Historic Memorial Hall served as backdrop for IDEALAB 2017. Joe Simon
Attendees gathered for pre-event coffee and conversation. Joe Simon
The theme for IDEALAB 2017 was "Movement Makers." Joe Simon
Over 100 community leaders, development enthusiasts and students gathered for the second annual IDEALAB on Dec. 4. Joe Simon
Keynote speaker Carl Atiya Swanson, Springboard for the Arts Joe Simon
Keynote speakers Evelyn Burnett and Mordecai Cargill from Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Joe Simon
Afternoon breakout sessions offered a deeper dive into what it takes to sustain a local movement. Joe Simon
Starfire Council's Tim Vogt leads an afternoon breakout session. Joe Simon
Vogt and Sean Mann from Detroit City FC focused on leading with a purpose. Joe Simon
Tom Merrill from Xavier's Center for Innovation served as another breakout session leader. Joe Simon
Newly elected Cincinnati City Councilmember Tamaya Dennard led a discussion on design thinking. Joe Simon
Soapbox publisher Patrice Watson introduces speakers at IDEALAB 2017. Joe Simon
Evelyn Burnett and Mordecai Cargill from CNP Joe Simon
Tim Vogt of Starfire Council Joe Simon
Jeri Tolliver and Nathan Ivey of CinDigital Media were event emcees. Joe Simon
Over 100 community leaders, development enthusiasts and students gathered for the second annual
IDEALAB on Dec. 4.
This year's theme was "movement makers," and featured keynote addresses by leaders from three organizations across the region: Sean Mann,
Detroit City FC; Carl Atiya Swanson,
Springboard for the Arts; and Evelyn Burnett and Mordecai Cargill from
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. Each speaker successfully planned, funded and led a movement within their organization, and talked attendees through how they each started a movement, the obstacles they faced and the overall outcome.
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Eric Avner of People's Liberty addresses the crowd at IDEALAB 2017.After lunch, attendees were invited to participate in one of three breakout sessions, which were each led by a local leader — Tamaya Dennard, newly elected Cincinnati City Councilmember; Tim Vogt of Starfire Council; and Tom Merrill from Xavier's Center for Innovation. Each session leader paired up with a keynote speaker, and facilitated discussions around design thinking, leading with a purpose and how to work better together to solve problems.
IDEALAB: Movement Makers was presented by The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, People’s Liberty, Issue Media Group and Soapbox Media with support from Procter & Gamble, Xavier Center for Innovation, Memorial Hall and media sponsor Movers & Makers.
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Caitlin Koenig is a Cincinnati transplant and 2012 grad of the School of Journalism at the
University of Missouri. She's the department editor for Soapbox Media and currently lives in Northside with her husband, Andrew, and their three furry children. Follow Caitlin on Twitter at @caite_13.