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SF #TechWeek – Berlin X San Francisco: Creative Tech for Inclusive Communities

SF #TechWeek — Berlin Meets San Francisco
Panel Discussion and Networking Event

5:30 PM: Doors open
6 – 7 PM: Panel and Q&A
7 – 8:30 PM: Networking

View our FAQ page for more info, or contact us at [email protected] with any accommodation requests.

Panel: Seated Program

Complimentary drink included with RSVP

At the intersection of creativity and technology, companies are leveraging AI, ML, and XR to transform related communities into dynamic hubs of innovation and collaboration. Join us for an event that delves into recent practices in building diverse communities through collaborations between technology companies, creatives, public entities, and cultural organizations, showcasing how these cross-sector partnerships drive innovation to enhance human expression while prioritizing accessibility, diversity, and sustainability.

Through compelling case studies, we will showcase successful tech and creative communities partnerships, providing valuable insights into how these alliances have flourished. We will also address the challenges of integrating emerging technologies into creative practices and spaces, offering strategies to include underrepresented communities, improve diverse representation, and support regenerative community models.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry and community leaders, learn from real-world examples, and contribute to shaping the future of creative tech communities—plus enjoy a complimentary drink to kick off the evening.

This event is a cooperation between Gray Area, Berlin Business Office USA, and "C/Change - the next dimension" by Goethe-Institut San Francisco and is a part of #Tech Week — a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem.


PANELISTS

Jason Bigman - Reddit, Director of Community (Moderator)
Dr. Nakeema - Tech CEO, Investor, Venture Partner
Amy Karle - Ultra-Contemporary Artist, Designer, Futurist
Dorothy Yang - Adobe, Director, Insider Communities
Vincent Brisebois - NVIDIA, Sr. Media and Entertainment Developer Relations Manager

KEY TOPICS

● Collaborative strategies between tech companies and creative communities, role of public entities and non-profit incubators
● Building and expanding sustainable creative networks across the globe that strengthen diversity and underrepresented communities.
● Case studies of successful tech-community partnerships
● Overcoming challenges in integrating emerging technologies into creative practices/spaces

TARGET GROUP

Tech-enthusiasts, Startups, Creatives, Community Builder, non-profit incubators


Panelists

Jason Bigman

Jason Bigman is the Director of Community at Reddit, where he oversees partnerships with the volunteer Moderators that lead subreddits. For more than 10 years, he has worked at the intersection of Online Community, Product, and Internationalization including at Facebook, Coinbase, and Coursera. Jason is a polyglot who speaks 9 languages and has lived in more than 10 countries, and now resides in Oakland, CA.

Dr. Nakeema Stefflbauer

Dr. Nakeema Stefflbauer is a software delivery expert who has led corporate digital transformation programs in the United States and Europe. Her expertise in early-stage digital product ideation and development is paired with a focus on algorithmic equity and fairness. Dr. Stefflbauer is the founder and CEO of the FrauenLoop non-profit organization in Berlin, which trains refugee, immigrant, and resident women in computer programming skills. She is also an active angel investor who advises and invests international startups on building ethical, sustainable and community-focused tech solutions.

Dorothy Yang

Dorothy currently is the Director of Insider Communities at Adobe. In her role, she leads a team to foster a culture of community-led product development and co-design, allowing product teams to build alongside whom they’re building for across Creative Cloud products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Firefly, Express, and Video. Curiosity and empathy have driven the central theme of her career. She's led large, global teams to solve complex problems by deeply understanding the end-user, whether it's someone using a software product, a patient, a consumer, or someone she's coaching. She is always looking for ways to challenge the status quo for the better, especially when it comes to addressing societal injustices. She enjoys leveraging creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit, and powerful storytelling to solve these complex problems. She longs to bring about systemic and transformative impact in whatever work I do. She has a diverse set of experiences that allow her to understand the entire product lifecycle and multiple facets of any business. She has16 years of experience in Product, Strategy, Marketing, Innovation, Operations, and Engineering roles across various sectors - Tech, health insurance, medical devices, hospitals, biotech/pharma, digital health, and consumer products. She's also an intrapreneur at heart, organically creating new products, programs, and initiatives from scratch at every single job she's had. Outside of her "day job," she's a huge proponent of gender equity, especially when it comes to advocating for policies and structure to keep more women in the workforce or creating more supportive work environments for all. Most importantly, she's a person of faith who believes in a higher calling beyond any role or position; such a calling ultimately drives her life purpose and work, regardless of industry or company.

