The IdeaFestival (IF) is here in Louisville and helping all expanding their ideas of the possible to connect with each other and the IF speakers who are changing the world. IF 2011 started on Wednesday, September 21 and goes till Saturday, September 24 at The Kentucky Center for the Arts. “The IdeaFestival is unlike many other thought leadership events, IdeaFestival is a catalyst for high-speed innovation, product development, and creative endeavors across all fields” says Kris Kimmel, IdeaFestival Founder. Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher invites all to “please join me to find your own inspiration.”
Founded in 2000, the IdeaFestival (IF) is a world-class event that attracts leading global innovators and thinkers to discuss and celebrate imagination, new perspectives and transformational ideas. The IdeaFestival provides a unique stage to explore the cross-cutting nature of innovation involving a range of diverse disciplines, while supplying the creative tools needed to “see,” synthesize and apply this knowledge in new, dynamic ways.
Schedule of events on Friday, September 23, 2011:
IF Mash-Up Bonus Event For Sponsors, Speakers and All-Access Pass Holders Only
IF founder Kris Kimel will be joined by other IF presenters for a lively discussion surrounding: breakthrough thinking, inspiration and where do creative ideas come from? This will include Don Stewart, educated and trained as an M.D. and having just completed a surgical internship at the Mayo Clinic he suddenly quit and in his words “…fled from a system of training that was teaching me to be anything but a compassionate caregiver…” He instead decided to pursue his creative interests and passion for art. Presented by AT&T at The Kentucky Center; 8:00 AM to 8:45 AM.
Serious innovation has evolved beyond continual improvement to transformational, often disruptive change. Linear thinking and cautious change is inconsistent with the demands of our hyper-competitive marketplace of ideas. IBM technology evangelist David Barnes talks about the dynamics of invention and game-changing innovation, including ways that IBM (with over 50,000 patents!) continues to meet this challenge. David will be joined by Heather Howell, Chief Tea Officer of Rooibee Red Tea, for a discussion of how innovation is embraced from both a large and small entrepreneurial company perspective. Presented by the Kentucky Community and Technical College at The Kentucky Center; 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. General Admission tickets are $19.50 and Student Tickets are $9.50.
SEPARATE REGISTRATION REQUIRED / LIMITED TO MIDDLE SCHOOL-AGE KIDS.
Middle school-age kids are the audience for this unique event that introduces and explores many of the ideas, perspectives on creative thinking and other IF lessons to a younger audience. Events include discussions, hands-on activities and performances by many of the presenters taking part in the overall IdeaFestival. Presented by Louisville Science Center and IdeaFestival at Louisville Science Center; 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
Creative Capital: Artists at the Edge
Ruby Lerner, founding President of Creative Capital, returns to IF with another group of genre-bending artists (Shih Chieh Huang, Richard Pell, Mark Shepard, Julie Wyman, Pamela Z). Their work will take you out of your everyday common experience, letting you “see” things from new and different perspectives. Presented by Red7e at The Kentucky Center; 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. General Admission tickets are $19.50 and Student Tickets are $9.50.
As the Chief Technology Officer for the United States, Aneesh Chopra serves as assistant to the President. Chopra discusses how the US must build on its cultural assets of creativity, new ideas, entrepreneurship and relentless innovation to enhance its competitive position in the global marketplace. Presented by The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Bellarmine University Institute for Media, Culture & Ethics at The Kentucky Center; 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. General Admission tickets are $25.00 and Student Tickets are $14.50.
Wes Moore, an Army combat veteran, promising business leader, Rhodes Scholar, youth advocate and author, one day discovered another young African-American man with the same name, living in the same city and sharing many other similarities to his life… Except that the other Wes was serving a life sentence in prison for felony murder. Moore will chronicle this amazing story of two individuals, with two very different journeys. Presented by the University of Louisville at The Kentucky Center; 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM. General Admission is $19.50 and Student Tickets are $9.50
Tim Donaghy is a former NBA basketball referee whose gambling addiction led to his conviction and prison sentence for betting on games. Donaghy will share his story, including his insights into the grip of addiction and reflections on big-time sports in America. Presented by the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation at The Kentucky Center; 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. General Admission is $19.50 and Student Tickets are $9.50.
Daniel Simons, Human Perception Psychologist and author, takes you deep inside the brain to explore the startling limits of the mind in human perception, memory and awareness. He is best known for his co-authored book The Invisible Gorilla and important research showing that people are far less aware of their visual surroundings and environment than they often might imagine…often with far-reaching implications. Presented by Brown-Forman at The Kentucky Center; 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. General Admission is $19.50 and Student Tickets are $9.50.
Cesar Millan/in cooperation with the Kentucky Center/Separate Ticket Required
Cesar Millan is the world’s foremost canine rehabilitation specialist. His ability to train even the most aggressive, scared, lazy, compulsive or jealous dogs has made his hit TV show, The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel, a three-time Emmy Award nominee and the 2010 People’s Choice Award winner for Favorite Animal Show. Now seen in fifteen countries, regular viewers know it’s often not the dogs but their owners who needed Cesar’s help the most. His presentation at IF about applying his techniques to your dog will be followed by audience Q&A. Produced by The Kentucky Center and IdeaFestival. Media Support Provided by WFPL. The event will take place at The Kentucky Center; 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM. Tickets are $35.00 to $55.00 and All-Access Pass Holders Receive a Discount.
You won’t want to miss this special screening of the award-winning documentary film Dying To Do Letterman. When 35 year old stand-up comedian Steve Mazan learned he had cancer, and might only have five years to live, he dedicated his life to living his dream: performing comedy on The Late Show with David Letterman. Mazan and the film’s directors come to IF to share this amazing documentary that chronicles his five-year journey, as he races against his own ticking clock to achieve a nearly impossible goal. Hilarious, heart-breaking, and ultimately inspirational. This is a story that proves it’s not how much time you have, it’s what you do with it. Presented by The Courier-Journal at The Kentucky Center; 9:45 PM to 11:15 PM and the event is free and open to the public.
