Think of a spark plug as a tiny bolt of lightning. Small but mighty, the spark of electricity that the plug emits across a small gap creates the ignition for the combustion needed to start your car. By putting the engine’s pistons in motion, your car can power up and stay powered up.
World-renowned futurist Rebecca Ryan is the mighty spark you need to put your organization in motion and be ready for the future!
When Ryan last spoke in Green County in 2008, she was the spark that powered initiatives like Young Professionals of Green County and Future Forward! Green County. She’s the spark to help us make informed decisions about how to plan our communities and (re)build our systems to lead us forward. Just think — if you knew the future, what would you do? Ryan knows what’s coming next and inspires audiences to get future-ready.
Ryan will return to the area to offer her compelling insights and help kick off the Green County UniverCity Year Program on Aug. 21 at the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center. We encourage you to attend this free event and let Ryan inspire you to become future-ready.
The future is not in the past. You wouldn’t drive your car across the country in reverse looking through your rearview mirror. But that’s what we do with our plans — we base them on the past instead of the future.
This is an incredible professional development opportunity — right here in Green County! Take a great first step to engage your key people to talk and think differently about the future by attending Ryan’s presentation. It will help you develop an exciting, future-focused plan for your business. If you are under 40, we encourage you to attend. Help your community, and your company, identify and imagine our possible futures, so we can be future-ready.
If you lead a community or an organization, you need to attend. Most of our community and organizational documents are based on what’s always been done — the tried and true. But the trouble is we aren’t going to live in the past — we’re going to live in the future. So how can your planning be less history-oriented and more geared for the future?
The evening will begin at 4 p.m. in the M-Room at the PAC with a work session for community leaders directly involved in UniverCity Year projects. (UniverCity matches University of Wisconsin-Madison courses, students and faculty with the needs and projects of communities. Students will be working on Green County projects starting this fall and continuing through spring semester 2019.)
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., UniverCity will host a festive networking session for all with light hors d’oeuvres. Bucky Badger will bring crazy antics and photo opportunities. This is a great opportunity to network and share your spark plug ideas with people from across the county.
At 5:30 p.m., we will gather in the PAC to learn more about projects that UW-Madison students will be tackling throughout Green County in the coming year. Ryan’s presentation will begin shortly before 6 p.m. and wrap up by 7 p.m. She promises to get you thinking about the future, rather than rehashing the past. Her presentations are innovative and engaging and will energize and empower all who attend.
We plan to pack the PAC, so please RSVP at https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cTLfcqoBai7UXOZ or call the GCDC office at 328-9452 to ensure you have a seat for Ryan’s presentation.
— Cara Carper is executive director at Green County Development Corporation.
