The Hamptons, renowned as a playground for the affluent, has long been a destination for those who crave the spotlight during the summer months. Stretching from BridgeHampton to Montauk, this picturesque area is synonymous with stunning individuals and flawless fashion. Yet, this summer, the town of South Hampton experienced an exceptional occurrence. A thought-provoking event for the second annual Hamptons Tech Week, skillfully organized over three days, served as a breeding ground for discussions on the future of our world.
Curio’s pop-up at The Hampton Project started the event with Female Founders Day, led by Fyli – a NaaS business supporting early-stage female founders who invest in the future of female entrepreneurs. This event brought together a diverse community of founders to discuss how technology will revolutionize fashion in a more sustainable and interactive way. Such as panel hosts and technology partners Logictry co-founder and Chief Logic Officer, Chris Fronda, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer Chelsea Toler and Fyli global advisory board members Paige Duncan to name a few. It also featured powerful women sharing strategies for nurturing oneself as an entrepreneur to overcome burnout, fatigue, and imposter syndrome.
Curio, with its impeccably curated collections, provided the ideal setting for the day’s discussion.
Renowned fashion designer Emily Burnett revealed a remarkable shift in her business model, transitioning from showcasing her collections at New York Fashion Week to becoming the visionary founder of MetaBurnett. This pioneering brand combines haute couture in the physical realm with a strong focus on the digital metaverse and NFT markets.
Jaclyn Brennan, the founder of Fiylie, expertly led a panel of influential women who are revolutionizing their industries. The lineup featured Angel Suttle, the visionary behind Black Girls with Teslas, to Lara Eurdolian, the fashionista behind Pretty Connected. Together, they delved into the mindset required to continuously challenge norms, reshape outlooks, and unlock unprecedented opportunities.
On the first day, we kicked off Hamptons Tech Week with an exclusive cocktail party at the luxurious home of our co-founder, Christine Prydatko. Guests enjoyed a fantastic selection of wine and engaging conversations under the stunning night sky of Hamptons Bay. It was a truly unforgettable evening.
During days two and three, I had the privilege of participating in compelling discussions at the South Hampton Arts Center. Julie Lamb, a board member for Hamptons Tech Week, expertly guided us through two days of insightful conversations. One particularly fascinating topic was “How Athletes Are Capitalizing on Technology and Investing.” We had the opportunity to gain valuable insights from Jack Wyant, the co-founder of the Cincinnati Reds, who shared how athletes are diversifying their earning potential by venturing into technology investments. This goes beyond traditional brand partnerships and offers them long-term financial security even after their sports careers.
Rounding out day two was a conversation on the future of technology in the retail space, including expert insights from Anish Melwani: Chairman and CEO of LVMH, as he shared insights on The Aura Blockchain Consortium- the first non-profit association of luxury brands investing in technologies and innovative thinking to bring the customer experience to a new level and build a virtuous future for the luxury industry.
Concluding with an extraordinary happy hour mingle, it was evident that profound contemplation about the future of our world was unfolding amidst the beautifully designed garden adjacent to the art center.
As we near the conclusion of this event, brought to life by the vision of Christine Prydatko and Stephen Sabo, I was excited to participate in the AI discussion sharing how AI is revolutionizing the publishing industry on stage. I joined the Logictry panel for Logic & Ethical AI: Building the World’s Brain. During our discussion, I highlighted three key ways in which AI is positively transforming the traditionally stagnant world of publishing:
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Accessibility: AI is here to give diverse books the spotlight they deserve in a crowded and not-so-diverse book world.
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Better Query Process: With literary agents receiving more than 100+ queries a week, the slow process of going through their inboxes takes time away from authors’ opportunities with the fatigue of always having to play “catch up” in their inbox rather than having that time to focus on discovering new and interesting voices.
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Book Marketing: AI is here to revolutionize book marketing by helping publishers and authors create laser-targeted advertising campaigns. With its incredible algorithms, AI can analyze ad platform data and pinpoint the keywords that will supercharge your book sales.
