Superstars at Seidenberg: Pace Hosts the Web Developers Meetup

The Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems recently brought together web technology pioneers for an exciting meetup on the future of front-end frameworks. With over a third of attendees coming from outside the Pace community, the event provided a unique opportunity for students and developers alike to connect with industry innovators.

The lineup featured Miško Hevery, creator of Angular and Qwik, Rich Harris of Svelte, and Pace’s own Fabian Hiller, who introduced his lightweight validation library, Valibot. The speakers delivered engaging technical insights, with the audience captivated by cutting-edge discussions on performance optimization, modular architectures, and web development trends.

A recurring theme was the impact of frameworks like Qwik and Svelte in addressing web performance challenges. Miško Hevery's focus on “resumability” and skipping hydration altogether showcased innovative ways to reduce load times, while Rich Harris previewed Svelte 5’s upcoming features and emphasized the framework’s seamless state handling and low memory consumption. Fabian Hiller highlighted Valibot’s modular design, allowing developers to integrate smaller, faster components without bloating their applications.

Students and attendees praised the event’s hands-on discussions, with many expressing excitement about learning directly from the creators of frameworks they have been using extensively. Several participants noted how the networking session allowed meaningful exchanges, with students asking in-depth questions and receiving direct feedback from the speakers. The meetup even marked the first in-person encounter between the creators of Qwik and Svelte, emphasizing New York City's growing prominence as a hub for emerging technologies and highlighting Seidenberg’s strategic advantage in downtown Manhattan—where students and faculty are just steps away from the vibrant tech scene driving these innovations.

The event’s atmosphere was a mix of inspiration and humor—attendees were still chuckling over Miško’s coding-themed jokes well after the talks concluded, and students were quite surprised that the developer of Valibot was actually one of their classmates.

A huge thank you goes out to the students, staff, and faculty that made this event possible, as their hard work is what allows the Seidenberg School to keep students connected to the latest in tech by bringing industry leaders right to campus. Hosting events like this in downtown Manhattan puts students at the heart of innovation, keeping them engaged with the ideas and people shaping the future of technology. Be on the lookout for future meetups that are already being planned, with even more time for discussions and networking!