2014 Schedule
Interactive: March 7–11  •  Film: March 7–15  •  Music: March 11–16

Next Evolution in Communication: What Will Happen

#sxsw #CommTech

Given the arise of Jawbone, Google Glass, iWatch, and a whole array of wearable devices, people will soon be able to communicate even faster and more frequently than ever before in an increasingly more connected world. What will be the resulting evolution in human relationships in this new millennium? The following futurists: Entrepreneur, Visionary, CEO of Telepathy Inc. Takahito Iguchi, Techno Illusionist Marco Tempest, art technologist CEO of Ringly Christina Mercando, and Moderator Koichi Yamamoto will tackle this vital question in a discussion that is not to be missed.

Presenters

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Christina Mercando

Founder & CEO

Ringly

Christina Mercando is the founder and CEO of Ringly, a New York City-based fashion/technology company composed of designers and engineers dedicated to blending art and technology in meaningful ways. Their first suite of products integrates wearable technology with beautifully designed jewelry and accessories. Ringly’s core belief is that technology can be more discreetly and smartly integrated into our lives.

Prior to founding Ringly, Christina was the VP of Product at Hunch, a social recommendation service aiming to build a 'taste graph' of the entire web by intelligently connecting people to the things they love. Hunch was acquired by eBay in 2011 where Christina played a major role in improving the social shopping and merchandising experience across ebay.com.

Christina’s passion for art and technology started at an early age. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with degrees in both Fine Art and Human Computer Interaction. She has a strong interest in user-centered design and its power to enrich and strengthen both online and offline experiences.

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Koichi Yamamoto

GM, Global Planning Office

Dentsu Inc

Koichi Yamamoto has worked for Japan's No. 1 advertising and creative services company, Dentsu Inc., since 1986. Today, as director of General Manager, Global Solutions Center, he oversees the development of Dentsu’s global marketing communication solutions services and resources, as well as consulting for key multinational clients on branding and communication strategy.

Koichi has lived in the United States, United Kingdom and Holland in addition to his native Japan. He is bilingual in Japanese and English. Koichi received a B.S. in architecture from the University of Tokyo in 1986 and an M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University in 2000.

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Marco Tempest

Cyber Illusionist

Director's Fellow - MIT Media Lab

Marco Tempest is a cyber illusionist, combining magic and technology to produce astonishing illusions.

He began his performing career as a stage magician and manipulator, winning many awards and establishing an international reputation as one of the world¹s most unique performers.

His interest in computer generated imagery led him to incorporating video and digital technology in his work and the development of a new form of contemporary illusion. The expansion of the internet and social media provided more opportunities for digital illusions and ways of interacting with audiences and creating magically augmented realities.

Marco is a keen advocate of the open source community, working with artists, writers and technologists to create new experiences and research the practical uses of the technology of illusion.

Marco continues to perform around the world, is a media consultant on the subject of magic and illusion and lectures at international conferences on the psychology of deception and creative thinking.

Marco is a Directors Fellow at the MIT Media Lab

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Takahito Iguchi

Founder & CEO

Telepathy Inc

Takahito Iguchi is CEO of Telepathy Inc., which launched its first product prototype - the Telepathy One - at the 2013 SXSW conference in Austin, TX. Telepathy One is a new wearable social communication device which aims to visually connect people in real-time by encouraging hands-free, interactive communication.

Takahito has been the creator and evangelist of several innovative multimedia platforms and web services companies including JUST Systems, and Digitao Limited, a blog publishing service, for which he was founder and CEO.

Takahito has over 20 years experience in providing consumer oriented services using cutting-edge technology. In 2008 he founded Tonchidot Corporation which developed the Sekai Camera service, a popular augmented reality application which has garnered over three million downloads in 88 countries. Mr. Iguchi holds a BA in Philosophy from Ritsumeikan University Kyoto.

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