DURHAM, N.C., March 30, 2015 – The Art of Cool Festival (AOCFEST), a locally run, three-day music festival in Durham, is introducing a new conference as part of the festival’s second year. Innovate Your Cool will engage business and education communities in the greater Research Triangle Park area and beyond in dialogue surrounding innovation in business, music and culture. The event, hosted in partnership with Paradoxos and MMI, will be held on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at American Underground @Main, located at 201 W. Main Street.

This year’s program features Wayne Sutton, a Raleigh native, as the keynote speaker. Sutton is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and general partner at BUILDUP.vc with more than 14 years of experience in technology, design and business development. Sutton has been named to Business Insider’s “The Silicon Valley 100: The Coolest People In Tech Right Now,” “52 Hottest New Stars In Silicon Valley,” “46 Most Important African-Americans In Technology” lists, and to Eelan Media’s “Top 100 Most Influential Black People On Digital/Social Media” list. Sutton will cover “Diversity in Tech,” in his keynote speech, and will cover the diversity initiatives all high-tech companies should launch, diversity and culture change in companies, and the need for increased diversity in tech corporations.

Attendees can enjoy roundtable talks on business innovation and a discussion on musical innovation and the legacy of neo-soul pioneer Roy Ayers, led by Mark Anthony-Neal, professor of African & African American studies at Duke University, featuring panelist and Grammy-winning record producer 9th Wonder. High school students will come together for a music hackathon, a problem-solving and brainstorming event where science and music collide led by Dr. Chris Emdin, an Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and co-creator of the #HipHopEd social movement.

In addition, Innovate Your Cool will host lightning talks sponsored by the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce covering business and entrepreneurial innovation with industry thought leaders, pop-up shops, product demos, American Underground @Main tours and a special rooftop patio performance by Kendra Foster, acclaimed vocalist and co-writer of D’Angelo’s Black Messiah.

Innovate Your Cool’s lightning talks include, but are not limited to:

− Role of Innovation on Black Wall Street – Kimberly Moore, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company

− Designing and Developing Startup Communities – Wanona Satcher, Durham Urban Innovation Center

− Hacking HIV Stigma with Game Apps – Nkechinyere “NC” Nwoko, Caktus Group, and Kate Muessig, UNC Gillings School of Public Health

− Building the Fort: A Metaphor for Starting Anything – Chris Heivly, The Startup Factory

− Shooting for Mars: My goal to set foot on the Red Planet – Laurel Kaye, Mars One candidate

The Innovate Your Cool schedule is as follows:

− 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Keynote address with Wayne Sutton, pop-up shops open

− 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Artist demos

− 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. – A discussion about Roy Ayers Legacy on Hip-hop/Jazz/Soul Music with 9th Wonder & Mark Anthony-Neal

− 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – science and music hackathon with Dr. Emdin

− 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Lightning talks (eight 30-minute concurrent talks)

− 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Live music on rooftop patio with Kendra Foster, digital musician, private bar open

AOCFEST is Durham’s first world-class jazz and soul music festival. The three-day event combines two outdoor stages, five indoor music venues and more than 30 world-class performances. Last year, the event hosted more than 3,500 music lovers and approximately 40 bands. AOCFEST’s economic impact for Durham was approximately $600,000 in direct and indirect spending in April 2014. For more information, visit http://aocfestival.org.

QUOTES:

“Innovation is alive in Durham not only through Art of Cool, but also through Innovate Your Cool, which celebrates the unique spirit of entrepreneurship that permeates the Bull City and the greater Triangle area,” said Cicely Mitchell, Dr.PH., president of Art of Cool. “Groundbreaking business and musical ideas collide with some of today’s brightest minds to create a can’t-miss event seeking to build upon the area’s rich sociocultural and economic fabric.”

DETAILS:

- Admission to Innovate Your Cool is free for students and festival attendees, and $10 for other attendees.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:

The Art of Cool Project YouTube channel

http://youtube.com/user/Theartofcoolproject?feature=mhee

The Art of Cool Fest Kickstarter on Facebook:

https://facebook.com/events/1445669675696163/

The Art of Cool on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/theaocproject

ABOUT THE ART OF COOL FESTIVAL:

The Art of Cool Festival is a three-day music festival with two outdoor stages, five indoor venues and more than 30 world-class performances presented by Art of Cool. More information about the festival can be found at http://aocfestival.org.

ABOUT ART OF COOL:

Art of Cool is a 501(c)(3) jazz presenting nonprofit organization that strives to cross artistic, economic and social boundaries to bring together a diverse mix of people, cultures, experiences and creativity. The mission of Art of Cool is to present, promote and preserve jazz-influenced music. We present high-quality music concerts and events in unique venues throughout the Triangle to share our passion for music; our love of the Triangle’s vibrant arts scene; our desire to build and celebrate community; and our joy in providing each and every audience member with a great night out. Art of Cool was founded in Durham, North Carolina, and is spearheaded by jazz trumpeter and educator, Albert Strong IV, and Cicely Mitchell, Dr.PH of Al Strong Music Productions. For more information, visit http://theartofcoolproject.org.

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