Kara LaFleur

Tactical Urbanism Salon Philadelphia 4/28/12

Kara LaFleur — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:44:54 +0000

Tactical Urbanism
Short-term Action // Long-term Change

During an overcast Saturday on the last weekend of April, The Tactical Urbanism Salon took place at Next American City’s Storefront For Urban Innovation in Philadelphia. Organized by The Street Plans Collaborative, Change Administration, Philly Works and Next American City to discuss DIY guerrilla urbanism at its finest, drawing urbanists from near and far to participate in an active discourse on the subject.

Initially bummed that I was unable to attend the event in person, I quickly discovered that a vibrant online dialogue was taking place, as attendees live tweeted the event and champions of the movement chimed in from all over the country. A rich online experience was created as a direct result of the ideas being articulated during the meetup.

The Storify embedded above aims to capture the tactile energy and enthusiastic discussion as it unfolded in real time. You can also view this storify in its entirety in stream form (if slides aren’t your thing) or learn more from the official guides to Tactical Urbanism produced by The Street Plans Collaborative:

Tactical Urbanism Volume 1
Tactical Urbanism Volume 2

So Many Things, Spring 2012

Kara LaFleur — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:16:27 +0000

If you’re a local, you know there’s never a dull moment in Philly, if you’re not from here, May-June is a great time to visit. (Seriously, spring is the time to make the trip, before the sweltering heat kicks in, and the rains have let up.) Whether you love geeking out in your garden or arting it up in the streets, there is plenty to do around town, and these are just a few of the awesome adventures that I am looking forward to in the coming weeks:

Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby &
Trenton Avenue Arts Festival

When: Saturday, May 19th 12-6
Where: Trenton Ave & Norris, Philadelphia, PA 19125 [map]

A Kinetic Sculpture is a human-powered vehicle that also has an artistic theme. Think of parade floats on bicycles, or mummers on hand crank driven pirate ships, or an alien space ship on 2 welded together bikes, it’s zombie Amish folks, it’s a bar and bar stools on a bike, it’s anything you can dream up.

A Kinetic Sculpture Competition is all about fun and ingenuity, making the wackiest, most interesting contraption is the goal- finishing the course or winning is not. The KKSD is not a race, but rather a design competition and parade celebrating human powered transit and art in Kensington. Award Categories include- Best Art, Best Costume, Best Engineering, People’s Choice, Best Breakdown and a special secret judge award. People get to vote for their favorite entry at the event, so come to the fest and VOTE! The Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby (KKSD), was started in 2007 as an Economic Development Initiative of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) to compliment the East Kensington Neighbors Association’s Trenton Avenue Arts Festival.

The Trenton Avenue Arts Festival (TAAF) celebrates East Kensington’s incredible mix of local artists, musicians, and eateries, and raises funds for wonderful neighborhood projects and revitalization. The festival is held on Trenton Avenue, a wide-open cobblestone street that has been part of Kensington’s rich creative history for over a hundred years.

Last year the festival attracted 10,000+ attendees to 200+ booths of local arts vendors selling their handmade creations, arts organizations featuring participatory activities, and non-profit / civic organizations promoting their wonderful activities. There will be live music as well as many local food vendors serving their delicious treats.

Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Gallery:
Charter Member Exhibition Opening Reception

When: Saturday, May 19th 12-6
Where: South 9th Street between Federal & Fitzwater, Philadelphia PA 19147 [map]

Come see the first exhibition in the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Gallery, featuring artwork by our Charter Members! Opening Reception: Saturday, May 19th, 12-6pm, during the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby and Trenton Avenue Arts Festival!

Includes artwork by Gustavo Actis, Terri Aluise, Joshua Parker Coombs, Justin Grant, Darla Jackson, Michael Konrad, Stephen Millner, Jedediah Morfit, and Jennifer Welsh.

South 9th Street Italian Market Festival

When: Saturday, May 19th & Sunday, May 20th 10-5
Where: South 9th Street between Federal & Fitzwater, Philadelphia PA 19147 [map]

Philadelphia’s South 9th Street Italian Market is the nation’s oldest outdoor market. Our merchants invite you to join them in a one-of-a-kind celebration on the 3rd weekend in May. It’s an extravaganza for the senses — streets lined with vendors offering every Italian delicacy possible, live entertainment, fun contests and more!

