Now in its seventh year, the Thrival Music Festival will take place on Friday, September 20, 2019 from noon-11PM in Schenley Plaza in Oakland. This free event will feature musicians, artists and installations centered around the theme “By Pittsburgh. For Pittsburgh. For the World.” Headlining… Read more »
Thrival Interactive 2019: What to Expect
On September 18, 2019, the third annual Thrival Interactive will be taking place as part of Thrival Festival. Thrival Interactive will be held at the Carnegie Museum of Art from 7:00 to 11:00 PM. Opened in 1865, the Carnegie Museum of Art was the world’s… Read more »
Harold the Hacker: Interview with Chris Valasek
Harold received a tip that there was a well-known hacker turned corporate now living in Pittsburgh, so he had to check it out. Somewhere in Shadyside, he met with Chris Valasek, who is now the Principal Autonomous Vehicle Security Architect at Cruise Automation. Harold had… Read more »
Love, Harold
Yinz — Happy Summer! I figured I’d get my two cents in for this whole Dillon-Francis-comes-to-Pittsburgh-for-the-first-time-ever-so-let’s-get-hype-it’s-lit stuff that Thrival is rolling out in September. For those of you who don’t frequent the off-brand cell phone kiosk at Monroeville Mall, you may not know me. I’m… Read more »
Immersive Art and A.I. Exhibits at Carnegie Museum Of Art
For the first time, Thrival collaborated with the Carnegie Museum of Art on a one-night only gathering of immersive art, AI-inspired exhibits, and keynote talks. The Thrival Innovation Marque Event featured CAM night featured a number of mind-bending new media artworks, multimedia performances, and demonstrations… Read more »
Human Touch in the A.I. Age
The reach of technology is vast. It’s everywhere, often embedded in places we do not suspect. And while it’s designed to work for users, occasionally it feels as if humans instead serve technology with so many apps, devices, media and experiences demanding their attention. On the… Read more »
Dispatches from Thrival Music’s 5th Year
This weekend, Thrival Music returned to the Blade Runner-esque Carrie Furnaces in Swissvale for another year of live music. The music gather followed two days of Thrival Innovation, during which figures from tech scenes in Pittsburgh and beyond discussed the future of innovation, entrepreneurship and… Read more »
TrashBot: Your Friendly Neighborhood Recycling Robot
Recycling is as easy as tossing plastic, metal and paper into your home’s designated recepticle, right? Wrong. Rules vary according to city and states, and regulations on what and how items can be recycled can change annually, especially for businesses. Some recycling can be single… Read more »
Deterrence: A Cold War View of Cybersecurity
At the The New Cybersecurity Playbook, a panel on innovating and protecting the “digital frontier”, one panelist brought a cold warrior approach to the proceedings. Steven Pifer, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Ambassador to Ukraine, advocated for deterrence as one path for… Read more »
Tech’s new playbooks
Technological innovation is vast and relentless. From the blockchain to cybersecurity, to new methods for today’s entrepreneur, the playbook is constantly changing. On the first day of Thrival Innovation at the Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh, six distinct panels highlighted recent technological advances, and how humans… Read more »
INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE: SMART CARS AND SMELLING LEAKS
What do Google, the Environmental Protection Agency, and a natural gas company have in common? An exciting new project that combines innovative technology with environmental consciousness and market applicability. Last year, Peoples joined 32 other natural gas companies to launch the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s… Read more »
Intelligent Infrastructure: Using Drones to Protect Pipelines and People
GUEST POST: Peoples continues to be an indispensable partner, not only for Thrival, but for the entire region. As leaders in both business and in the community, Peoples works collaboratively with many regional stakeholders to improve the lives of citizens in Pittsburgh and beyond. What… Read more »
Tech Culture Needs a Re-Boot: From Silicon Valley to the Steel City
The life, culture, and general mindset of Silicon Valley is often referred to as a ‘bubble.’ Largely recognized as the world’s epicenter of innovation and new ideas, there is much to celebrate about the Bay Area — and the new technologies and creation that have… Read more »
THIS ISN’T “Crazy”: Mental Illness, Suicide, and Our Collective Responsibility
Author’s note: I take medication everyday to battle anxiety and depression. I’m not ashamed of it. I receive help. But I didn’t for most of my life — and I suffered for it. My unsolicited advice for those dealing with mental illness: talk about it…. Read more »
WHY PITTSBURGH? There’s a revolution happening at your doorstep.
We sat down with John Battelle and Stacey Foreman, Wired Magazine veterans and co-founders of San Francisco-based event/media company NewCo, to talk about why Pittsburgh is America’s new “it” innovation city, and why Thrival Innovation is experiencing major growth in 2017. First off — who… Read more »
Why Festivals Fail. A Lesson from Karoondinha, and others. HINT: It’s not just about the lineup.
The festival market is taking a hit. Signature events, as well as promising up-and-comers have fallen victim to what many term the music festival “bubble.” Pemberton. Mysteryland. And now, Karoondinha, our neighbors in Central Pennsylvania. At risk of reopening fresh wounds, a discussion about the festival… Read more »
SAVE THE DATE!
Thrival Innovation + Music Festival Announces Return to Carrie Furnaces September 29-30 for Live Outdoor Music Experience Pittsburgh, PA – Celebrating its fifth year, Pittsburgh’s Thrival Innovation + Music Festival has announced its outdoor live music experience will take place September 29-30 at the… Read more »
Meet Thrival Keynote Speaker Ann Makosinski
While still in high school, Ann Makosinski created the “Hollow Flashlight,” which was recognized with several awards at the 2013 Canade-Wide Science Fair, won the 2013 Google Science Fair, and won several awards at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Makosinki appeared on… Read more »
Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza Talks New ALBUM, Touring with a 20-PERSON Band+
Thievery Corporation are about to come to Pittsburgh as a full 20 piece band for the first time and Rob Garza is very excited. The band has had a busy summer, touring at festivals across the US and traveling with a 20 person ensemble isn’t always simple. In addition to touring, Thievery Corporation is about to release a brand new album in February 2017 and in between shows, are working on finishing the production process. Read on to hear what they have been up to and buy tickets to see their debut full band show at Thrival, where they just might debut some material from the new record.
Chris Messina Talks Inventing the Hashtag and The Future of Tech
Chris Messina is a designer, writer, avid Twitterer, and speaker who’s known for inventing the hashtag. He works with developers, product designers, entrepreneurs, and communities to bring to life projects that should exist but don’t. Ahead of his speaking engagement at Thrival, we took a moment… Read more »