Program Details
WHEN: Mar 28, 2026
Treefort Music Festival at JUMP!
FRIDAY MARCH 27TH | 9AM-5PM | JUMP ROOM, MOVE STUDIO, MAKE STUDIO, LOFT | FULL PASS: $45
TREEFORT MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTS...
HACKFORT
This isn’t your average tech conference. At Hackfort, we’re all about pushing boundaries, sparking conversations, and contributing to the growth of our tech community. We’re a vibrant hub for anyone doing cool things with tech, whether you’re a coder, an XR developer, a gamer, a creator, an AI enthusiast, a data scientist, a hardware hacker, a creative, or just someone with a passion for innovation. Join us to celebrate all things tech; with hands-on workshops, inspiring talks, mind-blowing demos, and unforgettable performances.
Connect with like-minded individuals, share your ideas, and experience the future of tech at Hackfort!
FEATURED SPEAKER:
A. MICAH SMITH
Micah Smith began his career making shirts and posters for his favorite bands and now advises and creates campaigns for global brands like TED, Target, ESPN, and Pepsi. His work has been featured in books, magazines, and most recently on his mom’s refrigerator.
His talk, Quality Control: A Methodology for Meaningful Work, shares a handful of stories from his career that build to one central idea: don’t stress over what you can’t control, rather focus on the quality of what you can.
You’ll walk away with a clearer picture of how to find work that truly resonates with you, inspiration to follow your own path, and maybe even have some fun along the way.
“I love Micah’s work. We call him ‘Wizzo’ because he’s a design wizard.”
Jason Sudeikis | Actor, Writer
SCHEDULE:
SATURDAY MARCH 28TH
10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
JUMP ROOM (LEVEL 5)
The Hackfort Interactive Space: Activities, Demos, Vendors, & More
with “Build your Teammate” Workshop Station, Albertson’s Library Makerlab, Applied Learning Lab, Bender Autonomous Robotics, Boise State University: Games, Interactive Media, and Mobile Technology, BSU: School of Computing, BSU: Brain Health with Virtual Reality Research Team, BSU: Cyber Operations & Resilience, Congressional App Challenge, Echo: Virtual Audio Reactive Sensory Experience, Idaho Lego Users Group, Too Far Media, Lockpicking Lounge, Perfect Service, Rainmaker Technology Corporation, Torchfire Studios, Unbound 3D Printing, University of Idaho: Virtual Technology and Design’s VR Lab, College of Western Idaho, Joseph Haskins
10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
Thinking Together: How Cognitive Science Shapes Human-AI Collaboration
with Scott Falconer
10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
MOVE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
The Real Value of Design: From Aesthetic to Asset
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
THE DECK (LEVEL 5)
The Hackfort Music Stage: Live DJs on the Rooftop
with Justincase, The Mighty Deltaone, Pace Jackson, Unko Mike, Daddybaby
10:00 AM – 11:50 AM
MAKE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
Getting Started with a Self-Hosted Home Assignment
with Robert Elliot
11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
Building your AI Team: How Creative Leaders Work with AI Teammates to Amplify Vision (Not Replace It)
with John Davidson
11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
MOVE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
Humans, Amplified. Reclaiming Creative Agency in the Age of AI
with Kyle Shannon, Kathleen Cohen, Elizabeth Rodgers
12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
Ignite to Innovate: Launching Ideas into Products
with Angela Monique Thomas
12:00 AM – 12:50 AM
MOVE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
The 2026 Algorithm Alchemist: Merging AI, Analytics, and Authenticity
with Liz Taylor
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
Digital Cartels: Big Data, Corporate Power, and the Cost of Living
with Todd Achilles
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
MAKE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
How IOT Works: A Hands-on Introduction to the ESP32
with Olver Macdonald
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
MOVE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
Making the Invisible, Visible: How Technology Reveals the Systems Around Us
With Jacob Grinwis, Christopher Morgan, Coly Morgan
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
Breaking into the Black Box: Forensic Analysis of AI Systems
with Joe Sremack
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
MAKE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
Lightening Talks: 4 Perspectives, 10 Minutes Each
with Mike Taylor, Cody Fitch, Congressional App Challenge, Perfect Service
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
MOVE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
From LA to Everywhere: How Digital Twins Transform Cities
with Kathleen Cohen, Jack Rendler, Arthur Modine
3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
With August Doricko, Ivy Wolk
3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
MAKE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
Game Dev Live: Coding Asteroids from “New Project” to Playable Game
with Carson Stauffer
3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
MOVE STUDIO (LEVEL 5)
Designing Purpose-Built AI Systems Beyond LLMS
with Chris Dagher
4:00 PM – 4:50 PM
THE LOFT (LEVEL 5)
Revenge of the Meatspace: Giant Puppets in the Age of AI
with Sam Johnson of The Colossal Collective