Happy Hours

Our first Happy Hour of the season featured Mike Gough and Aaron McCulloch sharing how film music and sound design are created, from organic samples to custom synths, turning technical precision into emotional storytelling.

We also heard from Joseph Haskin and Marne Elmore, who introduced Illuminate, the annual projection-art festival that transforms Garden City’s streets into an immersive, walkable gallery spotlighting local and underrepresented artists.

On October 30, 2025, Hackfort Happy Hour at Hap Hap Lounge brought together Boise’s tech and creative community for an evening of AI insights, networking, and Hackfort updates. The event featured:

• Scott Falconer: Applied AI leader and author of Managing AI, who shared “Applied AI Essentials: 10 Rules for Real-World Success”, cutting through the noise with practical lessons from real-world AI adoption.

• Steve Pentland: Researcher, professor, and founder of Rhetorix Lab, who explored how his video-based assessment platform is transforming education and training by restoring academic integrity, elevating student voice, and emphasizing the human skills AI can’t replace.

Two unique perspectives – industry and education – came together for an engaging evening of conversation and connection.