Night Market Northern Liberties

When: Thursday, May 24th 7-11pm
Where: 2nd & Poplar, Philadelphia, PA 19123 [map]

Philadelphia’s favorite street food festival is back, celebrating the city’s ethnic restaurants, gourmet food trucks and coolest neighborhoods. New this year: Introducing the Friends of Night Market experience, a chance to support one of the city’s coolest events and, yes, drink some good beer with fellow Philly food lovers under the Friends of Night Market tent. Become a friend of Night Market and get cool stuff

Art Fair for the Cash Poor 13

When: Saturday June 9th & Sunday 10th 12-6pm
Where: Crane Arts Building, 1400 N. American Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19122 [map]

InLiquid’s Art for the Cash Poor is a fabulous annual block party-style art sale that allows art lovers the chance to meet the artists, see their work first-hand, and begin or add to their art collections without breaking the bank — all in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Art for the Cash Poor traditionally brings together a group of talented fine artists and crafters, from the emerging, up and coming to the established. Works over the years have ranged the gamut from paintings, prints, photography, fiber arts, glass and ceramic ware, jewelry, and fashion all for under $199.

Art for the Cash Poor offers the opportunity to explore some of the city’s fresh local cuisine with some of Philadelphia’s new “Gastro Food Trucks,” while you enjoy a sampling from the local music scene. New this year! A special Preview event on Friday, June 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. More details coming soon!

The Food Trust Farmer’s Market

When: All summer long!
Where: Philadelphia! [map]

The Food Trust has been operating farmers’ markets since 1992, and currently operates farmers’ markets with community partners in diverse neighborhoods throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. By providing residents with fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition-related educational activities and events, The Food Trust’s farmers’ markets directly impact an estimated 125,000 customers each year. The Food Trust’s staff also provides nutritional information at our markets as well as shopping tips and education about the different types of fresh fruits and vegetables found at the market.

Be sure to check out this interactive map to find your local farmers’ market, find directions to a market, look up more information about a particular market such as days and times of operation, and see what public transportation options are available.

Farm to City Farmers Markets

When: All summer long!
Where: Philadelphia!

In 2012, Farm to City will operate 16 farmers’ markets including 12 established markets, 2 existing markets in new locations, and two new markets. In addition to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, many of the markets feature meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products from pastured animals.

Past Events (that were totally awesome!)

8th Annual Passyunk Square Civic Association Plant Sale

When: Saturday, May 5th 10-2
Where: Urban Jungle, 1528 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147 [map]

It’s springtime – time to plant! Come shop for your plants and flowers at Urban Jungle. Support our local nursery and the Passyunk Square Civic Association. Proceeds from plant sales will go to support PSCA programming. New this year, buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win free landscape design consultation by Urban Jungle. Proceeds from the raffle will go to support PSCA programming.

Contain yourself (and your garden), Container Gardening Workshop hosted by South Philly Food Co-op

When: Sunday, May 6th 2-4
Where: Passyunk Gardens, E. Passyunk and Wharton Philadelphia, PA 19147 [map]

Join Sarah DeGiorgis, who’s been blogging for us for over a year about growing in containers, as she shows you what type of containers to use, what plants to choose and information about sun and watering. We’ll also cover transplantation and maintenance of your new container garden. We’ll have soil, seeds and tools and attendees are encouraged to bring their own containers – they don’t have to be traditional pots! Anything that can hold soil and water, has drainage holes in the bottom and is made of something non-porous is just fine.

$5 suggested donation will go directly to the Co-op. RSVP not necessary but please visit our Facebook Event page and let us know you’re coming (and spread the word to others).

Art Star Craft Bazaar

When: Saturday, May 12th & Sunday, May 13th, 11-6pm
Where: The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, on Columbus Blvd, between Walnut & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106[map]

The Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar is an outdoor retail art/craft show that is organized & juried by Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique. Over 140 local & national artists have been chosen to set up shop & sell their wares at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, right along the Delaware River. The event is being held on Mother’s Day weekend this year, so come to the show to pick up a perfect, one-of-a-kind gift for mom or better yet, bring your mom to the show for a fun day on the waterfront!

