Empowering Developers: Workshops, Panels & Resources
A collection of notable contributions I’ve made to empower developers, career changers, and students, showcasing my passion for teaching, mentorship, and community-building.
Last updated: November 24, 2024 — 🎉
Written by: Ben Cheung
Highlights:
- Overview of workshops, guides, and lectures.
- Panels and video resources.
- Hackathons, developer events, and community projects.
- Links to tools, resources, and articles.
Workshops
1. All About APIs
Repository: GitHub - All About APIs
A hands-on introduction to building, deploying, and integrating APIs, with a focus on teaching backend fundamentals to beginner developers.
2. Frontend Development with React & Heroku
Repository: GitHub - React Frontend Workshop
This workshop walks participants through creating a frontend React application and deploying it live with Heroku, demystifying the full development lifecycle.
3. Networking 101
Presentation: Networking 101 - Slides
A practical guide to building meaningful profyoussional connections through structured networking strategies and actionable templates.
4. CPSC 455 Lecture – Applied Industry Skills (React & Redux)
Presentation: CPSC 455 - Lecture Slides
Guest lecture delivered at the University of British Columbia, focusing on the application of React and Redux in industry projects.
Panels and Guides
1. Tech Career North Panels
YouTube Channel: Tech Career North on YouTube
Features panels with engineers from top companies (e.g., Riot Games, AWS, Asana), covering topics such as career transitions, early career growth, and navigating technical roles.
2. Numerous Career Guides
Medium Blog: Ben Cheung on Medium
Published articles on breaking into tech, transitioning careers, and navigating technical interviews, including guides for resume writing and cold outreach.
- Tech Internships & New Grad "Get the bread" Handbook
- A Beginner's Guide to Networking: Strategies and Templates
- Approaches to excel in your tech internship or new grad role
- Transition to Computer Science from Biochemistry
- UBC BCS Guide
- To Boldly Build: Insights for New Developers to Kickstart their Projects
- Escaping the Perfectionist Mentality
- A Crypto Beginner's Handbook
- Gamifying Learning- The Key for Thriving in Quarantine
- An Exploratory Insider Glance into Sponsorship at nwPlus
- Tackling the Imposter Syndrome in Computer Science
Ultimate Guide Videos:
- UBC BCS Admissions: Overview, Application Tips, & Stats
- BCS Course Planning: Courses, Bridging Module, Co-op, & Resources
Additional Resources
1. Tech Career North
Website: Tech Career North
A community I co-founded, scaled to 5,000+ members, providing career support, mentorship, and daily job postings for aspiring and experienced developers.
Disclaimer: I originally co-founded Tech Career North (formerly Tech Career Change) and built many of its early resources, including the website, community structure, and guides.
As of June 2025, I am no longer involved or affiliated with its leadership, Discord server, or direction. It is now independently managed.
2. Tech Career Resources
Notion: Tech Career Change Resource Library
A curated list of free resources, including resume templates, mock interview tools, and career-building strategies.
3. Hackathons Organized
Portfolio: Hackathons and Projects
Organized 9+ hackathons with attendance ranging from 300 to 1,000+ participants, fostering innovation and community among developers.
Organized:
- cmd-f 2023 - nwPlus
- nwHacks 2023 - nwPlus
- HackCamp 2022 - nwPlus
- cmd-f 2022 - nwPlus
- nwHacks 2022 - nwPlus
- HackCamp 2021 - nwPlus
- cmd-f 2021 - nwPlus
- nwHacks 2021 - nwPlus
- HackCamp 2020 - nwPlus
- BCS Hacks 2020
Mentored/Judged: (Some highlights, not full list)
- cmd-f 2024 - mentor
- nwHacks 2024 - judge/mentor
- ProduHacks - BizTech - mentor
- BCS Hacks 2024 - judge
- and many more
Hackathons Attended: (Some highlights, not full list)
- StormHacks SFU 2022
- RoadToWeb3 EthGlobal 2022
- HackThe6ix 2021
- HackTheNorth 2021
- Codechella Twitter 2020
- BizHacks 2020
- Same Home Different Hacks 2020
- UBC Local Hack Day 2019
- UBC-Rogers 5G Smart Transportation Virtual Case Competition 2021
- GameJam BC 2020
- and many more
Panelist/Speaker: (Some highlights, not full list)
- UBC 2024 (React lecture)
- BobaTalks (2024)
- Tech Career North (many 2023-2024+)
- nwPlus - hackathons (many)
- BrainStation 2024
- and many more
4. OtakuNet- Anime Community
Website: OtakuNet Community Page
Relic Website: OtakuNet Archive
Staff Handbook: OtakuNet Staff Guide
Founded and scaled a thriving anime community, OtakuNet, to 2,000+ members. This initiative focused on fostering inclusivity and shared passion, demonstrating my ability to manage and scale diverse communities effectively.