#ilLUMAnateDC @ SxSW
This year marks many firsts for Luma Lab, including a trip to SxSW. Luma Lab was front and center at the WeDC House, representing DC alongside our city’s best and brightest creative minds.
The WeDC House was hosted at Revive, a local restaurant across the street from the Austin Conference Center. The space was transformed to reflect the life and energy that DC has to offer. A favorite The House included hip-hop inspired swag with catchy phrasing like “ Stop. Collaborate. Orate. And Listen” inspired by Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.”
There were a barrage of incredible events including “Drinks, Diversity and Dreams” a discussion and panel including Luma Lab’s CEO Aaron Saunders who championed the importance of tech inclusion. During the panel, Aaron spoke about our Inclusion Innovation Incubator, coined “i3” which will open its doors on Howard University’s Campus this Fall. The panel included familiar faces like Brian Kenner, Jason Towns and Maci Peterson.
In addition to the panel discussions, there were an array of concert events and announcements on the WeDC stage. Stage highlights included an unforgettable performance by the legendary Quest Love and Mayor Bowser’s big announcement about the opening and creation of our i3 (Inclusion innovation Incubator) on Howard University’s Campus.
Post-announcement, the Luma Lab team attended other organization’s panels on tech inclusivity, supported the launch events for mobile apps, and even attended an incredibly moving event at Urban Co-Labs, founded by another DC Native, Natalie Cofield. We were also able to explore the great city of Austin. Our experience was nothing shy of eclectic, inspiring and motivating. We successfully represented DC at our #WeDC House and were still able to enjoy an authentic Austin experience fueled by incredible food, music, art, and innovation.
Our experience at SxSW invigorated our team and our collective efforts to create a world where technology is approachable and underexposed individuals from every community can take a seat at the digital table as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
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By KellyAnn Kirkpatrick
Luma Lab Tech Ed Coordinator
@Luma_Lab • #ilLUMAnateDC