Guidance for mentors - Sheffield Digital mentoring scheme
Description changed:
Sarah will deliver a short guidance session about the Sheffield Digital mentoring scheme, including information/discussion points on:
- Recent challenges raised by mentors
- Guidelines to handle these challenges
- Guidance on supporting mentees with interviews - presentation by Paul Solecki
- ChatGPT for scenario based mock interviews - presentation and demo by Paul Robinson
- Reminder/feedback about our Mentor Resource Hub
Please email info@sheffield.digital if you would like to join the session.
Introduction
We are very excited to announce our fifth in-person event of 2024! Our May event will be based in Sheffield, hosted at Airwalk Reply's offices close to the station. As usual, we will be running the event from 6pm-8pm where food and drink will be provided.
Sessions
To be finalised, keep your eyes peeled!
Sponsors
A huge thank you to the folks over at Airwalk Reply for sponsoring this event and supporting the community!
"So You've been given term sheets...What next?" Venture.Community Event
Description changed:
Venture.Community Events Presents the next event in our By Founders For Founders Series: "So you’ve been given term sheets… What next?"
So you’re a founder with a scaling business and you’ve been raising for months. Finally, it seems the search is over as an Angel, Venture Capital, or Private Equity firm offers to invest in your business. Hooray! They send over term sheets with an investment proposition, an equity valuation and exit terms… What now?
How can you navigate this seldom-discussed situation? How can you protect your shares and control as a founder? How does this new raise interact with the existing cap table structure and how can you create a situation where all parties leave happy?
This Venture.Community Event will focus on the holistic picture. We will explore the perspective of the Founder, the Angel, the VC and the legal structure which needs to be carefully navigated to maximise the success of an investment. Join us to understand how each party will approach the investment structure of a raise. Gain insight into the desires of each group to best navigate the negotiation stage of your next raise.
We have potentially our best lineup yet so make sure to secure your ticket to hear each sides approach, delivered by the best of the best in their field.
We will hear from:
Andrea Cropley – Partner of Corporate Finance at Squire Patton Boggs.
With over 25 years experience as a corporate finance lawyer. She has extensive experience of public and private M&A transactions for UK and international companies, IPO’s, joint ventures, strategic alliances, complex schemes of arrangement, restructurings and capital reorganisations. Many of the transactions she acts on have a cross-border dimension. Her clients range from banks and large international corporations to private companies and entrepreneurs.
Andrea spent many years working in London but has been based in the North for nearly 10 years. Her clients span corporates and institutions in the North to global organisations based in London and overseas.
Ed French – Active Angel Investor & Founder of PinPoint Ventures, Umbra, and Apitronix Systems.
Ed has spent his career on new technology companies. Now he spends his time helping & sometimes investing in technology companies he finds interesting, exciting or beneficial. He has a background in as a start-up CEO, venture capital investing, company incubation and engineering.
Before that, Ed spent 10 years as an early-stage technology investor and fund manager, reviewing 1000's of business plans and making dozens of investments, helping on those company's boards and helping them build senior teams.
With experience in all seats of the table, Ed will present on the dynamic between early-stage Angel investment. Ed will reveal how Angels work around dilution, interact with new investors, and what Angels look for in a good investment.
Peter Hopton - Founder of Venture.Community, Icetope & VeryPC.
As a successful serial entrepreneur, Peter Hopton has become a regular Angel investor. He has first-hand knowledge of very early-stage investment and how an Angel investor will approach their cap-table position. Additionally, over the past 2-years Peter has been accelerating 5 companies under his private accelerator Red Paisley. Through this he has gained valuable insight into how each party approaches the various raising rounds.
Stay tuned as we have both a world-class Founder and a Venture Capital investor to announce imminently.
[🏫 In-Person] Memory First: An Introduction to Redis with Guy Royse
Description changed:
This event will be a single talk on Memory First: An Introduction to Redis with Guy Royse
⚠️ This will be an in-person event, the venue is TBA.
