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Neon Tommy
Feb 22 2015
Armenian Creators And Entrepreneurs Visit USC For Innovate Armenia
Alexa Youssefian
Some of the biggest names in technology, music and media gathered
Saturday at the University of Southern California (USC) for Innovate
Armenia, an all-day event showcasing Armenians' progressive
achievements and advancements in various industries.
USC's Institute of Armenian Studies, under the leadership of Director
Salpi Ghazarian, organized an event that hosted Armenian influencers
and trendsetters operating at the edge of innovation, both locally and
across the globe.
Organizers hoped to eliminate geography and unite Armenians for a day
of meaningful, two-way dialogue.
Hundreds filled Founder's Park to participate in the day's
festivities. The outdoor square was fringed with informative booths,
food trucks and a central stage where musicians, organizations and
tech creators shared their work with curious visitors.
Inside Taper Hall, an indoor stage featured speakers who represented
innovation in technology activism, education and journalism.
Musical performances filled the park with Armenian music, old and new.
The featured melodies mirrored the innovative spirit of the day;
musicians recreated traditional Armenian tunes with a modern twist.
Performers included Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, producer and
composer Bei Ru, Element Band, composer Greg Hosharian and others.
Representatives from Armenian organizations presented their progress
and shared stories of success in the homeland.
The Homeland Development Initiative Foundation was one such success
story; the organization creates opportunities for economic growth in
Armenia through the empowerment of its entrepreneurs.
Another organization, Tumo, empowers young Armenians in Yerevan
through free digital and media education. Other presentations included
those from startups like mobile communication app Zangi and Hive, an
up-and-coming Armenian startup accelerator.
Among the event's notable speakers were Reddit co-founder and
Executive Chair Alexis Ohanian, former Twitter Vice President of
Platform Engineering Raffi Krikorian and founder of Syria Deeply, Lara
Setrakian.
Alexander Seropian, creator of the Halo video game series, even
delivered a recorded video message for attendees.
During his speech, Alexis Ohanian discussed the colorful opportunities
in technology available for Armenian creators, both in the homeland
and abroad. He addressed the approaching 100-year anniversary of the
Armenian genocide with a hopeful gaze, confident in Armenians'
achievements and innovative potential.
"I am fully committed to the last 100 years, but I am equally if not
more excited about our next 100 years," Ohanian said. "We as Armenians
are going to have a great century."
Lara Setrakian spoke about her work with Syria Deeply, a digital news
website that focuses exclusively on reports, news updates and
developments from Syria. She shared her love of the Armenian community
and spoke of its budding renaissance. "There is a time for mourning
and a time for building," said Setrakian. "Now is our time for
building."
Raffi Krikorian affirmed the boiling potential for technological
advancement in Armenia, where he met young thinkers who were eager to
learn about software engineering. In Yerevan, Armenia's capital, he
realized: "there are sparks here."
Neon Tommy sat down with Alexis, Lara and Raffi to get their take on
the event and Armenian innovation:
Ohanian on Innovate Armenia: "It's really exciting to see so many
people packed in here. Obviously there's a really strong Armenian
community in this town. I'm really happy to feel the energy... and it's
across generations. There's a whole range of people in here,
generations of Armenians."
Setrakian: "I think what all innovators have in common, especially the
ones who are here, is that they care so gosh darn much. Honestly,
nothing could drive you to overcome the inertia of doing things the
same old way. You must really care about what is the outcome of your
work."
Krikorian on innovation in Armenia: "People ask 'Why Armenia?' My
question is, 'Why not Armenia?'"
Ohanian: "Innovation is not just limited to tech at all, and it's
great to see an event like this that showcases it across disciplines
with this thread of Armenians being in the middle of it."
Their advice to budding innovators:
Setrakian: "I do think that it all is rooted in human empathy. If you
can empathize with people who have a problem, then you will be moved
to fix it. The most important thing you can do is to master your own
diligence... they say that the most important factor of success in an
entrepreneur is grit. For me, that translates to being scrappy, which
means you're willing to try what you can with what you have."
Setrakian: "You have to believe that you are capable of pulling off
what you're dreaming of."
Krikorian: "The worst thing to do with an idea is to hide it. Tell
people, ask for their advice."
Director Salpi Ghazarian moderated a panel discussion with these three
innovators to close the day. Ghazarian asked the panel for a
"takeaway" from the event, to which Setrakian quickly responded,
"We're going to be fine!"
Ohanian added, "Everyone who succeeds is an example of how we
succeeded and they failed," referring to Turkey's unsuccessful attempt
to eliminate the Armenian people in the 1915 genocide.
Innovate Armenia painted a picture of a global Armenian community that
has developed and united through technology, artistry and
forward-thinking.
