Public Event

In Person

Beyond Text

Register for Event
RSVP

Apr

16

Typing is the first interface to AI, not the last. Beyond Text is a conference on the future of human computer interaction, exploring voice, gesture, multimodal, and embodied interfaces as the alternative input and output modalities shaping it.​

​What to expect

​Short talks and live demos from designers, builders, and researchers. A panel discussion on where human and AI interaction goes next. Dinner and drinks after, with time to meet others thinking about the same questions. If you are building, designing, or researching at the edges of how we communicate with AI, this is for you.

when

Thursday
April 16, 2026
6:00 pm

LoCATION

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014

agenda

​6:00 PM — Doors open

​6:30 PM — Talks and live demos begin

​7:30 PM — Panel discussion

​8:00 PM — Dinner, drinks, mingling

Speakers

​Maxim Leyzerovich

Designer
FLORA
Biography

​Surya Narreddi

Design Engineer
websim
Biography

​Steve Krouse

CEO
Val Town
Biography

​Zach Krall

Design
Crosby
Biography

Sponsors

In Person
–
Public Event

Beyond Text

April 16, 2026
6:00 pm

Postponed: New Date TBA

RSVP

About

Typing is the first interface to AI, not the last. Beyond Text is a conference on the future of human computer interaction, exploring voice, gesture, multimodal, and embodied interfaces as the alternative input and output modalities shaping it.​

​What to expect

​Short talks and live demos from designers, builders, and researchers. A panel discussion on where human and AI interaction goes next. Dinner and drinks after, with time to meet others thinking about the same questions. If you are building, designing, or researching at the edges of how we communicate with AI, this is for you.

When

April 16, 2026
6:00 pm

Where

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014
RSVP

Agenda

​6:00 PM — Doors open

​6:30 PM — Talks and live demos begin

​7:30 PM — Panel discussion

​8:00 PM — Dinner, drinks, mingling

Speakers

​Maxim Leyzerovich

Designer
FLORA
Biography

​Surya Narreddi

Design Engineer
websim
Biography

​Steve Krouse

CEO
Val Town
Biography

​Zach Krall

Design
Crosby
Biography

Sponsors

Proof of Full Vaccination Required

Betaworks requires all visitors to show proof of full vaccination to enter. No exceptions. Two ways that you can show proof:
  • Official vaccine card with at least 2 weeks having passed since the date of the last required dose (1 dose for J&J/AstraZeneca, 2 for Pfizer/Moderna)
  • An active digital pass such as the NY State Excelsior Pass or the CLEAR app

April

16

Public Event

In Person

Beyond Text

Register for Event
Register Now

Typing is the first interface to AI, not the last. Beyond Text is a conference on the future of human computer interaction, exploring voice, gesture, multimodal, and embodied interfaces as the alternative input and output modalities shaping it.​

​What to expect

​Short talks and live demos from designers, builders, and researchers. A panel discussion on where human and AI interaction goes next. Dinner and drinks after, with time to meet others thinking about the same questions. If you are building, designing, or researching at the edges of how we communicate with AI, this is for you.

when

Thursday
April 16, 2026
6:00 pm

LoCATION

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014

agenda

​6:00 PM — Doors open

​6:30 PM — Talks and live demos begin

​7:30 PM — Panel discussion

​8:00 PM — Dinner, drinks, mingling

Speakers

​Maxim Leyzerovich

Designer
FLORA
Biography

​Surya Narreddi

Design Engineer
websim
Biography

​Steve Krouse

CEO
Val Town
Biography

​Zach Krall

Design
Crosby
Biography

Sponsors

4/16/2026

Betaworks

Beyond Text

Presented by

No items found.

Typing is the first interface to AI, not the last. Beyond Text is a conference on the future of human computer interaction, exploring voice, gesture, multimodal, and embodied interfaces as the alternative input and output modalities shaping it.​

​What to expect

​Short talks and live demos from designers, builders, and researchers. A panel discussion on where human and AI interaction goes next. Dinner and drinks after, with time to meet others thinking about the same questions. If you are building, designing, or researching at the edges of how we communicate with AI, this is for you.

speakers

​Maxim Leyzerovich

Designer
FLORA
Biography

​Surya Narreddi

Design Engineer
websim
Biography

​Steve Krouse

CEO
Val Town
Biography

​Zach Krall

Design
Crosby
Biography

Schedule

No items found.

