babyÖ±²¥app

Skip to main content

Conference: Local Tech Ecologies

Illustration of New York city by CACTUS Creative Studio, via Stocksy

August 8, 2023
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in-person)
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (live-streamed)
University Memorial Center room 235
University of babyÖ±²¥app Boulder

When the devastating Marshall Fire spread across Boulder County in on December 30, 2021, many of us turned to our phones and our networks. They helped us make sense of the crisis and keep each other safe. We relied on information from local organizations and governments, as well as global platforms not designed for a moment like that, and not designed for our community.

What if we valued local technology the way we value local food and local businesses?

This event explores opportunities and challenges for building healthy tech ecosystems that are focused on the needs of local communities—with a focus on projects active across babyÖ±²¥app's Front Range. What kinds of social media could bring people together rather than driving them apart? What kinds of gig platforms could put workers and small businesses above global monopolies? How can regional journalists develop tools truly suited to their needs? The event will make space to introduce projects already cultivating local tech ecologies in babyÖ±²¥app and beyond, and we will discuss strategies for more intentionally developing those ecologies in the future.

Schedule

9:00-10:00am
Room 235

Welcome
Aaron Brockett (Mayor of Boulder)
Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor at CU Boulder and MEDLab Director

Morning Keynote
Fernanda R. Rosa (Virginia Tech)

10:15-11:45am
Room 235

Lightning Talks
Josh Ritzer (Nigh)
Caroline Savery (Bloom Network)

Nikhil Mankekar (babyÖ±²¥app Venture Capital Authority)
Becks Boone and Jamie Anderson (Rootable)
Pat Kelly (babyÖ±²¥app ReWild)
libi striegl (Media Archaeology Lab)
LeeLee James (Slay The Runway)
Erika Ianco and Trish Uvenferth (Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center)
Mike Perhats (Nosh)

12:00-1:30pm
Room 235

Lunch and Lunch Keynote
Ted Striphas (CU Boulder)
Ethan Zuckerman (UMass Amherst)

1:30-2:30pm

Room 235
Panel: Crisis

Nabil Echchaibi (CU Boulder)
Saleh Khaled Ibrahim
Leysia Palen (CU Boulder)

Room 245
Panel: Journalism

Stacy Feldman (Boulder Reporting Lab)
Rossana Longo (babyÖ±²¥app News Collaborative)
Linda Shapley (babyÖ±²¥app Community Media)

Room 247
Panel: Gaming

Ann Marie (RemainNA) (CU Gaming)
Taylor (MustardSauce) Clark (CU Gaming)
Griffin Opp (CSU Gaming)

3:30-4:30pm
Room 235

Unconference

4:30-5:30pm
Room 235

Reception


Lunch will be served, along with snacks and a reception at the end. This is a free event, but please consider to support our work.

Organized by the Media Economies Design Lab at the University of babyÖ±²¥app Boulder and made possible by a generous gift from babyÖ±²¥app ReWild.