Do you want to compete to win prize money and move your idea forward? If so, apply NOW to compete in the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition! The submission deadline is TOMORROW, Tuesday, February 22 at NOON! More information, rules, deadlines, etc. can be found here.

The Big Bang! is open to any team in California that has at least one founder associated with an institution of higher education (Community Colleges, Universities, etc.). Even if you aren’t competing, the Big Bang! offers free workshops that can help you move your startup forward. Two are coming up — Developing Your Startup Slide Deck on 2/25 and Pitching Like a Pro on 3/4 — and all the workshops are also all available on demand here.

This is the last week Black History Month and on Tuesday Startup Happy Hour features a Black founder making history: Jontae James, the founder of NatureTrak, an enterprise risk management platform for financial institutions that bank the cannabis industry. Come find out how he’s impacting the future!

Best Bets

Startup Happy Hour with Jontae James, CEO of NatureTrak, Tue Feb 23 at 5 PM: Join us for Startup Happy Hour powered by StartupSac and the Carlsen Center with NatureTrak’s CEO Jontae James.

Startup Grind Global Conference 2021, Feb 23-25: The power of online brings the education, access, opportunities and inspiration of Startup Grind’s Global Conference to startups around the world. Join for conversation and collaboration around tech, startups, and the future of innovation.

DIY Collateral Design for Startup Founders and Small Business Owners, Wed Feb 24 at 4 PM: Learn to create ads, write content, and structure websites that resonate with your customers using simple tools

There’s a lot more going on the next couple of weeks – check out all the details in this week’s Startup Digest. And for more startup resources, browse the StartupSac website.

Looking to connect with other founders? Find your peers when you join the StartupSac Community Facebook Group. Startup founders and those who support the growth of our startup community connect and exchange ideas in this private moderated group.