Silicon Sacramento, sort of

With what’s happened to rent prices in San Francisco and the city generally being consumed by techbros whose idea of social awareness extends to washing their hoodies every two weeks, a healthy skepticism of super-fast-growing tech sectors seems like a reasonable thing to have. But of course, there’s no denying that innovation is necessary to the improvement of a city, and this week offers opportunities for seeds of fresh ideas to be planted and nurtured on a local level:

TEDx UCDavis has continued to up the ante every year since its inception in 2011, and this year is no exception with its theme “Igniting X.” Beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, at the Mondavi Center (1 Shields Avenue in Davis), a day full of programming intended to spark the discovery of new ideas will take place with talks by professionals in engineering, mathematics, communications and more, plus taiko and improv comedy performances from UC Davis students. Attendees can expect vibes very similar to the official TED talks that have become ubiquitous on the internet, but this event is organized completely independently by Davis locals with the intent to “eliminate the fear of being different,” whether that’s in tech, the arts, business, health or our everyday community. Tickets are $17 for students and kids, and $35 for adults; visit www.tedxucdavis.com to find out more.

Startup Weekend Sacramento: Health Edition takes places from 6 p.m. Friday, April 29, through Sunday, May 1, at the Urban Hive (1931 H Street), and this year, the focus is on health. Over a span of 54 hours, attendees will come together to brainstorm ideas, vote on what concepts should move forward, form teams and get as close as possible to developing a startup venture that seeks to improve any aspect of our lives relating to well-being; that could mean nutrition, the health-care system, fitness, medical technology—you get the idea. There will be opportunities to receive mentorship and collaborate with local entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, investors, engineers and designers, and in true hackathon fashion, the idea is to work collaboratively as much as possible (read: crazy-long hours, but that’s the fun of it!). Coders are especially in need, but thinkers, tinkerers and entrepreneurial-minded folk are likewise welcome to take this opportunity to network and gain startup experience. Registration ranges from $25 for demo day only to $99 for the full event; visit www.up.co/communities/usa/sacramento for more information.