🗺️ Hallam University Map: https://www.shu.ac.uk/visit-us/how-to-find-us/city-campus-map
📌 Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kMU7RCsj3hdhWzXp9
🚗 Parking: The APCOA car park on Eyre Street is a five-minute walk from City Campus. You can park there for just £5. Just scan your blue chip at Owen Building Level 5, Charles Street, or Cantor to claim the discount.
Agenda:
🍕 Pizza/Drinks (18:15 - 18:30)
🗣 Introduction (18:30)
👉 Memory First: An Introduction to Redis (18:35ish)
🍻 Social @ Pub (after the talk)
👉 Memory First: An Introduction to Redis
Odds are, you’ve heard of Redis. Maybe you’re a total noob and want to learn all about it. Maybe you’ve used it to cache an API call or some JSON strings and want to know what else it can do. Maybe you *haven’t* heard of Redis and are curious what all the fuss is about.
Wanna find out? Join me as I explain what Redis is—a wicked-fast, memory-first database—and why you should care. I’ll share with you what it can store, how you can access it, and how you can make sure that what’s in memory is still there when the power goes off. We’ll explore how you can extend Redis—adding new commands, new data structures, and new capabilities. And, we’ll do it both from the command line and from code with examples in C#, Java, JavaScript, and Python.
When we’re done, you’ll know what Redis is and what all the fuss was about. But, more importantly, you’ll know how to put memory first to build fast applications and faster experiences.
We're in Room 12.4.12 at the Charles Street Building, Sheffield Hallam University, 120 Charles St, Sheffield, S1 2NE, England
You'll need to sign-in at the security desk, but look for FES signs up into the lift and the 4th floor.
This month we'll be welcoming:
Luke Howsam - Feature Flags: A safer way of releasing software
How to give your apps the power to reduce risk, deploy faster, test your code in production, perform A/B testing and other goodies.
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Iain Broome - Trauma-informed content design and tricky tech decisions
Iain’s talk will introduce the principles of trauma-informed content design using examples from his work on guidance content aimed at kinship carers. He’ll also cover some of the practical tech decisions – both good and bad – that had a direct effect on the user experience for people who have been through trauma.
We're in Room 12.4.12 at the Charles Street Building, Sheffield Hallam University, 120 Charles St, Sheffield, S1 2NE, England
You'll need to sign-in at the security desk, but look for FES signs up into the lift and the 4th floor.
This month: Richard Oliver Bray
Our event is free and inclusive; we welcome people of all backgrounds and experience levels to join. We will be checking in people at the door so be sure to sign up online.
Before you attend, please read our code of conduct: http://bit.ly/fes-coc
***
This month we'll be welcoming:
Richard Oliver Bray - Solving Data Fetching Issues With React
This talk explores the common challenges developers face when using the useEffect hook for data fetching, and will go through practices and patterns to overcome these issues, all without relying on third-party libraries.
Are you interested in data analytics in the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond? Do you want to learn new skills, share your insights, and network with other data enthusiasts?
If so, join us for our bi-monthly Sheffield based data analytics user group, where we discuss topics related to data analysis and engineering, visualisation, and data science using MS Fabric, Power BI, Microsoft Azure tools and services and more.
Our user group is open to anyone who wants to learn more about data analytics, whether you are a beginner or an expert. We meet every last Wednesday every other month in Sheffield at Electric Works, close to the central train and bus stations. Each meeting features a mix of presentations by guest speakers, Q&A sessions and, a chance to chat, network and grab some (free) food.
We’re keen to keep a local element to the group so if you have your own projects, challenges or ideas to share through anything from a short lightening talk to a full hour-long session we’d love to hear from you. First time and inexperienced speakers are welcome, we’re a friendly group with a number of experienced presenters to hand if you need some support.
The code of conduct for Azure Tech Groups will apply to all organisers, attendees and speakers
Code of Conduct for group leaders
As event and experience organizers, we seek to provide a respectful, friendly, professional experience for everyone, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, disability, age, race, or religion. We do not tolerate any behavior that is degrading to any gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability, nor do we tolerate any behavior that would be deemed harassment or discrimination. Individuals are responsible for knowing and abiding by our standards and we encourage everyone to assist in creating a safe and welcoming environment. Please report any concerns, suspicious activity, or disruptive behavior to the Azure Tech Groups team so we can address issues immediately.