Shoppers can expect high quality handmade goods that reflect the unique & often quirky aesthetic of Art Star. Art Star has hand selected a diverse collection of artists that create anything & everything, including housewares, paper goods, dolls, prints, ceramics, clothing, accessories, paintings/drawings, sculpture, and many other one-of-a-kind curiosities. All items have been handmade from a variety of mediums that include fabric, clay, glass, wood, paper & much more. The event will also include Live Music by local Philly bands presented by Philebrity, as well as tasty vegetarian/vegan friendly food. There will also be family friendly interactive art demonstrations.

Le Grand Continental OPEN TRY OUTS

When: Tuesday, May 15th 7—9pm OR Wednesday, May 16th at 7—9pm
Where: Live Arts Studio 919 North 5th Street Philadelphia, PA 19123 [map]

Montréal-based choreographer Sylvain Émard shatters the distinctions between line dancing and contemporary dance, creating an extremely colorful and contagious 30-minute event. Created at Montréal’s internationally renowned Festival TransAmériques (FTA) in 2009, Le Grand Continental originally featured sixty amateur dancers. Since then the show has tripled in size, most recently presented in the historic center of Mexico City with movement inspired by Latin social dancing. This time around, the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival will host the largest presentation of its kind with 200+ performers of all ages and backgrounds, ranging in experience from professional dancers to pure amateurs. It will be a line dance extravaganza filled with contagious community spirit, a show not to be missed.

Join the Largest Performance in Festival History. We want the most diverse group possible from all over Philly, so that we can show off the talent, charisma, and personality that makes our city one-of-a-kind! If you are a dancer — professional, amateur, or someone who just loves moving (even if only in front of the mirror) — WE WANT YOU! Ages 10 and up are welcome to participate. More information available at Live-Arts-Fringe.org

What events, going-ons or happenings are you looking forward to this spring?

Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Adirondacks Spring Adventure

Kara LaFleur — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:06:53 +0000

This weekend we packed up the car and headed into North Country where we were lucky enough to stay at a luxuriously modern vacation rental at The Haus, an eco-hotel/condo on the shore of Mirror Lake in the heart of Lake Placid. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take any pictures of our room but it really was a dream getaway, it felt more like a second home, absolutely gorgeous, and possibly most importantly, immaculately clean. I would happily stay there again & highly recommend it to others; it was like having our own little 2 bedroom apartment, complete with kitchen, living room, and plenty of space for all!

While Dan & Ezra climbed Mt Marcy, Jess and I got to hang out around town. As it turns out we did quite a bit of a hike, 4 hours of walking that mapped out to be about 3.5 miles in search of the Lake Placid Equestrian Center which we never did find, but we had a good time exploring the town in any event. I also discovered city-girl-Jess‘s enthusiasm for both bobsledding & Moose chotchkies, while she in turn discovered that I buy too many decorative fridge magnets and love taking entirely too many pictures of well, just about everything.

The night before our expeditions, we had dinner at Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. The food was amazing, and it goes without saying the beer was pretty great too, including a Pale Amber Ale that was made with maple sap in place of water. We managed to shove a few growlers & a six pack of their famed “Ubu” English Strong Ale into our already over-stuffed car on the way back. After stopping at Brown Dog Cafe for some gourmet sandwiches, we headed deeper into the Adirondacks for a picnic lunch at Buttermilk Falls, which were gorgeous & well worth getting a little lost in order to find.

We ate our lunch under the trees surrounded by a soft carpet of pine needles and the fresh mountain air. After lunch we explored the immediate trails & took some pictures around the falls. It was the perfect way to end our amazing mountain weekend getaway. I can’t wait for the next adventure!

Beautiful weather, awesome friends, and good beer!
Check out the photo set on Flickr.

When’s your “Go Time”?

Kara LaFleur — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:01:06 +0000

I just got more done in the last three hours than I did the whole rest of the day.
It’s 11:30 pm… Eastern Standard Time.

It’s a Pirate’s life for me!

