IgniteOKC offers 13 presenters 5 minutes each to share rapid-fire, TED-like talks

Elizabeth Lauderback believes Oklahoma City is full of innovation and a growing sense of collaboration that can be hard to find in other cities.

“There is a lot of breathing room here for a lot of average people who have a passion and want to do something creative,” said Lauderback, event chairwoman for Thursday’s IgniteOKC event. “We are a growing city, but we are not saturated like, say, an Austin, so you can be the movement here as opposed to just being a part of it.”

She said that movement in Oklahoma City includes art, technology and entrepreneurship.

Thursday’s IgniteOKC — the eighth in five years — will include 13 presenters who will spend five minutes addressing a variety of topics and using 20 slides that change every 15 seconds. Referred to as a Pecha Kucha-style presentation, the night is designed to inspire guests and provide a platform for networking with local community and business leaders and highlight the local scene of innovation and collaboration.

The Ignite concept launched in Seattle in 2006 and has grown into an international phenomenon. Portland, Oregon; New York; Sydney; Helsinki; and London are locations for some of the most popular Ignite events. While it is a global event, IgniteOKC has a local feel.

“IgniteOKC is all about igniting a community, and OKC is in a state of ignition and growth right now, so it is very timely,” Lauderback said.

Presenters include Adam Brooks, managing editor of The Journal Record; Celeste Davis, a local artist and filmmaker; and Brett Dickerson, a former pastor and schoolteacher who will discuss the benefits of changing careers in adulthood.

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Steven Charles, executive director of Rocktown Youth Mentoring, also is presenting.

“I’m really interested in that piece of our community where if people here have an idea, they are wanting to contribute to Oklahoma City and something innovative and something fresh and just doing it,” Charles said. “I’ve been [here] my entire life. There has been just a transformation of the city, and I think that has been spurred by those people with those big ideas and putting them into action.”

IgniteOKC is Thursday at Lyric at the Plaza, 1725 NW 16th St. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a networking hour with appetizers and a cash bar, followed by the presentations at 7 p.m. Each ticketholder will receive a card for discounts at participating businesses. Tickets can be purchased at igniteokc.com or at the door.

“You get these five-minute knowledge nuggets [during the] evening,” Lauderback said. “And if something really excites you, there is a networking event for you to learn more and meet the speakers.”

Print Headline: Full throttle, IgniteOKC offers 13 presenters five minutes each to share rapid-fire, TED-like talks that examine our city’s art, technology and entrepreneurship.

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