The Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) has announced the speaker lineup for the first Ignite Howard County event scheduled for April 13. Twelve speakers were selected for the inaugural event, which will take place at Jailbreak Brewing Company, in Laurel. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

“We are really happy with the response this new initiative is getting from the community,” said Larry Twele, CEO of the HCEDA. “More than 40 people registered as speakers, and our Ignite committee had the tough job of picking the 12 finalists. We were hoping to engage the community in a different way and look forward to the event and the excitement we expect it to generate.”

Ignite Howard County is a high-energy evening where the community comes together to share their passions. The goal is to create collisions of conversations and collaborations between people in the artistic, entrepreneurial, creative, technical and innovative communities.

Ignite events are currently held in more than 100 cities worldwide. Presenters have five minutes to share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. Seating is limited so attendees are encouraged to register in advance.

2015 Spring Ignite Howard County Speakers

  • “The Premise & Promise of Conscious Capitalism,” Jeff Cherry
  • “Homelessness and Community Service in Howard County,” Ryan Forbes
  • “The Nicotine Cure – The Lie, The Fear, The Cure,” Timothy Patrick
  • “We Have Met the Enemy and It’s Your Brain!,” Umar Hameed
  • “How a Handful of Pictures Triggers 1,000 Memories,” Rachel Jenkins
  • “How Your Divorce Affects the Kids Upstairs,” Meghna Sreenivas
  • “Music Education: Does It Make Us Smarter?,” Joanne Alme
  • “The Merriweather Strategy, Past & Present,” Michael McCall
  • “Presenting From Scratch: A Live Experiment,” Todd Fidelman
  • “Great Idea, Bad Timing: How to Capture Your Subconscious Genius,” Jon Barnes
  • “Sipping Life on My Terms – Finding Myself Through Wine & Travel,” Amanda Laden
  • “Transform an Idea Into Reality in 5 Minutes,” Wendy Moomaw