I realized pretty much from the get-go of my semi-corporate life that I am not a 9-5er, which isn’t to say that I don’t work during those hours, just that my best work usually doesn’t happen within that time frame. Sometimes it’s at 3 o’clock in the morning when inspiration strikes and I just can’t close my laptop & shut down for the night. Sometimes it’s in the middle of the woods & I find myself excitedly typing notes into my phone about a great idea I just had while traipsing through the middle of nowhere. Sometimes it’s at 9am on a Sunday when I’m just waking up (though that’s the extreme exception, not the rule). It is usually not when I’m sitting at a desk waiting for an idea to appear.

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom.

- Albert Einstein

When I worked in an office I was always the last one out (and truth be told, one of the last ones in). I’m not exactly driven by a burning desire to climb the corporate ladder, and it’s just not a place I tend to thrive. Working Independently has freed me of the mind games inherent in day-to-day office life, allowing me to deliver the best possible work without worrying how my process is going to effect my annual review. And honestly, I don’t have time for Monday morning staff meetings, wearing shoes, or busy work because I’m too distracted by actually Getting Stuff Done to worry about what I look like in the process. GSD isn’t always pretty, or timely; it’s a down to the wire, nose to the grindstone, do-or-die, for queen and country, gold and glory work environment that just can’t be encompassed by a TPS Report.

Get while the gettins’ good

On the plus side of working for myself, I get to make my own hours…
on the down side, I get to make my own hours.

It’s easy for me to loose myself in my work, especially when Z get’s home late from the gym, those days are the best because I can just keep crack’a'lackin’ till close to midnight if I’m lucky. But it also means that sometimes I have to remind myself to make time for myself, and honestly, the best time to focus on my needs is first thing in the morning, when I’m drinking my coffee and skimming the headlines, which is really a win-win situation for everyone involved cause truth of the matter is I am sooooooo not a morning person.

When I am working during the day, I deal with client communications, emails, and research, when I have to take the time to think creatively and be in my own space, that almost always takes place on its own time table (which usually means post afternoon coffee break or insomnia fueled all-nighters). It’s all about finding your “go time”, and rocking out like a rockstar, no matter how or when anybody else thinks you should be doing it.

“How To Be A Successful Creative” visual you see above came from Creative Something, go check it out, poke around, get inspired & make cool shit happen.

So… When’s your “Go Time” and how do you make the most of it in your day-to-day work life?

Frank Abagnale SXSW 2012

Kara LaFleur — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:22:11 +0000

I think one of my favorite talks from sxsw might have actually been during one of my “brain breaks.” After all, one cannot live on communications alone so I decided to step outside my wheelhouse with Catch Me If You Can: Frank Abagnale 10 Years Later. Having seen (and of course loved) the movie based on Frank’s life, I don’t know quite what I was expecting. What I got was a confident, unflinchingly honest recounting of the events that have taken place over the span of an incredibly interesting life.

Frank is undeniably easy to listen to, effortlessly holding an overflowing room in rapt attention for the better part of an hour. Speaking in a decisive, even tone, I found myself mesmerized not only in his story but in the gracious way in which he told it with strikingly clear recollection and distinct detail, as if it had only just happened the other day. And while there is a sense of humor, in his retelling of particular experiences, it is that of a wry smile, a pause for the audience to acknowledge, absorb, maybe even laugh. What is clearly lacking is a false sense of pride or outright self-indulgence for his own entertainment; he isn’t in any way boastful in his retelling, he doesn’t glorify his story or pride himself in his actions, these are simply the facts of one man’s extraordinary life:

Had I been brilliant, had I been a genius, I don’t know that I would have found it necessary to break the law in order to just simply survive. And while I know that people are fascinated by what I did 40 years ago as a teenage boy, I’ve always looked back on what I did as something that was immoral, illegal, unethical & a burden I live with every day of my life… I always knew I’d get caught, only a fool would think otherwise. The law sometimes sleeps, but the law never dies,
it was just a matter of time.

I was very fortunate because I grew up in a country that gives everyone a second chance.
I owe my country 800x more than I could ever possibly repay it for these past 36 years. That is why I’m at the FBI today, 26 years past my legal obligation to do so. I have turned down 3 pardons from 3 sitting presidents of the united states, because I do not believe, nor will i ever believe, that a piece of paper will excuse my actions; that only in the end my actions will.

