UPDATE: We are looking for larger venues that will donate their space for FREE community events like this one. We hit capacity for this Ignite/LA due to unprecedented demand – please contact one of the organizers if you know of a centrally located space in Los Angeles. We would like to continue to provide this as a FREE community event! Thank you.

Ignite Global: What is Ignite?

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.  And, via streaming and archived videos of local talks, local Ignites share all that knowledge and passion with the world.

—-

PAST EVENT:

Ignite/LA

Monday, June 7, 2010 7:30pm ↔ COME EARLY!  When capacity reached it’s “one out / one in”
V Lounge, Santa Monica
Free http://ignitela.eventbrite.com/ — REGISTER SOON, space is limited! LINE-UP LIST ONLY avail now w/Eventbrite link.

5 Minutes.  20 Slides.  15 Seconds per Slide.

Los Angeles: Speakers get only 5 minutes to give an amazing, inspiring talk.  In LA, there are tons of different communities at the intersection of tech, art, green/sustainability, unique lifestyle design, digital/collaborative media, and social action that don’t know each other but should.  Think of Ignite as a set of trailers for exciting projects people are doing that you should know about.

Speakers on June 7:

** Directed Evolution // Frances Arnold, Caltech Prof: Wikipedia Entry

** Another Earth // Amir Give’on, NASA JPL

** Write How To Make The Best Of Living In A War Zone // Liz Grover, Writer/Filmmaker

** How to Stop Killer Robots from Destroying the Human Race // Brady Brim-DeForest, CEO Tubefilter

** Financing the Future // Glenn Yago, Exec Dir of Financial Research, Milken Institute

** An Amazing History of Awesome Stuff Underground // Molly Steenson, Design Researcher

** Asking a girl out with PPT // Jason Porath, Professional Effects Artist and Technical Director

** Mechanical Olympics // Xtine Burrough, Media Artist & Asst Prof CSU Fullerton

** Human Performance and Transformation // Dave Logan, Thought Leader, Author, Consultant, & Assoc Prof USC Marshall

** Seduction // Felice Dunas, Executive Coach, Author, and Vitality Expert

** Meditation and Consciousness // Pedram Shojai, Taoist & Qi Gong master, Wellness Expert

** Collaborative Production // Sheila Hardy, Filmmaker / Eve’s Lime

** Teaching Kids Programming // Lynn Langit, Microsoft Evangelist / Digigirls

** The Internet in China // Christine Lu, CEO, Affinity China

** Free Broadband // John Ayers , OpenNeighborhoods

**Bringing Your Story to Life in 3D Animation // M Eastling, Rex Ray Films

Previous Ignite/LA talks can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/iGNiTelosangeles#p/u including:
- The Making of the Ok Go Rube Goldberg machine
- Tech & Humanitarianism: Crisis Commons
- The Future of Money

also see http://igniteshow.com/ for many great Ignite presentations from around the world.

Details &  Schedule
———————

The event is FREE.  We’re hosting it at V Lounge on June 7:

-> 7:30pm Hang out, V lounge will have drink specials

-> 8:30pm-9:45 Ignite talks

-> Feel free to hang out afterwards

While the event is free, you are responsible for paying for your own food/drinks from V Lounge if you want ‘em.  There is a decent amount of street parking in the neighborhood if you’re early. V Lounge has valet; we haven’t finalized, but believe they may be able to get us a discounted rate.

V Lounge
2020 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90403-5608

Please register at http://ignitela.eventbrite.com/

Organizers and Sponsors
———————
This event was organized by Dan Gould (@dgould), Michael Liskin (@rhetor), Heathervescent (@heathervescent), and SocialAnimal.tv.

Co-sponsor Social Animal (http://socialanimal.tv) is managing production–and will put the talks on the YouTube.

Follow Us
———————
Twitter https://twitter.com/Ignite2LA

Ignite/LA Facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=300099460918

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/IgniteLA

Thanks,
The Ignite/LA crew

Ignite Los Angeles is part of Global Ignite Week

Ignite Los Angeles during Global Ignite week happened on March 1st, 2010.

This Ignite/LA included the following speakers; We (the organizers) would like to thank them for their huge contribution to the community: Eric Gradman, Adam Sadowsky, Mike Flynn, Chad Catacchio, Chris Spurgeon, Kasey McMahon, Lisa Remington, Sekou Andrews, Dena Plotkin, Kurt Daradics, Karen North, and Jenny Funkmeyer

Thank you to @TechFrog and @curiousjosh for their photo contributions! And thank you to my fellow co-organizers and our sponsors and event staff.

Adam Sadowsky’s talk on the (Global Ignite Show) on how they made the Rube Goldberg machine for the OK GO video has already surpassed 42,000 views on YouTube by May 2010 and is a behind-the-scenes look at an Internet hit of a video!

Kurt Daradics was featured on the Los Angeles Ignite Show and our other speakers’ videos are up on the Los Angeles Ignite channel (click their name above) and may soon be featured on one of the shows.

Here is the original call to action:

————-

Ignite/LA

Monday, March 1, 2010
7pm; talks start at 7:30pm

5 Minutes. 20 Slides. 15 Seconds per Slide.

Speakers get only 5 minutes to give an amazing, inspiring talk. In LA, there are tons of different communities at the intersection of tech, academia, art, green/sustainability, entertainment, unique lifestyle design, digital/collaborative media, and social action that don’t know each other but should. Think of Ignite as a set of trailers for exciting projects people are doing that you should know about.

