About Ignite
PHOTO © RJL PHOTOGRAPHY 2017
Ignite Minneapolis
Ignite has been called a rock concert for geeks. It’s a rollercoaster ride of rapid-fire talks that run the gamut from nerdy and insightful, up the hill to hilarious, swooping down to heart-wrenching, and around the corner to “what the hell did I just see?”
The format
The Ignite format is unique, and it’s the main reason these events have so much energy. Each speaker creates a slide deck of exactly 20 slides. We set those slides up to auto-advance every 15 seconds. So there’s no stopping. There’s no monotonous lists of bullet points. These speakers have exactly 5 minutes to inspire, enlighten, and entertain. Then it’s on to the next talk.
Speakers
Our speakers are people just like you and me – ordinary folks from the Twin Cities. Anyone can submit a proposal for a talk they’d like to give. We typically receive 75-100 talk proposals prior to each event and our selection committee picks the best 18. Got an idea? Submit your talk idea now.
Ignite Minneapolis Stage, 2016
Mike Fotis, Speaker, 2015
Some featured Ignite Minneapolis talks
To give you a sense of the flavor and energy of Ignite Minneapolis, here are a few selected videos from past events.
Naaima Khan giving her talk, "Diversity and Confusion: Simplifying the Brouhaha Around Including Different Folk," at Ignite Minneapolis 10 on May 10, 2016 at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot.
Zach Johnson giving his hilarious talk, “Your Genes Hate You” at Ignite Minneapolis 6 on November 21, 2013 at the Riverview Theater.
Alex Iantaffi giving their talk, "Gender Expansion for Collective Liberation " at Ignite Minneapolis 9 on November 18, 2015 at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis.
Jennifer Kane giving her talk, "How to Take Life By the Balls" at Ignite Minneapolis 9 on November 18, 2015 at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis.
Our History
Ignite Minneapolis began in 2009. Our first event drew over 300 attendees. The most recent Ignite Minneapolis event drew over 1,100 attendees.
To date some 284 speakers have given talks at Ignite Minneapolis. Their talks can be accessed from our Archives page.
Other Ignite-style events
In addition to the 12 main Ignite events we’ve held to date, the organizers of Ignite Minneapolis have also produced several customized Ignite-style events for The Bush Foundation, The State of Minnesota, and others. If you think Ignite-style talks might make a good addition to your event, get in touch. We’ll be happy to help.
A global phenomenon
The first Ignite Talks began in Seattle in 2006, an idea conceived by two entrepreneurial-minded young men, Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis. In the following years the concept behind the event spread throughout the United States and across the globe. Ignite events have been held 350 cities on 6 continents. More details can be found at the mothership website: Ignite Talks.