Geography may separate Armenia from its Diaspora, but the two remain
tethered through a shared fluency in the language of innovation.
http://www.neontommy.com/news/2015/02/armenian-creators-and-entrepreneurs-visit-usc-innovate-armenia
From: A. Papazian
Feb 22 2015
Armenian Creators And Entrepreneurs Visit USC For Innovate Armenia
Alexa Youssefian
Some of the biggest names in technology, music and media gathered
Saturday at the University of Southern California (USC) for Innovate
Armenia, an all-day event showcasing Armenians' progressive
achievements and advancements in various industries.
USC's Institute of Armenian Studies, under the leadership of Director
Salpi Ghazarian, organized an event that hosted Armenian influencers
and trendsetters operating at the edge of innovation, both locally and
across the globe.
Organizers hoped to eliminate geography and unite Armenians for a day
of meaningful, two-way dialogue.
Hundreds filled Founder's Park to participate in the day's
festivities. The outdoor square was fringed with informative booths,
food trucks and a central stage where musicians, organizations and
tech creators shared their work with curious visitors.
Inside Taper Hall, an indoor stage featured speakers who represented
innovation in technology activism, education and journalism.
Musical performances filled the park with Armenian music, old and new.
The featured melodies mirrored the innovative spirit of the day;
musicians recreated traditional Armenian tunes with a modern twist.
Performers included Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, producer and
composer Bei Ru, Element Band, composer Greg Hosharian and others.
Representatives from Armenian organizations presented their progress
and shared stories of success in the homeland.
The Homeland Development Initiative Foundation was one such success
story; the organization creates opportunities for economic growth in
Armenia through the empowerment of its entrepreneurs.
Another organization, Tumo, empowers young Armenians in Yerevan
through free digital and media education. Other presentations included
those from startups like mobile communication app Zangi and Hive, an
up-and-coming Armenian startup accelerator.
Among the event's notable speakers were Reddit co-founder and
Executive Chair Alexis Ohanian, former Twitter Vice President of
Platform Engineering Raffi Krikorian and founder of Syria Deeply, Lara
Setrakian.
Alexander Seropian, creator of the Halo video game series, even
delivered a recorded video message for attendees.
During his speech, Alexis Ohanian discussed the colorful opportunities
in technology available for Armenian creators, both in the homeland
and abroad. He addressed the approaching 100-year anniversary of the
Armenian genocide with a hopeful gaze, confident in Armenians'
achievements and innovative potential.
"I am fully committed to the last 100 years, but I am equally if not
more excited about our next 100 years," Ohanian said. "We as Armenians
are going to have a great century."
Lara Setrakian spoke about her work with Syria Deeply, a digital news
website that focuses exclusively on reports, news updates and
developments from Syria. She shared her love of the Armenian community
and spoke of its budding renaissance. "There is a time for mourning
and a time for building," said Setrakian. "Now is our time for
building."
Raffi Krikorian affirmed the boiling potential for technological
advancement in Armenia, where he met young thinkers who were eager to
learn about software engineering. In Yerevan, Armenia's capital, he
realized: "there are sparks here."
Neon Tommy sat down with Alexis, Lara and Raffi to get their take on
the event and Armenian innovation:
Ohanian on Innovate Armenia: "It's really exciting to see so many
people packed in here. Obviously there's a really strong Armenian
community in this town. I'm really happy to feel the energy... and it's
across generations. There's a whole range of people in here,
generations of Armenians."
Setrakian: "I think what all innovators have in common, especially the
ones who are here, is that they care so gosh darn much. Honestly,
nothing could drive you to overcome the inertia of doing things the
same old way. You must really care about what is the outcome of your
work."
Krikorian on innovation in Armenia: "People ask 'Why Armenia?' My
question is, 'Why not Armenia?'"
Ohanian: "Innovation is not just limited to tech at all, and it's
great to see an event like this that showcases it across disciplines
with this thread of Armenians being in the middle of it."
Their advice to budding innovators:
Setrakian: "I do think that it all is rooted in human empathy. If you
can empathize with people who have a problem, then you will be moved
to fix it. The most important thing you can do is to master your own
diligence... they say that the most important factor of success in an
entrepreneur is grit. For me, that translates to being scrappy, which
means you're willing to try what you can with what you have."
Setrakian: "You have to believe that you are capable of pulling off
what you're dreaming of."
Krikorian: "The worst thing to do with an idea is to hide it. Tell
people, ask for their advice."
Director Salpi Ghazarian moderated a panel discussion with these three
innovators to close the day. Ghazarian asked the panel for a
"takeaway" from the event, to which Setrakian quickly responded,
"We're going to be fine!"
Ohanian added, "Everyone who succeeds is an example of how we
succeeded and they failed," referring to Turkey's unsuccessful attempt
to eliminate the Armenian people in the 1915 genocide.
Innovate Armenia painted a picture of a global Armenian community that
has developed and united through technology, artistry and
forward-thinking.
Geography may separate Armenia from its Diaspora, but the two remain
tethered through a shared fluency in the language of innovation.
http://www.neontommy.com/news/2015/02/armenian-creators-and-entrepreneurs-visit-usc-innovate-armenia
From: A. Papazian