All group members should follow
Throughout each interaction:
Be friendly and welcoming
Listen with purpose and create space for others’ communication preferences.
Ask yourself how you can make someone life easier.
Be patient
Remember that people have varying communication styles and preferences.
Recognize that not everyone is using their native language. Meaning and tone can be lost in translation.
Be thoughtful
Think about how others will interpret your words. Aim for clear and productive communication.
Remember that sometimes it is best to refrain from commenting.
Be respectful and inclusive
Respect differences of opinion.
Seek to understand and build bridges, not condemn or criticize.
Make a conscious effort to include people who differ from you.
Be open and curious
Assume good intent and interpret others’ statements or questions in good faith.
Ask questions to understand, not denounce.
Focus on continuous learning. Improve upon the things you already know, tackle new things, and ask others about their expertise to deepen your own knowledge.
Summary
Treat everyone with respect, kindness, and empathy.
Use welcoming and inclusive language.
Be thoughtful in how you communicate in person and online.
Don’t be destructive or inflammatory.
Gracefully accept constructive criticism.
Listen with purpose and create space for others’ communication preferences.
Reach out to the organizers if you need anything.
Reporting
Please report any concerns, suspicious activity, or disruptive behavior to the Azure Tech Groups team at azure-tech-groups@microsoft.com.
TechConnect: Connecting Aspirations to Tech Realities - South Yorkshire
Description changed:
Join us for TechConnect, a dynamic event designed to bridge the gap between junior developers looking to kick start their careers, and employers in the industry. If you’re a recent graduate, a career changer, or an employer seeking top talent, TechConnect offers a unique platform to network, learn, and connect.
What to Expect:
Inspiring Lightning Talks: Hear from leading tech companies who will provide knowledge and advice on getting into tech, alongside individuals who have successfully transitioned into their dream career.
Gain valuable insights into the industry, career paths, and the skills that employers value most.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with professionals from a diverse range of tech companies and backgrounds.
Expand your network, exchange ideas, and explore potential career opportunities.
Expert Advice: Get practical advice on job seeking strategies, crafting standout CVs and portfolios, and acing interviews in the tech industry.
Learn from industry professionals and specialist recruiters about what it takes to stand out today’s competitive job market.
Why Attend:
TechConnect ’s vision is to bring together emerging talent and industry leaders in an inclusive setting.
Teaming up with The Developer Academy – we aim to provide a networking platform to create meaningful connections.
Whether you’re seeking your next opportunity or looking to meet the next generation of tech talent, join us on the day to connect, learn, and thrive in the ever-expanding tech ecosystem of South Yorkshire.
FaithTech Sheffield
Are you a Christian working in tech, or just someone curious about the relevance of faith to tech? Want to connect with a community of like-minded people who love Jesus and love tech? Join us for a social evening of community building. All are welcome.
New date and venue for the next FaithTech
We've postponed the April FaithTech meetup by a week to avoid a clash with Sheffield Startup, which had already scheduled their meetup for 25 April.
We'll now meet on Wednesday, 1 May instead, which will also allow those with a regular commitment on a Thursday an opportunity to join us.
This time round, we've planned a social gathering in town to enable us to continue to get to know each other and forge deeper, more meaningful relationships.
We will meet at Bungalows and Bears on Division Street from 18:00 for after-work drinks, followed by food at Pieminster at 19:00 for an updated take on a 'pie and pea supper'.
In order for us to confirm the booking at Pieminster, we do need a firm indication of whether you're coming or not. So please book your ticket on Eventbrite before Monday, 29 April to give the kitchen an indication of what you will be ordering (see menu below). You'll be responsible for paying for what you eat and drink, rather than trying to split the bill 20 ways!
This evening will also be an opportunity to continue discussing the "build" part of the FaithTech community so that we can work together to use our skills on projects that help serve Sheffield.
Pieminster menu
Award winning, sustainably made pies. From classic to plant-based & gluten-free, they’ve got the lot. https://pieminister.co.uk/restaurants/sheffield/
Our next meetup is on Thursday 9th May at Sheffield Tech Parks.
