I may visit this topic again, because I’d like to have more time to put my thoughts together. I’ll do my best to cover some of the take away items from my first time attending the silicon slopes 2020 technology convention https://www.siliconslopessummit.com My overall assessment is that it was worth the time.
The group was able to bring in a variety of speakers to share many great ideas. I enjoyed hearing their stories and spending a little time considering my own life. We all benefit from taking time to reflect on where we are, and where we’re heading. The messages helped me to want to spend some time doing just that.
SafeUT
I attended as many of the classes that were sponsored by the University of Utah Health group. They have some talented doctors who were able to present great ideas effectively. In one session pictured below they were talking about the opioid overdose and addiction problem. Also included in that session was a discussion about suicide.
Utah has developed an app called SafeUT. I think this app and more awareness can help with the problem. We still have a long way to go towards helping people fighting depression. The topic was mentioned multiple time during the convention, and in different venues. I’m glad to see that many bright minds are looking for ways to change this tragic situation. This picture was taken at the very end, but for most of the presentation there wasn’t an open seat in the room, and people were lining the walls all the way around.
Another part of the event I really enjoyed was helping to pack food for the needy. We had a goal of preparing a million meals. This was a community effort. I was able to get in there during breaks and try to do my part. Every time I went to help they put me working on bagging macaroni and cheese. They had a great system with many different stations where 6-8 people would work together to package the food. It takes a lot of effort to get a million, but I imagine we made it. I enjoyed getting to know the people I was assigned to work with each time.
I have some work to do. I’m impressed with how many times presenters mentioned their desire to help people. These are just great people out doing good in the world. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend the summit again next year. I found it to be very worthwhile.