WHEN

Thursday, April 16, 2026
6:00 pm

WHERE

Betaworks
29 Little West 12th Street
New York, NY 10014

Agenda

​6:00 PM — Doors open

​6:30 PM — Talks and live demos begin

​7:30 PM — Panel discussion

​8:00 PM — Dinner, drinks, mingling

Tools
For
Thinking

How New Technologies are Changing How We Create, Share, and Build Knowledge

When

April 16, 2026
6:00 pm

Where

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014
or livestream
Proof of Full Vaccination Required

RENDER is Over, but Camp is just beginning

We had some great speakers and participants turn out for Render, and we all got to participate in very interesting conversations. You can find recordings of all of our sessions below. If you're working on a Tool for Thinking and want to participate in our upcoming accelerator program, you can learn more here.

Building Bicycles for the Mind

Typing is the first interface to AI, not the last. Beyond Text is a conference on the future of human computer interaction, exploring voice, gesture, multimodal, and embodied interfaces as the alternative input and output modalities shaping it.​

​What to expect

​Short talks and live demos from designers, builders, and researchers. A panel discussion on where human and AI interaction goes next. Dinner and drinks after, with time to meet others thinking about the same questions. If you are building, designing, or researching at the edges of how we communicate with AI, this is for you.

Speakers

Howard

Rheingold

Author
Tools for Thought
@hrheingold

​Maxim

Leyzerovich

Designer
FLORA
@round

​Surya

Narreddi

Design Engineer
websim
kickingkeys

​Steve

Krouse

CEO
Val Town
stevekrouse

​Zach Krall

Krall

Design
Crosby
@zachkrall

Schedule

11:30 AM
Doors Open
12:00 PM
Welcome
with MC
12:10 PM – 12:20 PM
How Do We Define Tools for Thinking and Why Do They Matter?
Join Jerry Michalski and John Borthwick as they talk about their interest in tools for thinking, and what excites them the most about the future of the category.
12:20 PM – 12:50 PM
Inflection Points for Tools for Thinking
What are the key inflection points that will supercharge Tools for Thinking in the near future? How will new technologies, user metaphors, and funding models change how people build these tools? John Borthwick will be discussing how the landscape is changing with the co-founders of Readwise, Daniel Doyon & Tristan Homsi.
12:50 PM – 1:00 PM
Q+A
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Demo: Protocol Design for Tools for Thinking
Gordon Brander will be presenting a brief demo on Subconscious and the Noosphere, products he and his team are working on to allow Tools for Thinking to become interoperable and better connected.
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch and Networking
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
The History and Future of Software as Tools for Thinking
Some of the earliest examples of software explored by pioneers like Doug Engelbart, JCR Licklider, Alan Turing, and others were at their core technologies that help magnify, inspect, and spread our ideas. Jerry Michalski will be sitting down (virtually) with Howard Rheingold, author of Tools for Thought, to explore the history and future of "mind-amplifying technology".
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Q+A
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Tools for Thinking Product Demos
We’ll hear from builders and thinkers deep in the space and get to take a look at what they’re working on. We’ll be checking out Plexus, Re:Collect, Jerry’s Brain, Subconscious and more. 
4:15 PM – 4:45 PM
Leveraging AI and ML in Building New Tools for Thinking
Alice Albrecht and Linus Lee will be sitting down with Chris Pedregal to discuss their work in leveraging AI and Machine Learning for creating new kinds of tools for thinking.
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Q+A
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Idea Dimensionality and Representing Semantic Meaning
How do ideas - and the human brains that make and hold them - interact?  Get prepared for meta! Esther Dyson and Jerry Michalski, will discuss the idea of how people work together to shape, compare, intertwine and ultimately produce multi-faceted ideas and multi-dimensional idea spaces.  As David Waltz (Thinking Machines) once said, “Words are not in themselves carriers of meaning, but merely pointers to shared understanding.” Watch and lob questions as the two of them try to build and share the idea of how better ideas can be developed through collaboration.
5:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Q+A
5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
Closing and Happy Hour

Proof of Full Vaccination Required

Betaworks requires all visitors to show proof of full vaccination to enter. No exceptions. Two ways that you can show proof:
  • Official vaccine card with at least 2 weeks having passed since the date of the last required dose (1 dose for J&J/AstraZeneca, 2 for Pfizer/Moderna)
  • An active digital pass such as the NY State Excelsior Pass or the CLEAR app
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