- Frank Abagnale

One of the things that was completely fascinating was that from the moment Frank stood at the podium, he started telling a story, his story, and he didn’t stop until it was over. Frank has turned down three presidential pardons in his lifetime, but believes that what he did in his youth is simply something he has to live with, he wasn’t some master criminal, he was just a kid, smart with really good luck, who made some bad choices in a tough spot. In the words of Stephen Spielberg “Frank Abagnale isn’t the man he is today because of what he did in his late teens; he is the man he is today because of what he’s done since to make up for it.”

Towards the end of the Q&A, Frank also gave some great advice to help stem identity theft related to social media, including the three pieces of information he never shares and the types of photo he will and will not post. You can listen to the talk on sxsw.com which includes embedded audio of the entire talk, I highly recommend listening to this intensely humanizing story that if nothing else, will leave you with plenty to think about.

"Technology breeds crime, I'm sorry to say that what I did 40 years ago is 4,000 times easier to do today" - Frank Abagnale #sxsw

March 10, 2012 6:04 pm via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

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Catch Me If You Can:
Frank Abagnale 10 Years Later

From the program: Frank Abagnale’s rare expertise began more than 40 years ago when he was known as one of the world’s most famous confidence men. Between the ages of 16 and 21, he successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in the French, Swedish and U. S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies. Frank has now been associated with the FBI for over 35 years. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. Frank’s exploits were depicted in the movie Catch Me If You Can, based on Frank’s best-selling book. In this session, he’ll describe his life, both during the time covered in his well known story, as well as covering what he’s up to these days.

Hear the Audio online now.

SXSW Digital Debauchery with Anthony Bourdain Storify

Kara LaFleur — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:31:20 +0000

Featuring the cast and crew of Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain this session was funny, informative, insightful and full of stories that any social media manager can relate to; but one of the best parts of the session, was the social media activity surrounding the event itself. At one point the #sxbourdain hashtag was trending on twitter worldwide.

This storify highlights the best parts of that back channel, complete with tweets, links, videos, quotes, and more. Enjoy!

You can also view this storify in it’s entirety in stream form (if slides aren’t your thing). This session’s audio is available on the event page:

Digital Debauchery with Anthony Bourdain

Meet chef, author & television personality Anthony Bourdain and the crew behind the award-winning series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, who help Tony oversee the show’s social media presence.

Tony and his trusted sidekicks will discuss how he utilizes social media —Twitter, Facebook, blogs, et al. — to directly communicate his unique and unfiltered P.O.V. to fans of the show, and to the world at large.

We’ll also look at how social media and the digital audience is changing the overall game for TV, and how it directly impacts both the show and how Tony converses with his audience.

From ‘LiveTwatting’ wrap parties on the road (read: shots of toilets abroad) to propagating food porn online to live-streaming a pub crawl — all is fair game as we present an unprecedented & uncensored behind-the-scenes access to No Reservations.

This panel also includes a Q&A with Tony and crew — and as always with Tony, nothing is off-limits. #sxsw #Bourdain #sxbourdain
Listen at sxsw.com

WOOHOO!

Kara LaFleur — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:40:48 +0000

March 8th is International Women’s Day!

Last week, while getting ready for my first foray to SXSW Interactive, I found the above image of suffragettes party-ing it up after being released from jail in 1909. I immediately sent it to some of the lovely ladies from the Indy Hall crew who I’ll be bunking with for the conference, with the caption:

One week from now, THIS will be us!

And while dudes still far out number the ladies at these types of events, we’ll be sure to hold our own & come back with lots of tech goodies. We’re packing up & heading to Austin tomorrow & I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends & making a few new ones!

What do suffragettes have to do with a tech conference?

We live in an amazing world where women really can be or do whatever they can dream up, including kicking ass all over the internet and the world at large. A lot of things are possible for girls like me because the amazing, strong, inspiring women that came before us believed that women had the right to vote, to be treated like equal citizens, to lead revolutions, to write code, to build business empires, to have children (or not have children), and most importantly to live life on their own terms.

