniversary. What happens at a hack night? Every week, we have a 45 minute presentation by a government agency, non-profit, company or group who've made use of open data or built a civic technology application. The goal of these presentations is to showcase the different uses and opportunities, as well as challenges and successes in the civic technology movement. After the presentation, the format of the event is similar to that of a hackathon where breakout groups self-organize to work on civic apps, discuss policies and their implications, learn technical skills and network with a welcoming and diverse community at the intersection of technology and government. But I'm not a techie! That's ok! We encourage non-technical folks to pair up and learn from our community's designers and developers. We've seen time and time again, the best civic projects come from teams with a diverse background. Remember, there's much more to making a great app than just coding. ASL interpreting available If you have need for an American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter, let us know when you register for the event and we will provide one, provided enough lead time. Questions about the event? We have answers: Q: I won’t be able to make it in person. Will the event be live streamed? A: Yes. The event will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/chihacknight/live Q: Will there be food? A: Yes! We will be serving Costa Rican empanadas, chicken casado and rice from Irazu!