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WILSON – The Gig East Summit is back! Join us for the 2022 Gig East Summit: Transforming E.A.S.T. on May 20, 2022, in Historic Downtown Wilson. The Summit will bring together local entrepreneurs, business owners, community partners, and industry thought leaders from Wilson and the Triangle to focus on how entrepreneurship, the arts, science, and technology are being transformed in Wilson.
E.A.S.T. stands for Entrepreneurship, Art, Science and Technology.
Head to Wilson the night before the Summit on May 19th and enjoy Gig in the Park, Wilson’s free spring outdoor concert series at Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. Be sure to stop by the Gig East tent to check-in for the Summit and receive your free drink ticket. Then, start Friday morning fresh at the Wilson Arts Center to hear from our keynote speaker, Kenia Thompson, on “How We Tell Our Stories.” Witness the next big idea be born right here in Wilson during the RIoT Accelerator Program’s pitch competition. After lunch downtown, head back to Wilson Arts to see who will take the title of pitch competition winner. You’ll also listen to local innovators share how they have found success in E.A.S.T. industries right here in Wilson. The event wraps up with two interactive breakout sessions of your choice.
2022 Summit Speakers
Kenia Thompson
WordCrumbs
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Jeff Bell
City of Wilson
Cat Brewer
Sign the Show
Raoul Chinang
Collins Aerospace
Rodger Lentz
City of Wilson
Matt McConnell
McConnell Studios
Rachael Newberry
RIoT
Noah Parsons
City of Wilson
Tom Snyder
RIoT
Miles Wright
Averix Bio
2022 Summit Agenda
Thursday,
May 19
Gig In The Park – The Breakfast Club
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Wilson Downtown Development and the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park are your hosts for this FREE spring concert series. You’ll be rocking to the best of the 80s from The Breakfast Club while chowing down from a wide selection of food trucks. Ice cold beverages will be available for the adults and fun activities for the kiddos!
- Bring a chair or blanket
- ID required to purchase beer/wine
- No outside beverages or coolers
*Check-in for the Summit at the Gig East tent. All early check-ins will receive a free drink ticket.
Friday,
May 20
Gig East Summit
8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Wilson Arts Center
Doors open at 8:30 am with a light breakfast, coffee and networking. Program begins at 9:15 a.m.
9:15 am
Welcome
9:30 am –10:30 am
Keynote: How We Tell Our Stories
Kenia Thompson, Owner, WordCrumbs
Kenia Thompson is an experienced Master Communicator and Marketing professional. Driven by her own need to break the silence, she takes pride in providing the best communication solutions possible. As a Master Communicator, her goals are to share her love for education and communication — combining them into a unique approach using her C.R.U.M.B (Creating Unique Messages that Build) method approach. This approach, coupled with each service, aids professionals and leaders in discovering their authentic selves and identifying their most effective communication style.
10:35 am –12:35 pm
RIoT RAP X Pitch
Led by Rachael Newberry
During the Pitch competition, selected RAP Wilson cohort members will take center stage to share their company pitches with the Summit audience. Hear from the companies who have used the Gig East Exchange as home base for the past 12 weeks, growing and tweaking their business strategies and honing their pitches for us. It’s everything you love about reality business shows (without the sharks), with lots of support and enthusiasm from the Gig East community.
Following the pitches, judges’ comments are tallied and a winner will be announced right after the lunch break.
12:30 pm –2:00 pm
Lunch On Your Own In Downtown
Grab a bite from one of the many tasty eateries in Historic Downtown Wilson.
2:15 pm –2:30 pm
Pitch Results
See who will be crowned pitch competition winner!
2:35 pm –3:20 pm
Ecosystem Success Stories Panel
Moderator: Tom Synder
Panelists:
- Entrepreneurship: Miles Wright, Averix Bi
- Art: Cat Brewer, Filmmaker, Sign The Show
- Science: Noah Parsons, City of Wilson Stormwater
- Technology: Raoul Chinang, Program Manager at Collins Aerospace
Local innovators will share their experiences working in the fields of entrepreneurship, art, science, or technology, and how the ground in Wilson is fertile for success.
3:30 pm –4:15 pm
Breakout Session 1
Branding Strategy & Development with WRAL Digital Solutions
Join WRAL Digital Solutions to learn how branding strategy and development can take your organization to the next level.
RIDE Into the Future of Public Transportation
Learn about Wilson’s award-winning micro-transit service, RIDE, from Rodger Lentz, the City of Wilson’s Chief Planning and Development Officer.
Art Gallery Walking Tour with Jeff Bell, Whirligig Park Director
Take a tour of Historic Downtown Wilson’s vibrant art galleries with Jeff Bell, Director of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum
4:30 pm –5:15 pm
Breakout Session 2
Merging Art and Tech
Join artist Matt McConnell as he explains his method of combining art and technology to create Wilson Arts’ largest installation.
Keeping the Workplace Safe with Cisco’s DNA Spaces
Learn how Cisco is making workspaces like the Gig East Exchange smarter and safer with DNA Spaces.
