Role IQ, breakouts + LIVE party
Pluralsight LIVE day 2 recap
“Intentionally deciding to become a tech company requires you to look at the skills you need to create your future.” — Pluralsight CEO Aaron Skonnard
Opening keynotes + announcing Role IQ
Technologists, business leaders and authors gathered on day two to experience what Pluralsight LIVE is all about––a lens into the future.
It started when Pluralsight CEO Aaron Skonnard took the stage to introduce us to the newest addition to the Pluralsight IQ family––Role IQ.
You’re either setting the pace or trying to keep up. Intentionally deciding to become a tech company requires you to look at the skills you need to create your future.
Role IQ empowers technologists and businesses to do that with more clarity than ever before. It’s the way to measure success in technology roles, and starting today, it’s free for learners everywhere. Read more about the power of Role IQ here.
Chief Experience Officer Nate Walkingshaw then took the stage to deliver more new product announcements including projects and interactive courses, and even gave the audience a first-hand look at these experiences in action with a live demo. Read more about Pluralsight’s product announcements here.
Mainstage speakers
Once we learned how Pluralsight helps organizations keep up with the pace of change, it was time to dive into the trends and technologies defining the future with our all-star mainstage lineup.
Joel Crabb, Chief Architect at Target, discussed the importance of organizations creating a learning culture.
EVP IoT & Digital Offers at Schneider Electric, Cyril Perducat, expanded attendees’ knowledge of how IoT is being used and secured in business.
Thomas Kurian, President of Product Development at Oracle, explained the importance of companies’ investing in breakthroughs.
It wouldn’t be a tech conference without a cat photo––and Google’s Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer delivered.
“Weapons of Math Destruction” author Cathy O’Neil gave a passionate talk about ethics and how data can be used for good and for bad.
Scott Dorsey, Managing Partner at High Alpha, extolled the benefits of a beginner’s mind.
Breakout sessions
Wednesday’s sessions covered everything from reconnaissance and java development to data science and better collaboration techniques. Catch up on everything we learned today:
Create the Future Awards
Five Create the Future finalists took the stage to prove to a panel of tech and business giants that their team developed technology’s next best secret: a product with the power to impact millions in need. Sponsors like Nasdaq, Insight and SunTrust contributed to the $50,000 grand prize in the spirit of supporting tech startups on the cusp of greatness.
AnnieCannons
“We want a future without slavery — without the exploitation of individual humans — where vulnerable communities have been made stronger,” said Jessica Hubley on behalf of AnnieCannons, which seeks to make software skills (and their associated incomes) truly accessible to survivors of human trafficking.
Good Glucos
Elliot Gatt shared the inspiration behind Good Glucos, which he described as a cross between TOMS and Dollar Shave Club, but for those with diabetes. Good Glucos is a one-for-one service that provides affordable test strips to individuals with diabetes, and gifts test strips to those without access.
Portal
Sam Lew pitched Portal Entryways: a cost-effective solution for doorways that, while technically accessible, pose as barriers to people with mobility issues. Sam shared photos and videos of people who’ve encountered instant success with this easy-to-install solution, and a map of the potential doors — to schools, businesses and more — that Portal Entryways could open for individuals everywhere.
WellDone
Judges heard from Addison Nuding of WellDone International, a tech-savvy solution for up to 800 million people who lack access to clean drinking water. His team developed a low-cost IoT sensor that collects vital information on wells and flags aid organizations in the event that their wells need (or will soon need) repair.
Talking Points
Heejae Lim said, “It’s a no-brainer that when teachers and parents work together, students do better.” Her team developed a solution that taps into the force of human connection. Talking Points is a two-way translation platform that solves for the key barriers to strong parental engagement in their child’s schooling: education, knowledge, misconceptions, time, and language. “With Talking Points, every learner — the child, the parent, and the teacher — feels supported, regardless of background,” she said.
And the winner is…
Finalists made their pitches amidst a raucous party and in front of some of the most influential people in tech before fielding hardball questions from the panel of judges. After some deliberation, we announced AnnieCannons as the first-ever Create The Future Awards winner, taking with them $50,000 to support their mission. Congrats to AnnieCannons and the rest of the Create The Future finalists for their amazing work!
LIVE Party
The official Pluralsight LIVE 2018 party was one for the books! Attendees were treated to an incredible performance by Bleachers, got to release their inner children in an adult-sized ball pit (full of a semi-truck of balls!) and enjoyed a bunch of super cool interactive tech experiences.
Follow #PluralsightLIVE to catch more of the party action and stay tuned for updates from day 3 tomorrow.
