You’re all set for Thrival, right?
Of course, you are! You’ve heard all about the headliners. Even snagged your tickets already. Now you’re just counting down the days until the fun starts on September 25.
Woah. Pump the brakes. Did you say you’re waiting until September 25 because you think that’s when the festival starts? Hm. Okay. We sure have some news for you. Here’s the thing, there’s more to Thrival than the concerts on Friday and Saturday. There’s actually a ton of incredible innovation-themed events happening the week leading up to the concerts. It’s a full week of happenings!
It’s Innovation + Music
Yes, you heard that right. The Thrival Innovation + Music Festival actually gets underway on September 21. Each day that week will feature a variety of innovation-focused events presented by top-level thought leaders and organizations. These events fall into five tracks: connectors, leaders, makers, pioneers and thinkers, that coincide with a theme for each day of the week. Those themes range from new media, to education and entrepreneurship, to health and wellness.
If that sounds like something you can get into, take a look at the initial innovation lineup below and stay tuned to Thrival for more information, including registration and start times.
Here’s your first look at the innovation lineup!
Monday, September 21: With a focus on 21st Century Cities and Global Leadership, Monday features multiple panel discussions tackling gentrification, public policy and leadership opportunities for metro areas. Partners and participants, including Saul Ewing, Pittsburgh Global Shapers, Councilman Corey O’Connor, and the Mayor’s Office, combine to create a candid discussion centered on gentrification in Pittsburgh, and Hazelwood in particular — the site of Thrival’s weekend outdoor concert.
Tuesday, September 22: The media landscape is constantly shifting in an increasingly interconnected world. With that in mind, Thrival has assembled a panel of national media leaders and game developers to address the future of news, interactive gaming trends, “big data,” and how we connect with one another. Join the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, Pittsburgh International Game Developers Association, Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, and Pittsburgh DataWorks at Work Hard PGH to get schooled on new media, gaming and information sharing.
Wednesday, September 23: Make your way to the Energy Innovation Center in the Hill District for inspiring programming on cutting-edge and thought-provoking initiatives changing the education landscape; with multiple partners, including the Sprout Fund and the U.S. Department of Education. Insider tip: Pittsburgh-based Schell Games leads a panel examining the frontiers of education gaming.
Thursday, September 24: If you’re interested in health and wellness, or have a startup in that industry, Thursday was created for you. How’s that? Well, UPMC Enterprises is hosting an exclusive session that includes interactive workshops and thought-talks designed for both established and early-stage startups as well as anyone interested in finding out what types of opportunities are available within the health system. If you think you have what it takes, you may just be picked to pitch directly to UPMC executives. You can apply to participate in the session here. Later on in the day, you can attend the live recording and launch of WESA 90.5 FM’s Josh Raulerson’s new tech and entrepreneurship podcast. Insider tip: The fact that these events are held at Google and Tech Shop — two of the coolest work spaces in the city — is reason enough to attend.
Friday, September 25: Happy Friday, gang! Time for the concert to begin. But, before you make your way over to Hazelwood for a weekend of awesome music, stop by the Broad Street Building for a full-slate of programs at the home of Thrill Mill, AlphaLab, and AlphaLab Gear. They’ll be exploring women in leadership, the art of negotiation and a featured talk with Venture for America Founder and CEO, Andrew Yang. Insider tip: Don’t miss a lunch-time conversation with Pittsburgh-based “Shark Tank” success stories Simple Sugars, PittMoss and CellHelmet.
[join title=”Grab Your Tickets”] What: Thrival Innovation + Music Festival
When: September 21st-27th
Where: a city-wide innovation campus + Almono in Hazelwood
[button text=”Get Tickets” link=”http://www.thrivalfestival.com/schedule” target=”blank” width=”full” color=”black” size=”Medium”][/join] This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.