Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations– all while the audience drinks along in a casual atmosphere. Speakers present for 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a brief Q&A with the audience.
Suggested Donation $5.00
Doors open at 6pm. Program starts at 7pm
Questions? Contact:
PRESENTATION #1: “Getting High on Astronomy: A Scientific Pilgrimage to the Chilean Desert” by Derek Demeter
The Atacama desert in Chile is not only the driest place on Earth but is the mecca of astronomical research with no equal anywhere on planet Earth. The darkest and clearest skies can be found there and some of the most advanced observatories make their home in this inhospitable landscape. Join Derek Demeter as he recalls his recent pilgrimage to the many wonderful observatories found in Chile. Prepared to get high on astronomy!
Derek is the director of the Emil Buehler Planetarium at Seminole State College in Sanford, Florida. Derek also enjoys promoting science beyond the planetarium with his work as an astrophotographer, which earned him pictures seen in NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day website, Universe Today, Astronomy Magazine, and Sky and Telescope.
PRESENTATION #2: “Sky rockets in flight, asteroids delight: Asteroid Mining for Science, Profit, and Fun!” by Dr. Zoe Landsman
Why are both scientists and entrepreneurs interested in asteroid mining? What are some misconceptions about it? And how is it an important step on the road to human settlement and exploration of space?
Dr. Zoe Landsman is a postdoctoral researcher with the Florida Space Institute at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Landsman’s research is focused on studying the surfaces of asteroids to learn about the early solar system and to determine the suitability of specific asteroids for resource utilization.
PRESENTATION #3: “Are We There Yet?” by Brendan Byrne
When it comes to putting humans on Mars, are we there yet? After two years hosting the podcast “Are We There Yet?” Brendan may have the answer: Nope. But strides are being made to get humans there sooner than we think.
Brendan Byrne is WMFE’s space reporter and host/producer of “Are We There Yet?”, the station’s space exploration podcast. He’s a contributor to NPR’s national programming, bringing space news from Florida to a national audience. He’s a graduate of space camp class of 1996 and a self-diagnosed space geek.
Organizing events is scary and last week one of my worst fears became a reality. Through some miscommunication and user-error, we lost our venue for this month’s Nerd Nite. As we scrambled to find a replacement for the event, the options were looking very slim. Then just 8 hours before showtime, I called Henao Contemporary Center and they were not only available but were happy to accommodate us.
The hours leading up to Nerd Nite were very scary. Scarier than usual. With a last minute venue change nearly hours before our program was set to start, I was terrified that everything that could go wrong would absolutely go wrong. And then something crazy happened… all the tech worked, all the speakers showed up, the drinks were cold, and PEOPLE ACTUALLY SHOWED UP!
For those that couldn’t make it due to the venue change, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. And to those who were able to make the trip thank you for the commitment; we appreciate you and all those who have showed up, turned out, and supported us over the years.
The lineup for the night included one of our all-star speakers Max Jackson, who returned to the stage and gave a talk called “Information on the Brain”, David Moran followed by nerding out about the history of Dolly Parton’s amazing catalog of music, and my new co-boss Ida Eskamani closed us out breaking down “the art of moshing”.
With so much learned and so much fun had, I was reminded why so many of us have worked hard to keep Nerd Nite going over the years and I am incredibly excited for our plans for 2018, including the continuation of our monthly events, the second season of our show, our new documentary film, the 5-year anniversary, the cosplay prom, and so much more!
ORLANDO, FL — Nerd Nite Orlando is set to join the 4th annual Orlando Tech Week on Thursday, October 12th. The evening’s program will be combined with the “Tees and Ties Party”.
Held at The Exchange Building in the historic Church Street District, the monthly Nerd Nite event will feature giveaways, a special tech segment, and the traditional three guest speakers who will discuss everything from food, screenwriting, and the “The Great American Eclipse”.
Attendees are encouraged to wear a nerdy t-shirt or tie. Awards will be given out at the end of the evening for the best in the following categories: Retro, Humor, Space, Local Love, and Crowd Pleasing t-shirt or tie.
