Friday, May 16, 2014

Ignite Boulder

I love Ignite - 5 minute talk, 20 auto-advancing slides. The format is challenging, forcing you to think hard about what you want to say, and timing it just right. The resulting talks are fast-paced, polished, and lots of fun to watch. I just moved from California to Colorado, and as luck would have it Ignite Boulder was happening 11 days after my arrival. What a perfect way to get to know the community!

Ignite in disguise

The evening opened with an introduction from Andrew Hyde:

He welcomed us, introduced us to Ignite, and gave us the usual low-down. I didn't think much about it until a minute or so later, when I realized that the slides in the background were changing subtly, highlighting a different line... every 15 seconds! He was giving an Ignite talk! It was customary to open an Ignite event with an Ignite talk, but this was so sneaky! I loved it.

Funny, inspiring, and making a difference

During the course of the evening the speakers serenaded us with many interesting topics:






The Boulder community

This slide from Becca Close summarizes the Boulder community very well:

Boulder is a hyper-connected place, where everybody knows everybody. While such a tight-knit community makes the dating scene awkward (Becca claims that you are practically relatives with your date), it also brings people together. I love how friendly the Boulderites are, and how they care about each other. Very excited to be a part of it!