Amy Karle

Amy Karle is an internationally acclaimed ultra-contemporary artist, designer, and futurist specializing in the impact of emerging and exponential technologies, such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology on humanity and evolution. Her work focuses on healing and enhancing the human body by synthesizing physical, biological, and computational systems,opening visions of how technology can be utilized to support and enhance life. Recognized as one of BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women, Karle's work has been exhibited globally including atArs Electronica, Centre Pompidou, Mori Art Museum, and The Smithsonian. Karle frequently appears as an expert speaker and participant in think tanks, fostering dialogue on the impact of deep tech and the future of humanity. She served as a cultural exchange AAI Artist Diplomat through the U.S. Department of State, empowering women in STEAM fields. Karle collaborates regularly with leading tech companies, institutions, cultural organizations, and creatives across diverse fields, supporting her commitment to thoughtful and ethical innovation, while prioritizing creativity, inclusivity, and sustainability in the evolving technological landscape.

Vincent Brisebois

Vincent Brisebois, boasting over 25 years of expertise, designs cutting-edge technology solutions for both 2D and 3D production across the visual effects, video game, and design landscapes. As Senior Developer Relations Manager at NVIDIA, he leverages his diverse roles from developer marketing for graphics and XR to community development for Omniverse. He leveraged his extensive workflow knowledge gained collaborating on projects ranging from stereoscopic conversion at Disney, lighting pipelines in games at Electronic Arts and Bungie as well as architectural design, commercials, and installation art with David Lynch. Previously, as VP of Product Development at DAZ3D, Vincent led the engineering team to integrate NVIDIA Iray and enhance interoperability. At Fusion-io, he served as Director of Visual Computing, where he partnered with entertainment software developers and production studios, pioneering interactive 4K and 6K production pipelines using ultra-fast storage workflows. His journey also includes significant contributions at Autodesk Media & Entertainment, where he was a pivotal member of the stereoscopic advisory board.

About

Gray Area is a San Francisco-based nonprofit cultural incubator

Our mission is to cultivate, sustain, and apply antidisciplinary collaboration — integrating art, technology, science, and the humanities — towards a more equitable and regenerative future. Since our inception in 2008, Gray Area has established itself as a singular hub for critically engaging with technology and culture in the Bay Area, while also reaching a global audience. Through our platform of public events, education, and research programs we empower a diverse community of creative practitioners with the agency to create meaningful social impact through category-defying work.

Berlin Business Office USA

The Berlin Business Office USA showcases and promotes Berlin's tech ecosystem in the U.S. Known for its creativity and as a leading innovation hub in the heart of Europe, Berlin is a city that inspires. Germany’s capital boasts a vibrant startup scene with a diverse talent pool from around the world. It is home to an outstanding research landscape, and fast-growing industry sectors including AI, creative, energy, fintech, mobility, health care, photonics, and industrial manufacturing. The mission of the Berlin Business Office is to deepen economic ties between the U.S. and Berlin. We are assisting U.S. companies in establishing operations in Berlin and support Berlin-based companies in entering the U.S. market. As part of the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy, and Public Enterprises, the BBO plays a crucial role in fostering transatlantic economic relations.

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Goethe-Institut San Francisco

The Goethe-Institut San Francisco was established in 1967 and since then supports cultural exchange and dialogue with its American partners. The focus areas of the Goethe-Institut San Francisco include art & technology, film and contemporary art from Germany. In addition to cultural programming like exhibits, screenings, concerts and workshops, the institute organizes public discussions pertaining to contemporary social-political topics.

“C/Change – the next dimension” is a project implemented by the Goethe-Institut San Francisco and is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. It is a follow-up project to the hugely successful “C/Change”, which was implemented together with the Gray Area. The aim of “the next dimension” is to showcase the prototypes, that were developed in the last project by international teams and focus on feminist technologies, digital democracies and planetary futures. The new project also seeks to strengthen and increase the build network of technologists, designers and artists.

Tech Week

Tech Weeks are an “unconference” — an unbranded week of events hosted by various members of the tech community all under the umbrella of “Tech Week.” In each city, Tech Week is an opportunity to showcase what makes each respective tech community special, meet people from across venture and startups, and learn from the best founders and companies.

a16z presents Tech Week 2024 in SF (Oct 7 - Oct 13) & LA (Oct 14 - Oct 20) this year.

Gray Area Members enjoy extraordinary access to our interdisciplinary arts & education programs, while supporting our mission to catalyze creative action for social transformation. Get free admission, exclusive content, and more!

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