The 1st We Are Wearables Chicago: Motorola, 1871, AMPY, Rithmio & More

Welcome to the 1st We Are Wearables Chicago event. We've partnered with 1871 and Uproar PR to put together a stellar wearable tech event celebrating wearable and IoT companies in the city. This event is 1/3 educational and 2/3 fun with presentations, panels, a jam packed demo area and beer & pizza to boot!

Our first event kicks off with a presentation of the Moto 360 from Motorola. Motorola's Design Director, Dickon Issacs, will be giving you a behind the scenes look at the design and feature choices they made for the very first round smartwatch.

Our panel conversation will bring together members from Motorlola, AMPY and Rithmio, to discuss the challenges wearable tech faces in adoption and the opportunity it has to change the way we communicate and manage our lives.

In the demo area, you will get a chance to go hands-on with Chicago companies from the wearable tech and the Internet of Things space including Cubii, Gramovox, Rithmio, AMPY and Motorola.

And did I mention pizza and beer!

Agenda

6:00-6:30PM: Doors Open & Registration

6:30-6:35PM: Opening Remarks - Tom Emrich, 1871 & Uproar PR

6:35-6:50PM: Presentation from Motorola: "The Design Story Behind the Moto 360"

6:50-7:25PM: Panel Discussion: Making Wearables "Wearable": The Challenges Wearables Face In Adoption & The Opportunities They Have to Change our Lives

• Dickon Isaacs - Design Director, Motorola

• Alexander Smith - Co-Founder, AMPY

• Adam Tilton - CEO & Co-Founder, Rithmio

• Moderated by Tom Emrich, Founder of We Are Wearables & Tech Writer

7:25-7:30PM: Closing Remarks and Kick-off of Bar, Food & Demo Area

7:30-9:30PM: Networking (Beer & Pizza) and Demo Area featuring: Motorola, Rithmio, Cubii & Gramovox

About the Tech

Rithmio (http://rithmio.com/) is a gesture recognition platform. The market for gesture recognition products is evolving at a rapid pace, and brands struggle to innovate fast enough to keep up with consumer expectations. Product development cycles are long, algorithm development is tedious, and gesture recognition solutions lack accuracy. These factors stifle product teams’ ability to make use cases a reality. The team at Rithmio believes we can help. We’ve created a platform that helps brands create accurate gesture-based products quickly.

FitnessCubed (http://www.fitnesscubed.com/) designs connected fitness equipment to make workplaces healthier. Cubii, our first product, is a Bluetooth under-desk elliptical trainer that helps people stay active at their desk. Our cloud-powered mobile platform helps our users set goals and keep track of progress. FitnessCubed recently raised over $293,000 on Kickstarter.

Gramovox (http://gramovox.com/) is a consumer electronics company, started in 2013, that reimagines vintage A/V equipment into functional contemporary art. Our debut product is the Gramovox Bluetooth Gramophone. Its bold design and vintage sound are inspired by 1920s horn speakers. Its form and function are a marriage of vintage and modern aesthetics—producing a timeless piece that allows you to stream nostalgia.

Motorola (http://motorola.com) exists to invent, build and deliver the best mobile devices on the planet, improving the lives of millions of people.

AMPY (http://www.getampy.com/) is a wearable device that captures the energy from your everyday motion and turns it into power for your smartphone and wearable devices. AMPY just finished a Kickstarter campaign where they raised over $250,000 and are now gearing up for manufacturing and retail sales. Beyond their current device, they are working to integrate the technology to create self-powered smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearables. Team AMPY is currently raising a seed round and are seeking talent in marketing and sales, manufacturing/design engineering, and software development.

Thank You To Our Partners & Sponsors

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1871 is an entrepreneurial hub for digital startups. Located in The Merchandise Mart, the 75,000-square-foot facility provides Chicago startups with programming, access to mentors, educational resources, potential investors and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs that help them on their path to building successful businesses. Recently ranked 9th in the world in the 2014 UBI Index list of top university-associated business incubators, 1871 has become a global leader in the entrepreneurial community. 1871 is the flagship project of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. For more information, visit 1871.com (http://www.1871.com/).

Uproar PR is an innovative consumer technology public relations and social media agency. Along with their other technology practices, the firm has successfully built brand recognition for its wearable tech clients. Within the Toronto and Waterloo communities, Uproar works with Thalmic Labs, Bionym Kiwi Wearables and PUSH. With Uproar's media relations experience, those companies have been featured in media outlets including The Today Show, Business Insider, New York Times and CNBC, just to name a few. The firm specializes in developing campaigns that drive awareness and sales, creating industry buzz. For more information, visit www.uproarpr.com (http://www.uproarpr.com/)

Motorola exists to invent, build and deliver the best mobile devices on the planet, improving the lives of millions of people. For more information, visit Motorola.com (http://www.motorola.com).

And our Media partner Filmscape Productions (http://filmscapepro.com/)

Interested in joining the We Are Wearables Chicago team, sponsoring or hosting the next event or speaking? Contact Tom Emrich at emrichtom@gmail.com.