At other Ignites, talks have included:
- Cyborg Anthropology
- The Secret Underground World of Lego
- How to Buy a Car
- Hacking Chocolate

At the last Ignite/LA, we had talking including:
- The Future of Money
- Turning AI gurus into Comets and Star Field Explosions
- Bubble Nets among Humpback Whales

you can check out the recordings on http://ignite.oreilly.com/show/

Details & Schedule
———————

The event is FREE. We’re hosting it at Cinespace on March 1:

-> 7pm Dinner & Drinks — Cinespace has good food and plenty of drinks. Hang out with programmers, entrepreneurs, digital artists, researchers, etc

-> 7:30pm-8:45 Ignite talks

-> 9:30 Cinespace opens to the general public — you’re welcome to stay for the concert

While the event is free, you are responsible for paying for your own food/drinks from Cinespace if you want ‘em.

Cinespace
6356 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Organizers and Sponsors
———————
This event was organized by Dan Gould (@dgould), Michael Liskin (@rhetor), Heathervescent (@heathervescent), and Matt Forrest.

This event is co-sponsored by USC’s Annenberg Program on Online Communities (@APOCusc), http://www.AnnenbergOnlineCommunities.com. Co-sponsor Social Animal (http://socialanimal.tv) is managing production–and will put the talks on the YouTube.

Ignite was started by Brady Forrest at O’Reilly. This event is part of Global Ignite Week, March 1-5. As part of Global Ignite Week, there will be Ignite events on six continents in 60 Cities with 600 Talks, encompassing 10,000+ Igniters.

Talks
———————

If you’re working on an interesting project, have an unusual skill, or
just some interest that would be fun to share with everyone, please
submit a proposal to:

http://bit.ly/IgniteLA

We are trying to mix all sorts of topics, so tell us what you’re up to that’s interesting.

****REGISTER EARLY AND GET FREE VALET****
———————
http://ignitela.eventbrite.com/ (official RSVPs here please)

http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/5401445/CA/Los-Angeles/Ignite-LA/Cinespace/ (tell your friends here please)

Follow Us
———————

Twitter hashtag: #igniteLA

Twitter username: @Ignite2LA

Ignite/LA Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=300099460918

Thanks,
Michael (@rhetor), Dan (@dgould), Heather (@heathervescent), and Matthew

I’m at the OD Network Conference in Seattle (Oct 17-21), where starting later today Organization Development practitioners will discuss the future of the field, conduct learning sessions that intend to advance the theory and practice of OD, and generally interface with each other on how to best serve their clients and employers.  This may be a watershed year as there are several projects in the works that may invigorate the field with new social and collaborative online technologies such as microblogging sites (ie Twitter), social networking sites (ie. LinkedIn, Facebook), wikis, blogs, and other online interactive environments. It may take some time until the field routinely uses the most advanced online tools on client engagements (change management efforts, team-building, leadership development, etc.), but I have high hopes considering the conversations I’m already hearing.

This year includes an action research project called Flocking To Seattle, spearheaded by a workgroup that includes graduate student Anna Russell. Their project mission:

The work of Flocking to Seattle researchers is to learn about the value of microblogging for OD practice by influencing a self organizing conversation over Twitter and initiating connections through the OD community around the events of the OD Network’s Annual Conference.

Platinum Sponsor Plus Delta Consulting has chosen to launch their blog and new media campaign at the conference, while endeavoring to educate their colleagues on the importance of digital media in the field of OD. They have a strong commitment to online social and collaborative opportunities for both community interaction and to augment the effectiveness of OD interventions. I’ve recently joined the Plus Delta team and was tasked with launching the new blog and soon-to-be online social interactions. It’s been a pleasure to work with such dedicated, professional, and intelligent individuals who clearly see where the field of OD is headed. And look at this view from the offices! All of the team will be tweeting from @PlusDelta and liveblogging the conference, with special interviews scheduled. CEO Jeremy Lurey may also tweet from his personal account!

Alex Dunne, attendee, has volunteered to run the official Twitter account for the OD Network Conference: @ODNetwork, and is planning to hand out labels so attendees can add their Twitter handle to their badges. He is starting various other projects (check back here for late additions).

Jackie Alcalde Marr, Mary Ellen Kassotakis, and Arthur Jue lead a session called “Social Technologies for Communicating, Collaborating, and Connecting,” essentially teaching OD practitioners the value of social networking within OD. Their new book is called Social Media at Work.

*I will add to this post here when Flocking To Seattle shares their results*

Freecycle.org is starting to gain more momentum. They are one of a number of online forums that facilitate the exchange of…well…..stuff — keeping all sorts of items out of landfills by providing an opportunity to give it away for free to someone else in your community. It’s a more efficient structure than leaving it on the sidewalk or having a garage sale. My question is… why are they still using Yahoo Groups as their primary means of interaction? This site is in dire need of some Web 2.0.

They are likely on a shoestring budget, therefore if you are willing to help them implement tags and their own online social apparatus, perhaps they would welcome the help.

Other than the obvious Craig’s List, what are your experiences with competitor sites that facilitate the exchange of goods and services? Which ones are most useful?