Fans of music, literature, food and film have flocked to the week-long Mission Creek Festival for the perfect blend of arts and culture, but this year, tech fans will also get to be part of the action as well. As a new addition to the line-up, the Tech + Innovation Conference will feature local and regional technologists, each with their own creative, innovative ideas and businesses.
“I wanted to bring in national talent that I admire to share with the community, as well as sharing the community with the speakers,” said Mission Creek Associate Producer Wes Beary. “Alongside that, I wanted to ensure we were showing off the local people that I admire as well. I think bringing both groups together should provide diverse and inspirational content.”
The conference kicks off Friday, April 4 with a social hour from 5-7 p.m. at Atlas. Lectures will take place throughout the following day, beginning at the Pappajohn Business Building with David L. Gould, Director of Imagination for the Downtown Project. Gould has previously written about this experience for Little Village.
Also attending is Jen Myers, web designer/developer, teacher and speaker. Myers is the Columbus, Ohio chapter founder of a group that provides coding courses aimed specifically at women. She is also an instructor at Dev Bootcamp in Chicago.
Chad Whitacre, founder of Gittip, programmer and web designer, will also be attending. His Gittip service allows users to give money to groups and people on a weekly basis. He is also the founder of Logstown Publishing Company.
Speaker Shawn Cornally, creator of The Big Ideas Group, has developed and implemented a plan that creates a joyful, positive experience in high schools. The plan focuses on portfolio and resume building, as well as community projects for students to plan.
Additional speakers include Dan Sweeney, Michal Eynon-Lynch, Riley Eynon-Lynch and Fitzgerald Steele, Jr.
The conference comes to a close Saturday at the Englert Theatre with keynote speaker Matthew Israel, director of Artsy’s Art Genome Project. With a mission to “make all the world’s art accessible to anyone with an Internet connection,” the Art Genome Project examines the characteristics that connect and distinguish works of art by virtue of its innovative discovery platform. Israel’s lecture kicks off at 5 p.m.
“I hope by bringing all these creatives together we can make some great connections and foster excitement around all the great things that are happening in our area,” Beary said.
The festival passes for the Tech + Innovation Conference are $85 and can be purchased here. Check out the official Tech + Innovation Conference website for additional details.