Hopefully we won’t be facing jail-time for our shenanigans, but I do plan on pouring one out for my original home-girls, the suffragettes. Keeping in mind that none of what I’m doing now would’ve been possible without a few passionate rabble rousers like the ladies in that photo. Because of them I have choices, I have things my mother’s mother never would have dreamed of, and I want to fight the good fight for my generation as well as the ladies of our shared future.

Reinventing Feminism

While looking for more heroines to celebrate on Women’s Day I found Courtney Martin’s TED talk: Reinventing Feminism on the 3 paradoxes facing the reinvention of the modern women’s movement. Just as the feminism of our mothers doesn’t fit the new world order we are able to enjoy as a result of their efforts, the women’s rights movement of the 60′s & 70′a fought a different battle from the suffragettes, and we can only hope that the next generation will have a new battle to fight some day. Feminism is relative, and takes different forms all over the world, including places where women still cook over open fires and worry more about the dirt floor than dreaming about a glass ceiling. While we might be feeling progressive, it’s important to remember that there are people fighting a hard battle every day and that many of them are women who deserve our support.

How are you celebrating International Women’s Day?

You Are What You Read.

Kara LaFleur — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:17:51 +0000

A few weeks ago, I went on a massively liberating unsubscribe-spree, I made the hard-line decision that if I could get the news somewhere else, it had no place taking up space in my inbox. I dusted off my RSS reader, added event calendars to my google apps, followed & liked several organizations on twitter & facebook, opted out of newsletters & set most user groups into respective digest modes. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but man, did it feel good not to have an email monster looming over me every morning.

As a direct result of this newly freed up inbox bandwidth, I found myself subscribing to more news on subjects that I truly care about, the things that I wanted to find on purpose, rather than by happenstance. Fast Company, Good, Atlantic Cities, Inc & others now provide me with a daily dose of reality beyond my usual and immediate experience of social sharing as it had previously existed.

There are a lot of hard decisions in life…

choosing to live with intent is not one of them

These small changes in how I consume news means kicking-off every day by devoting time & energy on tech, community, business, and innovation articles in a more purposefully driven way. As a result, I’m seeing a huge impact on the work I do, as well as my health and well being. Now when I sit down to GSD I find myself solving problems more creatively, with more energy and enthusiasm. I’m excited again, because every day my world gets bigger and better.

Sidenote: while I’m sure making the pew, pew, pew sounds during the purging process was completely unnecessary, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Check out what I’ve been reading this week

Follow me on twitter or follow my weekly digest on Paper.li

What are your go-to news sources that you get main-lined into your inbox or straight to the top of your RSS reader?

Share them in the comments below!

IgnitePhilly9 2/16/12

Kara LaFleur — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:43:43 +0000

With a good mix of civics, arts, culture and sustainability, (and of course, beer) it goes without saying that I’m excited for the upcoming IgnitePhilly at Johnny Brenda’s. I’m stoked both for all the familiar faces on the roster, as well as for people & projects I’m less familiar with but looking forward to learning more about!

My good friend Emaleigh Doley will be talking about the amazing work she does with her sister, Ainé Doley, about what one neighborhood can do to change its fate on W. Rockland Street in Philadelphia. Yasmine Mustafa, organizer of the local chapter of GirlDevilopIt, a series of classes on web design and development that caters to people of a feminine persuasion by creating a safe and open space for learning how to make the internet happen, will be representing as well.

I’ve been happily composting with Bennett Compost for several months now, and I’m excited that more people will be hearing about this amazingly easy door to door service for sustainability & general do-goodery. And if you’ve been following along, I’m super jazzed about the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, which just recently announced it’s exciting new location. Darla & Justin are sweethearts, whom I absolutely adore and I know that the crowd will too!

I’ve long been a fan of the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia, and I’m excited about what Sarah Clark Stuart will be talking about. And ever since her talk at at TEDxPhilly, I’ve been excited about Diana Lind’s ideas for dismantling I-95 (an idea also championed by ignitephilly organizer Geoff Dimasi) in favor of extending the city limits “river to river” and taking back our city’s waterfront.

Here’s the exciting official line up for IgnitePhilly 9!

Part of a larger, worldwide network that entertains and educates people in short 5 minute bursts; this local group highlights great ideas coming to life in Philadelphia. These talks are a ’spark’ if you will, they are lightning fast and leave people with a new idea to mull over and talk about.