Speakers and format TBC. Do get in touch if you're interested in speaking at this or a future event, or if your company might be interested in sponsoring us.
Join us for an insightful roundtable discussion hosted by the Cloud Solutions team at Simoda, where we delve into the real-world experiences of businesses facing the rapid growth of public cloud costs and look at ways business can optimise cloud environments. This roundtable will feature a series of customer stories highlighting the challenges and triumphs in mitigating financial risks associated with cloud services. The aim is for the roundtable to be an open discussion opportunity to align best practice ideas and solutions.
Background: As per industry forecasts by Gartner and IDC, the global end-user spending on public cloud services is on an upward trajectory, with a 20.7% increase in 2023, amounting to $591.8 billion. The trend is expected to continue, with spending projected to reach $678.8 billion in 2024 and $1.35 trillion by 2027. The shift towards cloud technologies is becoming more pronounced, with over half of enterprise IT spending in key market segments predicted to move to the cloud by 2025.
Key Discussion Points:
Digital Transformation: How organisations leverage cloud services to enhance agility and competitiveness.
Emerging Technologies: The impact of generative AI.
Cost Efficiency: Balancing cost-effective cloud solutions with upfront capital investment.
Flexibility and Scalability: Adapting to business demands through scalable cloud resources.
IT Modernisation: Transitioning operations to the cloud to optimise costs and minimise risks.
Cloud Ubiquity: The widespread adoption of cloud services across various regions and industries.
Customer Stories: Despite the benefits, a staggering 94% of enterprises are overspending on public cloud services by an average of 43%.
Our roundtable will share firsthand accounts of how companies have implemented effective cost management strategies, such as FinOps practices, right-sizing infrastructure, and optimising multi-cloud strategies to control their cloud spending.
Challenges Addressed:
Lack of Governance: Tackling uncontrolled costs due to unclear cloud spending.
Unanticipated Usage: Managing budget overruns from unexpected cloud project success.
No Commitments: Leveraging usage commitments to secure discounts.
Dev/Test Waste: Reducing expenses from over-provisioning and idle resources.
Too Much Production Headroom: Avoiding oversizing and inflated costs.
Effective Management Solutions:
Cloud Cost Management Tools: Utilising tools for detailed cloud usage and expense insights.
Tagging and Resource Management: Implementing tagging policies for cost allocation and tracking.
Budgets and Alerts: Establishing budgets and alerts for proactive spending management.
Conclusion: This roundtable aims to equip participants with the knowledge and strategies to effectively track and manage their cloud expenses, ensuring that their journey to the cloud is both cost-effective and aligned with their business objectives.
Free roundtable event: Navigating the public cloud cost surge - Simoda
Description changed:
Join us for an insightful roundtable discussion hosted by the Cloud Solutions team at Simoda, where we delve into the real-world experiences of businesses facing the rapid growth of public cloud costs and look at ways business can optimise cloud environments. This roundtable will feature a series of customer stories highlighting the challenges and triumphs in mitigating financial risks associated with cloud services. The aim is for the roundtable to be an open discussion opportunity to align best practice ideas and solutions.
Background: As per industry forecasts by Gartner and IDC, the global end-user spending on public cloud services is on an upward trajectory, with a 20.7% increase in 2023, amounting to $591.8 billion. The trend is expected to continue, with spending projected to reach $678.8 billion in 2024 and $1.35 trillion by 2027. The shift towards cloud technologies is becoming more pronounced, with over half of enterprise IT spending in key market segments predicted to move to the cloud by 2025.
Key Discussion Points:
Digital Transformation: How organisations leverage cloud services to enhance agility and competitiveness.
Emerging Technologies: The impact of generative AI.
Cost Efficiency: Balancing cost-effective cloud solutions with upfront capital investment.
Flexibility and Scalability: Adapting to business demands through scalable cloud resources.
IT Modernisation: Transitioning operations to the cloud to optimise costs and minimise risks.
Cloud Ubiquity: The widespread adoption of cloud services across various regions and industries.
Customer Stories: Despite the benefits, a staggering 94% of enterprises are overspending on public cloud services by an average of 43%.
