Ignite South Dakota kicking off in Brookings Wednesday, April 21

After attending the Don’t Move, Build Your Own Startup Community panel at SXSW last month, my brother, Scott, and I were inspired by all the creative energy from the participating panelists, including Silicon Prairie News founder, Jeff Slobotski. I already knew about all the great…

Presenters at Ignite Boulder getting into the excitement of the event. Photo by Stepan Mazurov via Flickr.

After attending the Don’t Move, Build Your Own Startup Community panel at SXSW last month, my brother, Scott, and I were inspired by all the creative energy from the participating panelists, including Silicon Prairie News founder, Jeff Slobotski. I already knew about all the great things happening in Omaha, but really enjoyed learning about Boulder and Portland. One of the most intriguing events in both of those communities was Ignite.

Ignite started in Seattle, Washington in December 2006. The original concept was dreamed up as an event where people could gather around, beer in hand, and share and discuss ideas. Today over 200 Ignite events have been held in cities scattered all over the globe. Last month, the Ignite organization held Global Ignite Week with over 50 Ignite talks happening on the same day bringing an upwards of 10,000 creative minds together.

So what exactly is Ignite you ask? The official website states the following:

Fast-paced, fun, thought-provoking, social, local, global – Ignite is all of these and more. It’s a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by people who have an idea – and the guts to get onstage and share it with their hometown crowd. Run by local volunteers who are connected through the global Ignite network, Ignite is a force for raising the collective IQ and building connections in each city.

Next Wednesday, April 21, Ignite will debut in South Dakota. The inaugural Ignite South Dakota event will take place in Brookings with plans to reach many other South Dakota communities in the months to follow. The Ignite event on April 21 will be held from 8 – 9:30 p.m. and is sponsored by 9 Clouds, Inc., The Post SD, and the Cottonwood Bistro. (Disclosure: I am involved in the business operations of both 9 Clouds and The Post.)

The event is free of charge and open to anyone with a passion for learning and an interest in meeting fellow creative minds. Find complete event details at facebook.com/event.php?eid=104900862884660&ref=ts.

It’s very simple to start Ignite in your own community. Visit the how to section of the Ignite page for more information.

To get a clear idea of what Ignite is all about, I recommend this Ignite talk: Why and How to Give an Ignite Talk by Scott Berkun.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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