Ignite 2021

Everyone needs professional development in order to grow into and beyond their potential. This conference will cover topics of interest to all businesses and business professionals regardless of where they are on their growth path. Make sure you stay for the entire conference as we will be giving away gift cards to local businesses!!

Agenda
 

Keynote Address: Workplace WellBeing

Jairemy Drooger

Co-founder of CT Assist

Founder of MSL Consulting

Director for the Center for Innovation and Leadership at Eastern Mennonite University. Read full Bio here

You care about your employees but the workplace has changed drastically over the last 12 months.  A Harvard Business Review Survey found almost 90% of respondents reported that their workplace wellbeing has declined since the start of COVID and in a recent Thrive Global study over 80% of employees wished their employer did more to help them be more resilient and feel more empowered. 

Now is the time to focus on wellbeing in the workplace but we often don't know where to start.  In this practical session we will learn about workplace wellbeing best-practices that you can implement. You will have the opportunity to interact with peers, brainstorm and share insights as you prepare some of these best practices to fit your organization's culture.  

Speed Networking

Make new connections during this fast paced networking event. You will have several minutes to interact with other conference attendees and let them know about you & your business. 
 

Pandemic and Temperament 

Brian McReynolds 

Institute for Applied Leadership
 

Change, both for better or worse, causes stress.  A large scale event, such as the pandemic, can create significant workforce stability issues. Companies that learn to steady the ship quickly and address the stress experienced across their workforce will ultimately realize continued success despite change. Understanding how temperament is affected under stress and how to address employee engagement both in the near and long term is essential in a changing dynamic.  Take control of the future of your company by becoming familiar with the inner workings of the people that you employ. You will have the opportunity to discover that the needs of your workforce remain constant, regardless of environmental stress.  Learning to understand and manage the subtleties of personality and temperament is key to retaining and empowering your workforce in any situation.

Breakout sessions (choose one)

The Secret Social Media Strategies Every Employee Should Know 

Brooke Anderson

COO, Converge Local 

Are you overwhelmed by maintaining your social media presence? Do you have an "okay" social media strategy but suspect it could be better? If so, this is the session for you and your entire team! Most people don't realize that a good social media strategy involves everyone that works in a business, not just the marketing department or the social media manager. In this session, we'll unlock the secret social media strategies that will amplify your message, make content creation easier, and more! Plus, these strategies can be used for other areas of your business that involve communicating with your audience. Don't miss it!

Reinventing Small Business Panel

Alex Andrew, Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, Moderator 

Jim Drost, VP of Operations, Augusta Kitchen

Ali Heinrich, Owner, Ali&Co
Jennifer Ledford, Owner, Initial Inspirations

Small business owners have had to adapt their businesses with the ever changing landscape during the pandemic. Learn from three small businesses on how they survived and came through on the other side. 

Closing Remarks & Gift Card Giveaway