Five facts about Imagine RIT
Creativity and Innovation Festival is April 26
Carlos Ortiz/RIT
Thirty exhibits will fill the SHED during this year’s Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival. The rest of the 400-plus exhibits will be spread throughout campus, with 56 in Gordon Field House and Activities Center.
RIT will welcome thousands of people to campus on April 26 for the Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival, where a record 434 exhibits will be on display. Here are five things to know about the event.
Why it started: Imagine RIT began in 2008, a year after Bill Destler took over as president of RIT. Destler championed what he called RIT’s “unfair advantage”—the university’s unique combination of programs in the arts, technology, and sciences, coupled with the diversity offered by the presence of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. The interactive festival’s objective is to inspire the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of creativity and innovation.
Performing arts: Performing arts began to play a bigger role at the festival under RIT President David Munson, who launched a performing arts program that now includes more than 2,000 performing arts scholars. This year, more than 20 groups will perform during the event—from juggling to the Latin Rhythm Dance Club to the RIT drumline.
International flair: The festival took on an international presence beginning in 2023 when students from RIT Croatia, RIT Dubai, and RIT Kosovo traveled to Rochester to participate. This year, interest from RIT’s global campuses has grown with a record 80 proposals, up from 28 last year. Five will be on display.
Projects turn into companies: Some Imagine RIT exhibits help set the path for students after graduation. For example, Sean Petterson ’13 (industrial design) and Justin Hillery ’13 (multidisciplinary studies) started their industrial safety products company StrongArm Technologies as students and showed it off at Imagine RIT. StrongArm was acquired in 2023 after securing venture funding and multiple patents. Kailey Bradt ’15 (chemical engineering), ’18 MS (product development) displayed her waterless, powder shampoo that launched her company OWA (Out of this World Amazing) Haircare.
Predicting the future: In 2019, a Futurist’s Symposium was added to the festival. RIT alumni and faculty innovators provide an insider’s look at the future of technology, the arts, and design. This year’s symposium will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 25, in Ingle Auditorium as a kickoff to activities on April 26.
If you go
Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 26 on the RIT campus. The event is free and open to the public. Plan your day using the Imagine RIT map to view exhibits and add them to your itinerary.
Take a look back at last year's festival.
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