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Orlando Tech Week is a week-long showcase of the technology, creativity, and entrepreneurial hustle powering the future of Orlando. The Tees & Ties Party is one of Orlando Tech Week’s signature annual events. Click here for more info.
“Nerd Nite Orlando: Tees + Ties Party for Orlando Tech Week”
Hosted by Ida Eskamani & Ricardo Williams
Guest speakers: Tiffany Gentry, Gabriela Murza, & Emilee Speck
WHERE: Church Street Exchange, 101 S Garland Ave, Orlando, FL 32801
WHEN: Thursday, October 12, 2017, Doors open at 6pm. Program begins at 7pm.
COST: $20 (ticket includes 2 drinks)
FOOD & CASH BAR WILL BE ON-SITE
DRESS CODE: Nerdy t-shirt OR tie **
PRESENTATION #1: “Skinny Genes Aren’t for Everyone: Why Most Diets Set You Up to Fail” by Gabriela Murza
Gabriela Murza is an Extension Agent with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. It may sound fancy, but it just means that she is an “extension” of UF, providing educational programs and services to community residents of Osceola County. While there is an Extension office in every county in Florida, there is only one Gabi. She received her graduate degree in Health Education, and has turned that passion into a career with UF. Her area of expertise is nutrition, wellness, and food safety, and she teaches any and all topics related to these areas to anyone who will listen.
PRESENTATION #2: “Storytelling 101; The Hero’s Journey and The Disney Princess.” By Tiffany Gentry
Orlando native Tiffany Gentry is an editor, producer, and production assistant for WUCF TV, our Central Florida PBS Station…and yes she did work behind the scenes on Nerd Night Spotlight! As a graduate of The University of Central Florida in Radio and TV Broadcasting, Tiffany has always been a passionate media consumer. When she is not working, she often spends her time consuming and studying all kinds of media trends and history including film, TV, and even theme park entertainment. Her presentation will explore an interesting and important trend in one of Disney’s biggest brands outside of Mickey Mouse.
PRESENTATION #3 “Our High Solar Drive: The untold (as seen on TV) story of two women’s 50 hour experience for two minutes of totality” by Emilee Speck
Emilee Speck is a digital journalist for the Orlando CBS station, WKMG and ClickOrlando.com, who covers space, planetary science and Central Florida breaking news. Before joining WKMG Emilee was a web editor and space blogger for the Orlando Sentinel. She has been known to explain SpaceX booster landings with staplers and other office items around the newsroom.
**Prizes for best t-shirt and tie will be given out at the end of the evening.
This morning, Ricardo was on the air at 91.5 FM WPRK for Bess Auer’s new show, “Smarketing News” to talk about cool new apps, Central Florida parks, infrastructure, Juice Bike Share, the origins of Nerd Nite, why the event is so important, and so much more.
Join us on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at the Geek Easy for another evening of thinking and drinking.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations– all while the audience drinks along in a casual atmosphere. Speakers present for 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a brief Q&A with the audience.
Hosted by Ida Eskamani & Ricardo Williams
For any questions, contact Ricardo at
WHERE: The Geek Easy, 114 S Semoran Blvd #6, Winter Park, FL 32792
WHEN: Thursday, October 12, 2017 Doors open at 6pm. Program starts at 7pm
Nerd Nite Orlando LVI: Skinny Genes, Storytelling 101, and the High Solar Drive
PRESENTATION #1: “Skinny Genes Aren’t for Everyone: Why Most Diets Set You Up to Fail” by Gabriela Murza
Gabriela Murza is an Extension Agent with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. It may sound fancy, but it just means that she is an “extension” of UF, providing educational programs and services to community residents of Osceola County. While there is an Extension office in every county in Florida, there is only one Gabi. She received her graduate degree in Health Education, and has turned that passion into a career with UF. Her area of expertise is nutrition, wellness, and food safety, and she teaches any and all topics related to these areas to anyone who will listen.
