Conference Gives HEDC Deep Dive into Data Centers, AI, Ingenuity

From Mr. Wonderful to the Poker Princess, experts of enterprise share smarts and savvy in Indy

New products and services that improve life in transformative ways help drive economies forward, so the Hancock Economic Development Council jumped at the chance to attend a two-day event last week where innovation was the rallying cry.

The Rally Innovation Conference was held at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis September 24th and 25th. Organized by Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures, the event convened a speaker lineup of technology and business luminaries from around the world who shared their trailblazing expertise in topics like artificial intelligence, data centers, agriculture, and plenty more.

Kevin O’Leary brought the candidness he’s known for on the hit show “Shark Tank” for a fireside chat with Elevate Ventures CEO Toph Day. The businessmen discussed how imperative data is for determining and capitalizing on trends, and how that data can now get even more granular with artificial intelligence. O’Leary, who is developing a data center in Canada, emphasized AI is critical for U.S. national security but also highlighted the massive infrastructure needs that must be fulfilled before they can continue being developed at the necessary scale. He added there are currently five data centers under construction in the U.S.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun spoke about his decades in entrepreneurship before entering politics and also addressed the challenges facing data center developments like providing the immense electrical power they require. He added natural gas is currently the best way to provide that power, while small modular nuclear reactors like the ones powering U.S. military submarines and ships will likely take their place in the future.

Also speaking at the conference was Molly Bloom, the Olympic skiing hopeful turned facilitator of wildly successful underground poker games in Los Angeles and New York City. Her 2014 memoir “Molly’s Game” chronicles the threats and violence she experienced from organized crime and the federal criminal charges she fought before forging immense success once again, this time as a bestselling author and speaker. Bloom’s story was adapted into the 2017 Oscar-nominated film of the same name. At Rally, she shared a message of ambition, level-headedness, and resilience that was perfect for the innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders present to take with them.

The conference offered sessions on dozens of other topics that the HEDC was eager and grateful to learn about, including innovation in agriculture and accessibility, as well as insights into doing business with corporations and governments and the contracts, certifications, and connections that entails.

Another enlightening session on education, skills, and talent mobility was especially appealing, as it’s very much on officials’ minds throughout Hancock County while construction on a new career and technical education facility continues.

An array of area companies and organizations set up throughout the conference area to interact with attendees, and a large, comfortable co-working space was never short of professionals catching up on calls and emails between presentations. The mobile app for the conference also allowed attendees to learn about their fellow participants and schedule short meet-ups throughout the event.

For 40 years now, the objective of the Hancock Economic Development Council has been to connect opportunities to economic success. After hearing from pioneers in innovation about all of the groundbreaking subjects driving the modern economy, the HEDC is even more prepared–and excited–to continue that mission.

Check out a highlight video and photo gallery of the conference and its sessions below.