The spooky month of October has finally come to an end and the entire month of October was filled with scary movies, haunted houses and busy costume stores in preparation for the big finale: Halloween. As the parties and events went into full swing as early as a week before the actual day, partygoers went to find the best and scariest Halloween parties to attend.
Michael Loeb in the center. Photo by: Alphonse Telymonde.
One highlight was #TechOrTreat. Michael Loeb, CEO of venture capital company Loeb.NYC, hosted an unforgettable Halloween party at his Upper East Side Townhouse on Oct. 30 called the 2nd annual Tech or Treat party. Nue Agency, Bonin Ventures and Agent of Change also co-hosted the evening.
Upon entering, we were told to download the “Tech Or Treat” app, which was powered by swaponz LIVE and we were given a bracelet. When we pointed our phone camera on the bracelet, via the app, suddenly virtual spiders started crawling up our arms. It was a very impressive augmented reality experience.
One of the main attractions of the night was Bina48, an African-American female android that uses artificial intelligence to interpret, understand and interact with humans. Bina48 was created by roboticist David Hanson, to look, act and think like an actual human. She was modeled after Bina Rothblatt, the wife of biopharmaceutical tycoon Martine Rothblatt who, together, created The Teresam Movement in 2002, a non-profit foundation that focuses on research and educational outreach to preserve and download human consciousness.
The Teresam Movement’s executive director Bruce Duncan was also in attendance, standing by Bina48’s side the entire night while answering any questions guests had about the robot. When asked about why she was sitting on a one-wheel wheelchair, Duncan explained that it was built for her to be mobile. However, the wheelchair also has a charitable purpose. “The donations can go to veterans in the military that also need technology,” Duncan noted.
Bruce Duncan and Bina48. Photo by: Alphonse Telymonde.
Guests who received an invitation were able to access a website that allowed them to donate to the cause. Half of the donations received will go to veterans, while the remaining half will go to Bina, who Duncan describes as “the only dark skin robot that is representing diversity in a fairly white space, and that is an ethical diversity stance.” If you weren’t able to make it to the party, you can catch Bina48 on TV, in shows like Morgan Freeman’s Nat Geo special The Story of God, or rapper Jay-Z’s “4:44” music video.
Another highlight of the evening was the elaborate haunted house, which gave guests a real scare!
It was so fun mingling with tech lovers, venture capitalists and music execs.
Special thanks to our friend CEO of @nueagency Jesse Kirshbaum for the invite. Be sure to catch him hosting Hot97’s @Hot97HotinTech and check out his fantastic newsletter #beatsandbytes.
Nue Agency CEO and Tech or Treat co-host Jesse Kirshbaum dressed up as David Byrne.
Photo Credit: Alphonse Telymonde