PRESENTATION #2: “Storytelling 101; The Hero’s Journey and The Disney Princess.” By Tiffany Gentry
Orlando native Tiffany Gentry is an editor, producer, and production assistant for WUCF TV, our Central Florida PBS Station…and yes she did work behind the scenes on Nerd Night Spotlight! As a graduate of The University of Central Florida in Radio and TV Broadcasting, Tiffany has always been a passionate media consumer. When she is not working, she often spends her time consuming and studying all kinds of media trends and history including film, TV, and even theme park entertainment. Her presentation will explore an interesting and important trend in one of Disney’s biggest brands outside of Mickey Mouse.
PRESENTATION #3: “Our High Solar Drive: The untold (as seen on TV) story of two women’s 50 hour experience for two minutes of totality” by Emilee Speck
Emilee Speck is a digital journalist for the Orlando CBS station, WKMG and ClickOrlando.com, who covers space, planetary science and Central Florida breaking news. Before joining WKMG Emilee was a web editor and space blogger for the Orlando Sentinel. She has been known to explain SpaceX booster landings with staplers and other office items around the newsroom.
ORLANDO, FL — Activist and organizer Ida Eskamani is announced as the new Co-Boss of Nerd Nite Orlando.
Nerd Nite, a monthly event that features educational and entertaining presentations in a casual atmosphere, operates in over a hundred cities around the world, including Tokyo, Seattle, New York City, London, Fort Lauderdale, Des Moines and Austin.
Nerd Nite launched in Orlando on Thursday, March 14, 2013 by founding organizers Valerie Cepero, Josh Manning, and Ricardo Williams. For the past two years, Williams has solely organized and hosted Nerd Nite Orlando. Eskamani, who nerds out about astronomy, music and nature, will work side by side with Williams to organize monthly events as well as special programming and share hosting duties on certain evenings.
The announcement was made on Thursday, September 14th at “Nerd Nite Orlando LV: Neural Networks, Autonomous Vehicles, & The Procrastination Paradox” where Eskamani took the stage at the end of the evening to emphasize big plans for 2018 including a Nerd Nite Prom and how they’re going to “triple everything in size and Nerd Nite this whole damn town!”
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Contact:
Ricardo Williams
Host, Nerd Nite Orlando
813–464–1712
Ida Eskamani is a first generation Iranian-American and a native of Orlando, Florida. She earned dual degrees in Political Science and Sociology and has served on top political campaigns, advocacy organizations, and institutions including the Obama White House, Sen. Bill Nelson’s re-election campaign, and Equality Florida. Following the tragedy at Pulse, Ms. Eskamani launched the Pulse Victims Fund, raising $10 million dollars for Pulse families and survivors and played a key role in victim service and advocacy efforts following the tragedy, with a focus on intersectionality and empowerment. She has organized large-scale demonstrations in support of the black lives matter movement, LGBTQ+ equality, common sense gun safety measures, and in resistance to Trump’s travel ban. Ms. Eskamani earned her Masters in Public Administration from UCF in 2016, and currently serves as Chief of Staff to Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, as well as on the Board of Directors of Organize Florida, a community-based, nonprofit member organization of low and moderate income people dedicated to the principles of social, racial, and economic justice. She also serves on Equality Florida’s Greater Orlando Steering Committee.
From Orange County Library System:
In celebration of National Library Card Sign Up Month, we talked to our local friends about what the library means to them and why libraries matter to our communities. Ricardo Williams, host and organizer of Nerd Nite Orlando, tells us about his favorite library resources as well as his take on why the library is an important part of our community.
“We were very happy to get such a positive response following the premiere showing of our new film, “Age & Popularity” at the Enzian Theater. We’ll be hosting our second showing at Macbeth Studio on Friday, September 1st at 5:30pm as part of a double feature with our previous film, “Alexander Rises”
Join Morgan and I, as we eat, drink, watch, and discuss these two short films. This event is FREE.”
The film, “Alexander Rises” is a personal journey in how all people are really lonely and an exploration in what they do to find solace.
[Running Time- 16:36]
The film, “Age & Popularity” is a short story in how people are really distracted and an exploration in idolization.
[Running Time- 14:41]
