A new decade. A new year. New goals. A time where we all spend just a little bit of time reflecting on what has been and what is to come. A time of reinvention, and a time of broken resolutions. I may still be avoiding the gym, but for 2019 I can sincerely say I met my New Year's resolution: go one year without setting any goals.

Of course, that reckless abandonment of norms may not be for everyone, and I'd be remiss if I didn't encourage everyone to make one of their 2020 goals to attend more startup events or start your own! 

So while we're all figuring out how not to break our resolutions in the second week of the New Year, here are my top startup events for January:

#GiveFirst to Give Back: Becoming a Great Mentor: If you're looking for ways to #GiveFirst in 2020, maybe you've thought about becoming a mentor to entrepreneurs. Come learn some mentorship best practices from Techstars' VP of Innovation and the co-founder of Mapquest, Chris Heivly on January 22, 2020 at 3 p.m. at Hotel Henry. Following the workshop, there will be a happy hour at Hotel Henry's 100 Acres. Details here.

UB Blackstone Launchpad Startup Bootcamp:  Do you have an idea for a business? Attend Startup Boot Camp to learn, network and pitch! All students that participate in both days will receive $10 campus cash. Top pitches compete for prizes up to $1,750! Happening on January 23, 2020 from 9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. For more info, click here.

Open coffee club: Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. at Rowhouse. This is a great event now hosted by Techstars Buffalo for anyone interested in getting more exposure to the startup community. Come enjoy a coffee in a casual open environment. Meetup details are here. Also keep an eye out for Open cocktail club. Same idea but with…well…you get the idea.

Founders table: Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at JAM Parkside. This is an event geared specifically to founders in the Buffalo area. The facilitated round table format provides founders with an opportunity to discuss challenges they face and possible solutions in a confidential and empathetic format. This is not a venue for sales so leave the elevator pitch at the door.

LaunchNY #LaunchHour Twitter Chat. For the last few years, LaunchNY has hosted a monthly Twitter Chat highlighting some great topics for entrepreneurs in WNY. From raising capital to empowering female founders, this is a staple event now in our community. #LaunchHour is every third Wednesday of the month from noon to 1 p.m.

Open office Time. www.openofficetime.com. Open office hours was one of the first things Techstars recommended we kickoff here in Buffalo back in March. I’m happy to stay that what started as Alex Gress and myself this past spring has blossomed into over 40 entrepreneurs and community leaders and now even has its own website. Make sure to take advantage of this incredible asset or consider signing up and giving whatever time you can. This is all about helping people with no expectation in return.

Interested in starting an event yourself? It can be as simple as a meetup or as complicated as you want to make it! The only thing stopping you is you! Already hosting an event you want to help get the word out about? Send me the details and I’ll share it. I’ll try to do this at least monthly.

Interested in attending? Grab a friend and bring them along. Together we’ll make Buffalo a better place to work, live and play, one person at a time. #GiveFirst