From the dorm to the Toaster
Piocent Labs is a firm dedicated to rethinking how archives, education, and art intersect.
The idea for Piocent first emerged in a University of Minnesota dorm room where our founder’s research combined archival practice, historical inquiry, and immersive education. What began as a scholarly project has since grown into a firm committed to bringing history and heritage into the twenty-first century.
Now based in Chicago, Piocent partners with universities, governments, historical societies, and corporations throughout the Americas and Western Europe to create artistic tools for engaging with archives, memory, and historical education. Our focus is not only on preserving the past, but on making it possible for students, researchers, and the public to experience history in immersive and meaningful ways.
By blending archival expertise with innovative educational technologies, Piocent contributes to both the academic study of history and the public understanding of heritage, ensuring that memory and culture remain accessible and alive for future generations.
What’s in a Name?
The Piocent name is a nod to the University of Minnesota dorms where the founding team lived as undergraduate students: Pioneer Hall (Pio) and Centennial Hall.
People
Danielle, Luke,
Soren, and Jared
the founding team
After a semester in the dorm room, the startup quickly got the attention of the University community and eventually expanded from the founders’ dorm room to the Toaster—a startup community for students and faculty in the basement of Walter Library. The Toaster community is a venture of the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management. In March 2023, Piocent Labs was officially born and eventually grew out of the Toaster. The firm was taken full time in 2025 after relocating to Chicago.
