New unConference debuts on 'making ideas happen' Sept. 2 in emerging New Bohemia district

NewBoCo, a new unconference on 'Making Ideas Happen' will be held Friday, Sept. 2 at the newly re-opened, landmark CSPS in Cedar Rapids, which has just reopened after a $7 million post-flood renovation. Produced by Seed Here, a newly formed social good startup focused on growing the entrepreneurial & creative ecosystem in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids region; The New Bohemia Neighborhood Group and local design firm Nine Light Labs, the unconference is intended to encourage local people to move their ideas into action--whether business, entrepreneurial, creative or community-oriented or personal.

Ten successful local business and community leaders will share short, transformative and personal stories on ideas they've made happen in Iowa and beyond, and the lessons they learned in the process, and will mix with emerging local leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives who will present talks on ideas that they are presently working on.

Conference tickets range in price from $40 for an all-day conference pass to $15 for partial day, lunch-only or student passes. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.newbofest.com/newboco.

NewBoCo is open to the public and is intended for action-orientated emerging community leaders, doers, entrepreneurs and creatives who want to make more happen in our cities and local companies. The day will feature nearly two dozen dynamic presentations, including many of the region's most prolific doers who will give ‘Made It' talks to share insights they've gained making their personal, community and business ideas happen here and beyond. Mixed in with these talks will be 20 minute ‘Idea Breakouts,' which will be sessions led by attendees in an "unconference" format. These sessions will focus on ideas the presenting attendees are currently working on and be an opportunity for the small groups to give suggestions and get involved.

'Made It' Sessions will feature 15-minute, dynamic and inspiring talks from:

Ben Rogers - Linn County Supervisor (District 3) & member of The Generation Iowa Commission

Chad Simmons - Managing Director of The PenDennis Group, Diversity Focus Interim Director, former Associate Vice-President for HR at UIHC . Chad's wife Carol Cater-Simmons will speak with him on stage.

Chris Scaffidi - Nationally recognized speaker; consultant on employee engagement and performance enhancement with Inside Results; theological scholar

Curtis Nelson - Serial Entrepreneur, President, CEO and Founder of the Entrepreneurial Development

Center (EDC) & author

Chuck Peters - CEO SourceMedia Group/The Gazette, former President of Amana Refrigerators

Katie Roche - Englert Development Director, TV producer, cultural instigator, writer and singer with The Awful Purdies

Marcia Rogers - Principal at Smartvote and community doer.

Peggy Whitworth - Retired executive director of Brucemore, arts advocate, political activist & 'grassroot'

Tim Boyle - Actor, stand-up comedian, radio personality & former director of the Cedar Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mark Ginsberg - President of M.C. Ginsberg, co-founder of the Iowa City Jazz Festival & cultural igniter (lunch keynote speaker)

'Idea Breakout' sessions during the conference will embrace the 'unconference' format, in which conference attendees are encourage to help make the conference agenda and program for the day by submitting a breakout session they'd like to lead, to share an idea they are currently making happen. Attendees will have the opportunity to lead 20-minute presentations on an idea they are working on---whether entrepreneurial, creative, social or otherwise---sign-up for these sessions will happen the day of the conference.

Conference organizers are working to encourage participants from all walks of life, with the commonality that attendees are all on a journey to bring an idea to reality, whether as part of their job, a community interest, a creative endeavor or an entrepreneurial venture.

"We're hoping to have people representing some of the coolest projects in the works, like the the mural walk project, the proposed University of Iowa canoe house renovation, a number of tech startup entrepreneurs, a representative of the proposed downtown charter school, an independent cinema founder and a number of neighborhood projects," said conference organizer Amanda Styron. "We are open to anyone and everyone who wants to share their ideas with others, in an effort to make connections and gain inspiration to help make these ideas happen."

"The catalyst for this conference is the fact that there seems to be a lot of people, particularly emerging community leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives, who have great ideas and need just a little nudge, inspiration or a 'kick in the pants' to get going," said conference organizer Andy Stoll. "We're hoping to provide just that, have some fun in the process and help bring new ideas to light that will make our community better and stronger for all of us to enjoy."

NewBoCo is open to the public. Information and and a complete agenda can be found at newbofest.com/newboco

NewBoCo Lunch Keynote to feature Mark Ginsberg

Mark Ginsberg, President of M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers in Iowa City, a tireless arts advocate and co-founder of the Iowa City Jazz Festival, will headline the NewBoCo lunch and share his thoughts and insight into his strategies for making ideas happen. Lunch-only tickets to hear Ginsberg speak are available for $15 per person. (Full day and afternoon conference passes, include admission to this lunch.)

