On Nov. 14, over 100 people came to The Crest Theatre in Westwood to listen to inspirational speakers in the fields of technology, business, arts, health and lifestyle at the #140 Conference.
The conference is inspired by the brevity of Twitter and the speeches are only 10-15 minutes long – short, bursts of inspirational wisdom from some of the best and brightest in a myriad of industries.
Walking through the door of the iconic theatre, signs were clearly posted asking attendees not to talk a about the recent election because “we all need a break.”
The #140 Conference was founded by Internet pioneer Jeff Keni Pulver as a platform for people to listen, learn, and most of all, create relationships that inspire positive change. Dubbed “The State of Now,” the conference underscores a commitment to exploring how the “real-time web” affects business and personal lives, but it’s much more than that.
Following the conference, Pulver told Century City-Westwood News, “We brought together a caring community. We shared stories, listened and connected. We are grateful for all the speakers who traveled to LA to join us.”
Event co-producer Debra Eckerling, founder of Write On Online, stressed how the conference is a unique opportunity for personal or career development. She said, “It’s truly amazing what happens when people from different backgrounds come together, and are genuinely interested in learning from each other. The connections made from #140conf are powerful and endure. It was an awesome experience.”
Among the myriad of speakers were award-winning poet and author J. Ivy, The Sonnet Man Devon Glover, Youngry founder Ash Kumra, Techwalla Editor-in-Chief Dave Johnson, The Fit Cycle’s Andia Winslow, and authors Chandresh Bhardwaj, Marsha Collier, Robert Rosenthal, Amy Friedman, and Liz Strauss.
“There’s something to be said about sitting next to somebody you’ve never met, but who could possibly change your life, or someone with whom you may be virtually acquainted, but who otherwise would not have met in person,” Pulver said. “People have relationships because they met someone in real life whom they may have connected to online, but now they’re real friends.”
