During the summer, junior Kianna Bisla interned at Zero1, a nonprofit art company with a mission to join art and technology to “shape the future.”

Considering a career in business, Kianna chose this internship to gain more experience in the field before committing herself to that decision. During her internship, she worked to create a business plan to attract teenagers to a biennial street festival that Zero1 held in downtown San Jose on September 14.

“The purpose [of the festival] is to create a platform at which people can experience Silicon Valley. […] There is not really any way to do that here if you think about it,” Kianna said.

To work toward her assignment, Kianna sent out surveys, held a focus group, and passed out fliers.

“I found that it’s not really that easy to attract teenagers unless [the event] is already known. […] It’s more word of mouth,” she said.

On September 14 from 6 p.m. to midnight, the company held the street festival titled “emerge,” at which artists displayed their work and many people visited to experience it.

“There are some [exhibits] more on the scientific level, but there is also stuff that is more modern and focuses on using technology,” Kianna said.

After working throughout the summer to interest teenagers in the festival, Kianna explained that she was satisfied with the turnout at the event.

“All the people that were there were really interested in the artwork [and] they actually got involved,” Kianna said.

At the street festival, Kianna also helped to introduce the community to an art piece designed for autistic children.

“[Autistic children] like to have the feeling of compression,” Kianna said. “The chair pulses back and forth so it gives the feeling of an embrace.”

Although Kianna does not plan to work formally with Zero1 in the future, she hopes to attend all of its events, as she became a part of the closely-knit group of employees this summer.