Since 2009, the Stanford ACM has been hosting regular Tech Talks in Gates 104. The idea is simple — smart people sharing their cool CS hacks, research, and tech demos with the Stanford CS community.
We invite 2 people to speak at each event. Tech talks typically last 20-30 minutes each, including time for questions. The idea is for each speaker to give us a quick preview into something cool that they're working on, much like a TED talk.
Dinner is always served (usually Chipotle burritos or Dominos pizza).

Speak at a future Tech Talk

If you're working on something cool, you should give a talk.

The easiest way to get on the agenda is to send us an email at acm-officers@lists.stanford.edu.

To help us out, please include the following information in your email:

  • Your full name & professional title (if you have one)
  • Title of your Tech Talk
  • Date you want to speak
Remember to take a look at this quarter's schedule and choose a date that still has an opening.



Speaker FAQ

When and where do Tech Talks happen?

Tech Talks take place every Friday at 6 PM in the Gates Building, Room 104.

Who is welcome to speak?

Anyone! We give preference to Stanford students and professors. But, we regularly host speakers from startups and tech companies. We like to mix things up! To get a better idea, take a look at our past events.

What time should speakers arrive?

The event starts at 6 PM, but it is quite informal, so showing up 10-15 minutes before 6 PM is plenty of time.

What topic should I talk about?

The key word in "Tech Talk" is tech — we want technical topics that will be interesting to CS students. Talking about your weekend hack, side project, or CS research often makes a great Tech Talk. Note, a Tech Talk should not be a recruiting pitch. Focus on the technology — that's what people want to hear.

What is the time limit for each talk?

We cut speakers off after 30 minutes to keep things moving, but people are welcome to stick around afterward to talk to the speakers and each other.

Who will be in the audience?

ACM Tech Talks are open to the public, but the audience is predominantly Stanford CS students. There are usually 40-50 people in attendance.

Who has given Tech Talks in the past?

Lots of people! Stanford students, professors, computing legends, startup founders, tech company VPs, etc. We even had one brave high schooler talk about the programming language he created! Check out the full list of past events and see for yourself!

What tools do presenters get?

We have a projector with VGA input and adapters from MiniDP and DVI, a large whiteboard, and wireless network access. Let us know if you need anything else.

I'm coming from off-campus. Where can I park?

You can park at Parking Structure 1. You don't need a permit after 4pm on weekdays or on weekends. There are also metered parking spots behind the Gates building if you would prefer to park closer to Gates.

My company is sponsoring a talk. How can I send a check?

Please make checks out to "Stanford ACM". You can either bring the check to your talk or mail it to:

Stanford ACM c/o Jake Becker
729 Escondido Rd, Apt 138
Stanford, CA 94305