Demo Demo Day 1 – Oct 2 | 6-9 PM | Opening Night: Building Cultural Wealth
Culture moves dollars. Community drives influence. Moderated by ALD. Walter Redmond Burnett (27th), Building cultural wealth is a panel about using community, cultural, and emerging technological asset to build longevity for clients and communities across various industries held at the incredible Golden Triangle. It’s not just about buying local art or creating programs to enhance education, it’s much bigger. With the collision of leaders in business, tech, finance, art and civic life, this discussion will help translate the intangibles into tangibles. Select art work from Nick Brown’s collection will be on display. The host for the night is Saudia Davis. Demo Demo Day is a new cultural platform of dope demonstrations bringing innovation and imagination to life inside unique office spaces October 2nd – 4th, think Art Basel meets SXSW.
Highlights
· 6:00 PM Doors open
· 6:20 PM Remarks from Demo Demo Day Founder + Artwork on display
· 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM Building Cultural Wealth panel (Walter Redmond Burnett – Civic, Ellie Bahrmasel VC, Troy Pryor XL Film Festival, Alexandria Kotoch – Innovation)
· Networking
Participants
Saudia Davis is a multi- Emmy award winning producer, entertainment industry advocate and Arts leader with 25 years of experience advancing the business of music and film. Founder of Redwood Cove Studios & Light Waves Healing, Saudia is a storyteller and space maker who creates places for artists to play on stage and in front of the camera. She is a founding organizer and SVP of Special Partnerships for XL Film Festival. Her passions align at the intersection of arts, entertainment and architecture. She authored 33 Ways Not To Screw Up Creative Entrepreneurship, a quick read with tips, tools and business techniques to ensure your business success, sold on Amazon.ALD. Walter Redmond Burnett (27th) is a Chicago-based consultant, real estate professional and Alderman of the 27th ward. As CEO of Hannibal Valley Company, he advises on real estate and hospitality projects that balance financial discipline with brand authenticity and community impact. His experience spans real estate acquisitions at Goldman Sachs, structuring joint ventures, negotiating brand partnerships for award-winning artists, and developing hospitality ventures that integrate design, culture, and economic development. Walter specializes in helping creative and community-focused businesses formalize structure, capital strategy, and operational execution, blending finance, culture, and community development to create meaningful impact across Chicago. Alexandria Kotoch is a Chicago-based art historian and higher education professional. At KPMG Ignition, she designs and facilitates executive workshops, manages projects, and prototypes interactive experiences using emerging technologies. She previously served as Senior Manager at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and as an adjunct lecturer at the Art Institute of Chicago, delivering gallery talks across all 11 curatorial departments. Troy Osborne Pryor is a Telly Award winning, media producer and host with the superpower of connecting with wide audiences. Pryor’s directorial debut was on TV One’s Change Agents and his collaborations have led to award-winning content on multiple platforms. Pryor is the founder of Pryor Holdings and Creative Cypher, a portfolio of media brands & investments. He is the founder of the XL Film Festival, Vice President of SAG-AFTRA Chicago, & an advisor to an array of organizations.Ellie is an CEO and Co-Founder of an early-stage investment company Further Faster and operator with over a decade of experience building ventures and serving as an interim product and growth executive. With a focus on curiosity, experimentation, and pattern recognition, Ellie identifies outlier founders addressing substantive problems with adaptive solutions. Her cross-sector background, spanning startups, Fortune 500 companies, and civic institutions—has reinforced a belief that human-centered design mitigates risk, systems thinking uncovers transformative opportunities, and exceptional returns come from recognizing extraordinary ideas before they become obvious.
