Pause Fest 2020 Day Three Lessons
On the final day of Pause Fest 2020, there were another 40+ sessions on creativity, business and technology! The enjoyment of the audience was obvious on day three, but a few tired faces were spotted after three full days of information consumption, meeting new people and making big plans for 2020.
It was the last day attendees could learn from of the expert international speakers, hear more about the startups expo-ing their products and services, and to make new connections through the Deal Room app.
Missed the previous day’s lessons?
Below are four lessons from day three:
Just because technology allows us to - should we?
Director of Research and Development at GiantStep Studio, Sungku Kang was a really engaging speaker who shared insights after years of working with his team to create a virtual human - Vincent. Sungku shared that his team believe that virtual human beings should “co-exist with us, and be our entertainer, friend, servant or lover.”
But Sungku also posed some very interesting moral questions about technology and how we use it.
If we can create virtual humans, could we recreate our loved ones who have passed away?
Would it be healthy for us to do it? Would it be worth it?
Would we want to have these people recreated - even though we know they’re a virtual human and not our real loved one?
2. What does your “Information Diet” include?
Dr Angus Fane Hervey of Future Crunch discussed how we consume information and the trend towards the “slow food movement for the internet.”
On the Future Crunch website here, Dr Angus explores that when we consume information, do we consider how are those resources nourish us?
Are they equivalent to wholewheat grains (books), vegetables (newsletters), leafy greens (podcasts), beans and pulses (reddit), fruit (specialists publications), or junk food (social media)? How does the information you consume make you feel?
We’re trading our time and attention to consume information - and we could be spending that time and energy on activities and people that fulfil us. And we don’t realise that we’re changing our brains towards consuming ‘junk food’ information and the news industry has a similar approach to the entertainment industry - they use drama and narrative to escalate areas of news.
“We’re not giving away our attention, we’re giving away our life.”
3. Final Startup Pitch Heat - keep pitching + have an ask
A highlight of day three was the final Startup Pitch heat at 1pm, and the Startup Pitch Finals were the last session of the festival. The third Startup Pitch Heat included the below impressive problem solvers and their current solutions. It was great to see that even if a startup founder didn’t get into the finals, they still made valuable connections and had offers from investors and advisors to help propel their growth.
Congrats to Relectrify and AI on Spectrum for getting into the finals!
Cyber Clinic: Cyber Clinic is an online mental health clinic providing face-to-face consultations. It uses a data driven algorithm to match you to the right mental health practitioner with the tap of a button and is the simplest, fastest and most convenient way to get the right professional help.
Telelay: Telelay is an early stage start-up on a mission to create an inclusive and accessible telecommunication tool that enables the d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and hearing communities to connect and communicate.
Relectrify: Control Technology for Life-Extended and Lower-Cost Batteries. Relectrify’s world-leading battery control unlocks full performance from every cell, increasing battery cycle life. Providing AC output without needing a battery inverter for both new and 2nd-life batteries, we reduce storage cost.
Clipboard: Clipboard is the 1st professional & social networking platform to create identities & pathways to opportunities. Create a profile, connect with others, search for jobs and much more!
Muru Music: Tailor-made music playlists for people living with Dementia
Pop-Up on Demand: We provide brands with a flexible, affordable and sustainable pop up and retail solution
AI on Spectrum: We take an accessible approach in helping autistic kids and their families find supportive environments and feel empowered.
Keyninja: KEYNINJA is a secure 24/7 key exchange service providing access to all types of properties on behalf of everyday people. Whether you’re an Airbnb host, property agent, tradesperson or simply just need to pass your keys, we are the solution.
Thingc Robotics: There is still reliance on farm labour at key stages in our production systems. Automation of farming tasks will reduce production costs and improve farm efficiency.
The Pack Australia: While streaming was sold to the music industry as an accessible distribution channel with almost unlimited global reach; it has highlighted some increasing inequities in the music industry.
4. Support life changing ideas that create better health
The winner of the Pause Fest Startup Pitch competition was Tess van der Rijt, founder of Medinet. Tess shared the vision for the startup so clearly that the audience and the judges could tell that this startup was already serving the wider community. And it needs to scale. ASAP. Congrats, Tess!
Another year and another whirlwind experience at Pause Fest 2020! A huge thank you to all the organising team at Pause Fest! Every one of you did an amazing job.
Already looking forward to next year!
Early, early bird tickets will be on sale on the Pause Fest website soon.