Our roundtable will share firsthand accounts of how companies have implemented effective cost management strategies, such as FinOps practices, right-sizing infrastructure, and optimising multi-cloud strategies to control their cloud spending.
Challenges Addressed:
Lack of Governance: Tackling uncontrolled costs due to unclear cloud spending.
Unanticipated Usage: Managing budget overruns from unexpected cloud project success.
No Commitments: Leveraging usage commitments to secure discounts.
Dev/Test Waste: Reducing expenses from over-provisioning and idle resources.
Too Much Production Headroom: Avoiding oversizing and inflated costs.
Effective Management Solutions:
Cloud Cost Management Tools: Utilising tools for detailed cloud usage and expense insights.
Tagging and Resource Management: Implementing tagging policies for cost allocation and tracking.
Budgets and Alerts: Establishing budgets and alerts for proactive spending management.
Conclusion: This roundtable aims to equip participants with the knowledge and strategies to effectively track and manage their cloud expenses, ensuring that their journey to the cloud is both cost-effective and aligned with their business objectives.
Young People In Tech Launch Event - connecting students and employers directly
Description changed:
We are a group of A-level and college students in Sheffield who have come together with the aim of connecting students and employers directly. We aim to do this by organising interactive events that help students form a much better understanding of opportunities that exist, eliminating common misconceptions and making the path to a job in the technology industry much clearer!
The events are organised and led by students to help them be as enjoyable and informative as possible, removing the common power dynamic and facilitating a less formal space where students can feel more comfortable asking questions and getting to know employers and each other, helping with employment and apprenticeship opportunities in the future.
As this is the launch event it is going to be relatively small and simple, with the aim of dispelling myths about employment and building up networking connections, alongside forming the student network and finding people who would be interested in getting involved.
Employers:
We welcome employers from across the tech industry who are interested in meeting students, finding out what they are learning and making, and hearing their questions directly.
Students
If you are a post-16 student who is learning a digital subject and is interested in a career in tech, or just curious about it, this is the event for you!
Please note that the event is for post-16 students only, and if you are under 18 you must complete the parental consent form.
Agile and DevOps during the lifecycle of developing a digital service
Description changed:
We're excited to announce a joint meetup between Agile Sheffield and Sheffield DevOps.
In this event we will describe how Agile ways of working are introduced through a typical digital delivery project and how they work to support DevOps in the build of a digital service.
The event will be hosted by Richard Joseph from Agile Sheffield and Jared Holgate from Sheffield DevOps.
Richard is an experienced Agile Coach, with a wealth of experience working across the UK in the public sector and providing training and coaching services to many companies in Sheffield.
Jared is an experienced DevOps engineer currently working for Microsoft.
Doors open at 6pm, for meet & greet & networking with pizza and beverages kindly provided by our hosts at BJSS.
The session will start at 6:30 and we should be all wrapped up by 8:30pm.
Join us for the April edition of SheffieldR User Group, featuring two insightful talks:
Profiling and Optimising Your R Code
Dive into the world of code optimisation with Dr. Daniel Brady, Research Software Engineer at the University of Sheffield. Learn practical tips to streamline your code for improved efficiency and performance.
R Strategies for Health Data Pipelines
Dr. Joe Heffer, Research Data Engineer at the University of Sheffield, will explore essential strategies for handling health data within R pipelines. Discover techniques for packaging, ensuring data integrity, and securely handling sensitive data, along with insights on managing unexpected data volumes.
Come join us to discuss all things Accessibility. Harriet Holman and Melissa Rocks will host a talk about the topic in general and how and why we should test for it. We'd love to see some of you there!
Pizza will be provided (thanks to our lovely sponsors at BJSS!) but please message me if you have any dietary requirements we need to account for.
Are you passionate about coding and helping others? Join us for an exciting opportunity to volunteer with Code Your Future and help us deliver our Day to Day Digital Skills Course https://codeyourfuture.io/dds/.
Help people get online safety, participate more in society and improve their job opportunities.
This event is an informative session about how you can help us volunteer in the Digital literacy course in Sheffield.
This informative session is online, but we expect that you can help us volunteer in person! More sessions about the date in the session.