Cleveland, Ohio. The fire that fueled this city in the early part of the 20th century was hot & bright. This flame of innovation sparked from the coming together of those across all walks of life. Both penniless immigrants & captains of industry shared in the work that made this city great. As a community, we rose – and we did so together.
For a variety of reasons, the bonfire of innovation began to dwindle as the latter part of the century came and went. Industry left. Citizens left – some just the city, some leaving the entire region. But the curious, the passionate – many remained. The bonfire was not as bright or centralized – in fact it wasn’t a bonfire at all. A series of brush fires sparked in pockets all over the city – bright spots where innovators continued to persist to make change & move our region forward. But the way those from the outside viewed our region – as well as many of us ourselves – was less than favorable. When innovation is siloed, the impact is not nearly as strong.
In recent years the brush fires have persisted – but some have merged. This trend of working together needs to be adopted in every sector for real change to occur. We all share a desire for our region to once again build the bonfire of innovation & proudly state, “This is what it means to live in the Rustbelt in 2013. We claim our heritage, we drive our future & we do it by working together.”
-Hallie & Eric Kogelschatz, 2013
Trailer Video
The trailer video for TEDxCLE 2013: Bonfire // Ignite was created by three Ohio University students; Willem Holzer, Jacob Nemeth and Mike Zorbas. Thank you for all your hard work! Enjoy.
And get ready for TEDxCLE 2013 on Thursday, March 21st from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Gartner Auditorium at The Cleveland Museum of Art. The After Party will take place from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. in the Atrium. Tickets for the event are sold out.