Skip to main content

You make this possible. Support our independent, nonprofit newsroom today.

Give Now

Ignite Experimentation: Seattle Speakers Take On The Unknown

caption: On stage at Ignite Seattle 27
Enlarge Icon
On stage at Ignite Seattle 27
Flickr Photo/Randy Stewart (CC BY-SA 2.0)/http://bit.ly/1Pk4YSB

The Ignite series started here in Seattle in 2006 and has expanded to over 100 countries. Each Ignite event gives you the chance to talk about something that inspires you. The thing is, you only have 5 minutes to do it on a stage in front of hundreds of strangers at Town Hall Seattle.

Their motto is “enlighten us, but make it quick!”

This time around the Ignite organizers came up with a theme for the event: "experimentation," explaining on their website:

“An experiment is when you do something with the goal of verifying, refuting, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. In other words, choosing to act fully aware you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Ignite 27 included the following subjects and speakers:

  • "Save The Planet: Eat A Bug," by Virginia Emery
  • "If You Draw A Comic You May Save The World," by Jeremy Kayes
  • "What Coming To America Taught Me About Worry," by Kevin Obbayi
  • "Gravity’s Shameless Affinity For One Wheeled Things," by Anna Fusaro
  • "Tone Deaf Diplomacy," by Matthew Lee Johnston
  • "How To Make A Teenager Talk To You," by Linda Breneman
  • "Lessons In Building A Universal Translator," by Tanvi Surti
  • "What If You Say Yes To Everything For 30 Days?," by Jen Kellum Nausin
  • "Why You Should Run Away From Home," by Phil Cook
  • "Traveling Alone: And So Can You," by Danna Klein
  • "Recipes For Trouble," by Jessica Hagy
  • "Own Time Or Die Trying," by Ahsan Kabir
  • "Why Everyone Needs More D," by Julia Heitz
  • "Operation Honest Day’s Work," by Norman Bell
  • "Naked In Public," by Peter Toms

This event took place at Town Hall Seattle on May 20. The emcee was journalist Monica Guzman. Thanks to Anna Tatistcheff for our recording.

We’ll be posting Ignite 28 in the coming weeks. You can submit an idea for a talk for the next Ignite Seattle at their website, but make sure to check out their suggestions for creating a great talk.

Why you can trust KUOW