by Dot Cannon

“What is TechDay LA?” asked a man.

We were riding the “up” elevator in The Reef, on Thursday morning.

“Well, it’s the largest startup event in Los Angeles.  7,500 attendees, and about 250 startups.”

“OK,” he responded, “But, what do they do?”

“They have startups, pitching to investors.  There’s networking, fireside chats and a cool exhibit floor where you can see all kinds of new technology ideas.”

“I’ll have to check it out when I come back from upstairs,” he commented.

We hope he did.  TechDay Los Angeles, 2019 edition, was fantastic!

The day begins

Thanks to crazy L.A. traffic, we had arrived a little later than we would have liked.    But we were just in time to hear the fifth annual TechDay LA begin with TechDay Talks, at 8:30 am.

Highlights included the opening presentation, “Why ‘Real People’ Are Your Next Influencers”,  by Heartbeat COO and Co-Founder Kate Edwards.

“Everybody, the world is changing, whether you like it or not,” she began.

“(And) I think what is important to know, is that Generation Z will change the way we communicate (about brands).”

Her company, she continued, was all about finding your level of trust, among the communities which a specific brand is targeting.

“The big takeaway here, is that digital advertising is going to be changing,” Ms. Edwards said.

And, she added word of mouth, from loyal followers, would be key.

“The best thing you can do with your brand is and your businesses is to say ‘thank you’ to the people who are engaging with you.”

Tech and the unexpected

Another “Tech Talks”  favorite was “Unintended Consequences From the World of Tech”, by USC Incubator Director and Adjunct Professor Paul Orlando.

“What do we mean by ‘unintended consequences’?” he began.  “We take some action, and then…something else happens.”

Professor Orlando offered several examples of unintended consequences.  One example he gave was the creation of Airbnb.

“One of the intended outcomes (of Airbnb) is that housing becomes more accessible, less expensive,” he said.  “But, there are situations where (the opposite has occurred).  Here are a few ways that, actually, things got a little worse.”

New York City, he said, was a prime example.  “They had a two percent increase in rent.  Landlords say, “I could either have a regular 12-month lease, or just rent this apartment out during busy season, and actually make more money.”

But Professor Orlando discussed the positive aspects, as well.

“My personal experience with Airbnb was only positive.  I stayed in the cooler neighborhoods.”

In a different area of innovation, Professor Orlando said, even a scientific attempt to eradicate a common pest had its unintended effects.

 

“Nobody loves mosquitoes.  (There have been a number of programs to genetically modify mosquitoes and release them into the wild.)”

The problem?  Professor Orlando explained that the majority of mosquitoes in these programs were being genetically modified so they couldn’t mate.  However, a very small percentage still could.   And a paper published in Brazil stated that these mating mosquitoes could result in a “super hybrid” of the disease-carrying insects.

(Like to know more?  Professor Orlando offered a link to his blog about unintended technological consequences!)

On the main show floor

Meanwhile, at 10:00 am, the exhibit floor opened.

And we talked with a number of innovators about their very cool ideas!

Presentr COO and Co-Founder Tammy Palazzo has created an AI-driven system to help clients become better public speakers!   Meanwhile, she has some great articles on public speaking on her blog.

And not only does she host a podcast on successful communication–she offers a “freemium” membership on her Presentr app!

Nonprofit Hack For LA is a project group of Hacker Fund and the official Los Angeles chapter of Code for America.  And they welcome anyone with an idea to get involved in problem solving!

They have weekly “Civic Hack Nights” where everyone’s welcome.  According to their website, Hack for LA helps groups of volunteers organize project teams.  Their current projects include “hacks” to alleviate homelessness, provide access to healthy food and monitor the performance of L.A.’s train lines.

And uh-oh–this name drew us immediately!   Meowtel is a cat-sitting service platform with in-home care by vetted “cat whisperers”.    No more yowl-punctuated trips to the kennel or feelings of guilt if you have to travel!

New this year at TechDay LA was the Networking Lounge, with an app by Brella to connect with attendees.

And as with most good conferences, there was a lot to see and do–all at once!   The Startup Stage programming was about to begin at 11 am.

So off we went, with much more of TechDay LA 2019 to come.

This is Part One of a two-part series.   Here’s our link to Part Two!