M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers supports the arts as enrichment for the whole community. Soon after buying his father's jewelry store in 1985, Mark Ginsberg established the M.C. Ginsberg Fund to serve the arts community in Iowa City through free exhibitions, public lectures, artists' workshops, and community arts events. Known for initiating cultural programming as well as hoping to inspire other businesses, large and small, to follow its lead, M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers spans more than two decades of committed activism in the arts. In Iowa City, a college town of 60,000 people, and supported by revenue from just 600 square feet of retail space, the business has given nearly $600,000 to the arts since 1984, in addition to countless in-kind donations and volunteer hours. M.C. Ginsberg is not solely a jewelry store. The space is defined as a gallery and an incubator for artists, housing original works for viewing and for sale as well as specially curated exhibitions presenting jewelry as works of art. In 1990, Mark Ginsberg helped found the annual Iowa City Jazz Festival. Ginsberg served as executive producer until 1997. Now in its 20th year, the three-day event attracts more than 60,000 people from all over the country and is considered by the international jazz community to be one of the finest jazz venues in the United States.

For its work, tiny M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers and Objects of Art was recently recognized as ‘One Of The Top Ten Businesses Supporting The Arts In The United States, alongside transnational corporations including Capital Bank, Con Edison, Portland General Electric, Halifax, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and Conoco Phillips. Mark lives in Iowa CIty with his wife Vickie.

NewBoCo Registration Information

People wanting to attend NewBoCo can register at http://www.newbofest.com/newboco.

-Full conference pass: $40/ticket

-Half-Day Morning pass (including a light breakfast): $20/ticket

-Afternoon registration (including lunch): $25/ticket

-Lunch (featuring a keynote talk by Mark Ginsberg): $15/ticket

-All-day Student pass: $15/ticket

-Full Day NewBoCo Pass + VIP NewBoFest Pass: $75 (The Ultimate NewBo Experience! This pass includes all of the following (a $95 value!): Bohemian Reception Pass, Festival T-Shirt, Access to VIP Areas Saturday and Sunday, The Pines at CSPS, Camping in NewBoPark, Sunday Night Voicebox, & NewBoTechno)

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About NewBoFest: NewBoFest is the opening conference to kick-off NewBoFest, the newly redesigned creativity and arts festival anchored in the emerging New Bohemia Neighborhood, that is hosting events over the Labor Day Weekend including, an arts fair, music festival, BBQ competition, warehouse rave, half-marathon and midnight 5K among other events. More info at www.newbofest.com

About The New Bohemia Group: New Bohemia is a diverse urban village located in the heart of Cedar Rapids. Respectful to the Czech immigrants who built the neighborhood and the commercial enterprises that provided its economic lifeblood, New Bohemia is emerging as a vibrant creative community that embraces the future of Cedar Rapids. Centered on Third Street SE and adjacent to the Cedar River, New Bohemia links the Downtown District with the Czech Village, and is recognized as the Bohemian Commercial Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places. New Bohemia is also recognized by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs as part of the Czech Village / New Bohemia Cultural District. http://newboczech.info

About Seed Here: Seed Here is an Iowa City/Cedar Rapids-based social good startup working to grow the organic, grassroots entrepreneurial and creative community in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids region, with a special focus on supporting and connecting high-growth entrepreneurs, creatives and innovators. More information at www.facebook.com/seedherecommunity

About Nine | Light | Labs: An amalgamation of artists, storytellers and inventors, Nine Light Labs is a distributed design consultancy and creative laboratory with a brand-centric strategy. Adept at designing across many media, Nine Light Labs thrives on crafting unique solutions for their clients. Nine was selected to collaborate on designs for this year's NewBoFest and NewBoCo promotions. More info at: www.ninelightlabs.com

About Legion Arts/CSPS: Legion Arts is an award-winning, Cedar Rapids nonprofit dedicated to the creation, presentation, understanding and impact of contemporary art. Based at CSPS, a restored landmark building on the edge of downtown Cedar Rapids, Legion Arts presents cutting edge art, music theatre, film and other events at a variety of venues; supports young artists, experimental art forms and new ideas; and works to involve artists and the arts in the processes of community development and neighborhood building. More info at http://legionarts.org