Hundreds of business cards changed hands at ASU Skysong Thursday night as more than 500 entrepreneurs and developers from around the Valley gathered to mingle, network and share ideas and experiences as part of Skysong's Techiepalooza.
Attendees listened to speeches from startup founders and CEOs of tech companies, pitched their own ideas and participated in workshops on everything from how to make a website or mobile application to how to market those products.
Event co-organizer Neetu Rao said the workshops provided a basic foundation for people looking to create tech-based companies who weren't sure how to start.
"You can't do it overnight, but you can do things yourself," she said. "You can build a website yourself."
The event was meant for people with entrepreneurial ideas and people with the technical skills needed to bring those ideas to fruition. These collaborative functions aren't as easy to find in the Phoenix area as they are in other cities, ASU alumnus Justin Eller said.
"It's really good to see all the people that are active in technology and development," Eller said.
He and fellow alumnus Jarrett Sayas founded a mobile application company, JMedia, and are preparing to launch their first app in July.
Eller describes the app, 1UP, as a "competitive mobile home video." Users would post videos of themselves doing something crazy or impressive, like a successful basketball half-court shot, and other users could choose to one-up the video by posting one of their own existing videos or filming a new feat.
He said creating any start-up company is difficult, but mobile companies are the easiest.
Frank Gruber, CEO and cofounder of media company Tech Cocktail, said mobile application startups cost a lot less and were therefore easier for people to get into.
As part of his work with the company, Gruber travels to cover new startups and host events like Techiepalooza.
"What you're trying to do here is create those hallway conversations that turn into businesses," he said.
Gruber said ASU produced a wide array of tech-based startups, instead of only the consumer technology products that seemed to be a recent trend.
"I like to look at different products," he said. "It's refreshing."
One of these ASU startups, AlphaStripe, was at the event to get feedback on its recently launched website and look for two more programmers.
The site, which closely resembles Pinterest, launched Monday and is intended for anyone who's seen conflict to post stories and memories.
"It's true stories from true people," CEO and graduate student Eli Chmouni said.
He said they had already seen interest in the site, with more than 200 people registering in the four days it had been up, and heard good feedback from people at Skysong.
Reach the reporter at julia.shumway@asu.edu or follow @JMShumway on Twitter.
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