FC/LA: A Meeting Of The Most Creative Minds
Join Fast Company editors and writers live from our creativity counter-conference in Los Angeles on May 6th & 7th!
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Fast Company is coming to LA this week - gathering and sharing stories of creativity. From Hollywood to Playa Vista, Santa Monica to downtown, a slew of inspiring businesses and entrepreneurs will be opening their doors for collaboration and information, networking and idea-swapping. We'll have fun with FunnyorDie and SoulPancake, we'll make news with OWN and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. Most of all, we'll try to find ways to make a difference, not just for a few days, but on an ongoing basis. We can Create GOOD and so much more! See you there soon.
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Don't miss our session with Design, Bitches!
Looking forward to tomorrow's chat with Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph of Design, Bitches, the LA-based architecture firm that is disrupting the way we think about architecture (come to our session to hear how). They're also playfully branding some of the city's most exciting new eateries, such as the Springs, which was recently featured in the NYT.Here's a graph from that story:“A crisp, bright pause amidst the industrial exhaust” is how Design, Bitches, an architectural firm, describes the look it created for the Springs: raw and blue-stained plywood, cement floors, roll-up garage doors and globular paper lanterns (err, “moon-like orbs”). There are also cinder-block planters filled with fig trees and palms." -
Lots of fun stuff on tap on our Santa Monica track today, starting with a visit to General Assembly's campus where we'll learn how they cracked the L.A. market. Then we have a fun visit with Honest Company where we'll explore how @jessicaalba and her team are building a different kind of consumer products brand.
Around lunch time, we'll tour the very cool Tastemade offices and see how they're creating and empowering others to create compelling, mobile-friendly food and culture programming. I'll then sit down with DogVacay CEO Aaron Hirschhorn to discuss the sharing economy and of course, dogs!
Finally we're capping off our big day with a trip to Hulu, where we'll get the scoop on their original programming philosophy and go deep with a preview of the @amypoehler produced sitcom Difficult People created by and starring @julieklausner. They wanted me to pick what I am most looking forward to but I can't! Excited about all of it. -
Getting excited to interview Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman today at Maker. Read a bit about his approach to creation here.
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DAQRI Smart Helmet
I'm about to head to downtown LA where everyone is going to try out the DAQRI Smart Helmet. Then it's off to Two Bit Circus, where I'm just hoping no one gets caught on fire or loses a limb (just kidding, they're going to show us the high-tech STEAM Carnival). Then I'll be talking with three veterans of the video gaming industry about how digital entertainment is going to change in the next 5 years. And we'll wrap it up with ice cream--and not just any old soft serve, but Big Gay Ice Cream to learn how the founders have scaled the business without losing the things that made it fun in the first place. Get ready for lots of pictures. -
Getting ready for the first stop of the day on the DTLA City & Sustainability track at Reformation's factory. Had to share this photo of the private garden out back, sitting on top of a defunct rail line and modeled a bit after NYC's High Line.
We're about to go inside this former bread factory to see how the hyper-sustainable fashion company designs then makes all of their materials in-house! -
Starting the day early at @TOMS HQ for the #FCLA15 Creative Minds event. #agencylife #daileylife @DaileyLA http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEVY75XVEAICr9T.jpg
by lupowolf via twitter 5/6/2015 4:41:31 PM -
Getting #FCLA15 started right with @graybright and @sryanmeyer in Santa Monica http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEVqpq7UIAAMrRl.jpg
by Jonathan Li via twitter 5/6/2015 5:14:04 PM -
Every company we're visiting today has hired a General Assembly grad. They have tried some other types of courses but the web development intensive and user experience design courses have the highest demand. And remember the name @graybright. You'll soon be hearing more about his science and technology talk show.
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Reformation CEO Yael Aflalo had a fashion company for 10 years before creating the sustainable Reformation label. She was disgusted with the waste and show cycles of the fashion industry. So she took some time off and rethought how she was going to make clothes. Now, they make clothes as they have the materials. And with flash sales and small production, they have virtually zero end-product waste.
As a B Corp, Aflalo says when investors ask her "can this model scale?" she tells them, "shut up!" She's a believer in incremental, organic growth. (Even so, they've tripled in size/production in the past 18 months.)
How does she feel about local? Depends what you mean. Materials - need to be local; shipping is wasteful. Workforce? "I don't believe in patriotism," she laughs. There are strong work forces everywhere. She doesn't have a problem with opening a shop or factory outside of LA.
Sustainability is her company's responsibility - and she thinks all fashion companies should strive to be sustainable. "I always want people to buy our clothes because they are the best clothes. I really hope people don't buy our clothes because they are sustainable. That would make me very upset."
Part of the plan for the next three years: a men's line, accessories and a new location to accommodate growth. -
Funny or Die executives said that although the company has expanded into TV, apps, live comedy tours, etc., online videos remain the core of the business and are key to the brand.
Something else that's key is trust. "Key to our business is people trusting us and trusting us to do what we do best," said CEO Dick Glover.
Glover went on to announce that the company is developing an app for 1.5 second videos called Funny or Die Dips. He showed a hilarious assortment of micro videos starring Britney Spears and Will Ferrell. -
I'm so excited that author Marie Kondo is here with us today, everyone I know is talking about her book: www.amazon.com
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Fast Company Los Angeles creativity conference... A gorgeous set of stairs at #honestcompany #fcla15
by Anjali Saraf via Instagram 5/6/2015 6:43:02 PM -
"It's not just a bag-when someone carries it, they are making a statement against #bullying." #FCLA15 #oneforone
by toniaallengould via Instagram 5/6/2015 6:44:21 PM -
At @Honest with the lovely @jessicaalba for @FastCompany #FCLA http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEV7wwFUkAEoloq.jpg
by Lori Hoffman via twitter 5/6/2015 6:46:30 PM -
How about that backdrop! Gentler Regional Director Rob Jernigan and Design Dir. Shawn Gehle talking about Gensler's design worldwide. 550 people work out of the LA office, but there are 46 other offices in 16 countries. It's interesting to hear how designers inside Gensler get to work on projects they're interested in.
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"We work with over 6,000 influencers and have built a business where we work with brands to tell their story and then match that content with the people and the audience that it matters to. We build out influencer-driven campaigns." - Oliver Luckett, CEO of theAudience
