LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 19, 2015) — Last-mile issues for municipal broadband service and initiatives in regenerative medicine will be among the focus topics in August when the Technology Association of Louisville Kentucky holds its inaugural TechFest conference and trade show.
TALK will hold TechFest Aug. 20-21 at the Henry Clay Building and two offsite locations on the University of Louisville campus. Up to 600 attendees are anticipated, including programmers, engineers, CTOs, CIOs, system administrators, software developers, as well as business owners and entrepreneurs, said Dawn Yankeelov, executive director of TALK.
TechFest’s goal is to present an overall global, regional and national perspective of technology directions for the Louisville region, Yankeelov said. It includes a trade show and tech toy room. Networking will be designed to facilitate economic development, the understanding of technology tools, and the facilitation of new ideas or a chance to explore shared resources.
Sponsors and speakers will have opportunities to meet with representatives from Greater Louisville Inc.’s economic development team as well as state economic development and workforce development representatives.
Jefferson County Public School robotics teams will conduct demonstrations during breakfast buffets and in the trade show hallway. A free session will be offered for high school STEM curriculum students, and for the public on mobile applications for optimal aging.
The entire program and conference tickets are available at techfestlou.com.
Keynote presentations will include “The Human Equation in Technology” by Andrew Swartz, director of experience research of Sutherland Labs; “Current Research Discoveries in Regenerative Medicine” by Dr. John Barker, founder of the Frankfurt (Germany) Initiative for Regenerative Medicine; and details on the openings of Techtown Chattanooga and Techtown Seattle by Paul Cummings, investor, entrepreneur and leader of Techtown Global.
Cummings, also an investor in SwiftWing Ventures and leader of e-learning solutions provider Woople, will address a VIP luncheon audience Aug. 21 at 8Up regarding the opening of Techtown Chattanooga and Techtown Seattle, and related ventures.
For entrepreneurs, Tim Jones, a former tech business owner, will lead a session titled “Technology Founders Workshop: The 6.5 Foundations of a Technology Business for ActionCOACH.”
Four key half-day mini-tracks will be: healthcare/biotech; leadership/management; Internet of Things/Big Data; and general IT/emerging tech.
There will be a special Day 2 focus session on “The Last Mile: Broadband Services & Municipalities” in the Beaux Arts Ballroom with speakers from North Carolina, Oregon and Kentucky discussing unique solutions.
A pair of free TechFest events will be held on UofL campuses.
The first, titled “Rad Science Skateboard Build,” will offer disadvantaged youth and other Jefferson County Public high schoolers an afterschool STEM curriculum session at no charge. Sponsorship will be by Jeffersonville-based Marwood Veneer and Springhouse Press and others. TALK is working with the UofL Speed School of Engineering on this and other ongoing STEM curriculum for high schoolers in 2016 at Speed’s new EG (engineering garage) behind First Build.
The second free public event, “Over 70 and Connected: Tech Tools That Work,” will examine optimal aging with Joseph Steier, CEO of Signature HealthCARE, coordinating discussion and example mobile apps and software along with expert lineup of Dr. Anna Faul, executive director, UofL Institute for Sustainable Health & Optimal Aging; John Reinhart, CEO of InnovateLTC; Dianne Timmering, vice president of spirituality and legislative affairs for Signature HealthCARE; and Barbara Gordon, director of social services for Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency.
Day one closes with a TechJam Slam Picnic at the Henry Clay Building for TechFest participants, speakers, residents of the building and local tech community members. The unique event presents video art and other exhibitions, magicians, a picnic meal including alcohol-infused sorbets and local Bernoulli Small Batch Ice Cream, plus music by Mondo Mike and the Po Boys with Spice of Jacksonville, Fla.
TechFest partners include: The Health Enterprises Network; Kentucky Science and Technology Corp.; Young Professionals Association of Louisville; Greater Louisville Inc.; IDEAS 40203; UofL Speed School of Engineering; and UofL Institute for Sustainable Health & Optimal Aging.
Sponsors include Aspectx; Bernoulli’s Ice Cream; Bluegrass.Net; Boice.Net; Click IT; Genscape; Hall-Render; Information Builders; Ingrid Design; Marwood Veneer; Mirazon Group; New Generation Benefits Partners LLC; REC Foundation; Rivera Group; Samtec; Signature HealthCARE; Springhouse Press; and Stites & Harbison.
Affiliated with the Technology Councils of America, TALK is a 501(c)(3) organization focused on economic development, workforce development, networking, education, advocacy and talent identification. Learn more at talklou.com.