Tim Bennett of Bennett Composting
AJ Beyer Game Developer
Ali Blum of Kelly Writers House at UPenn
Sarah Clark Stuart of Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Keya Dannenbaum of ElectNext
Emaleigh and Aine Doley of W. Rockland Street
Doogie Horner stand-up comedian
Darla Jackson & Justin Grant of the Sculpture Gym

Simon Kim of Immersive Kinematics at UPenn
Diana Lind Urbanist & Writer
Dave Martorana Developer & all around awesome dude
Varissa McMickens of Arts Rising
Jessica Moore of Philadelphia Cow Share
Yasmine Mustafa GirlDevlopItPhilly Organizer
Pam Selle Webivore
Andrew Simonet of Headlong Theater

Got a ticket to Ignite Philly 9 you can't use? Let @ignitephilly know, they'll help you match it up with someone who would love to go!

February 14, 2012 2:59 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite

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Stay Connected with IgnitePhilly!

Web: ignitephilly.org
Facebook: facebook.com/group
Twitter: @ignitephilly

InLiquid’s Annual Benefit v.12

Kara LaFleur — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:47:03 +0000

The Annual InLiquid Benefit is back with three chances to get your party d’art on this February, just in time to ward of the winter blues & shake out the cabin fever. The curated silent auction is legendary as a great way to build your personal art collection and stock up on killer items & gift certificates from businesses all over the city, all while also helping out a good cause & a local arts organization.

InLiquid serves as a public hub for arts information and resources, both online and off while making the visual arts more accessible to a broader audience.

Get your tickets today & check out more info from InLiquid below!

InLiquid Annual Benefit 2012

Our annual silent auction benefit is InLiquid’s biggest fundraising event, and continues to grow in popularity, attracting a diverse audience of collectors, artists, art lovers, and professionals. Once again, it will be held in the vast Ice Box Project Space of the Crane Arts Building, located in the burgeoning New Kensington arts district just above Northern Liberties.

Young Professionals Preview Party
Thursday February 9, 6-9pm

VIP Preview Party & Main Event
Friday February 10, 6-10pm

Anti-Valentine’s Day Party
sponsored by The Food Trust
Tuesday, February 14, 6-9

Details:

Tickets

Events

Artists

Auction

Food & Drink

Volunteer

Location: Icebox Project Space, Crane Arts
1400 N. American Street, Philadelphia [map]

We could use your help. Volunteer positions available for InLiquid's Annual Benefit v.12 Find out here: http://t.co/3CO9nZaL

February 1, 2012 11:37 pm via HootSuite ReplyRetweetFavorite

@inliquidart

InLiquid

Kara LaFleur

Tactical Urbanism Salon Philadelphia 4/28/12

Tactical Urbanism Short-term Action // Long-term Change

So Many Things, Spring 2012

Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby & Trenton Avenue Arts Festival

Past Events (that were totally awesome!)

What events, going-ons or happenings are you looking forward to this spring?

Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Adirondacks Spring Adventure

Beautiful weather, awesome friends, and good beer! Check out the photo set on Flickr.

When’s your “Go Time”?

- Albert Einstein

Get while the gettins’ good

So… When’s your “Go Time” and how do you make the most of it in your day-to-day work life?

Frank Abagnale SXSW 2012

- Frank Abagnale

SXSW Digital Debauchery with Anthony Bourdain Storify

WOOHOO!

What do suffragettes have to do with a tech conference?

Reinventing Feminism

How are you celebrating International Women’s Day?

You Are What You Read.

There are a lot of hard decisions in life…

choosing to live with intent is not one of them

Check out what I’ve been reading this week

What are your go-to news sources that you get main-lined into your inbox or straight to the top of your RSS reader?

Share them in the comments below!

IgnitePhilly9 2/16/12

Here’s the exciting official line up for IgnitePhilly 9!

Simon Kim of Immersive Kinematics at UPenn Diana Lind Urbanist & Writer Dave Martorana Developer & all around awesome dude Varissa McMickens of Arts Rising Jessica Moore of Philadelphia Cow Share Yasmine Mustafa GirlDevlopItPhilly Organizer Pam Selle Webivore Andrew Simonet of Headlong Theater

InLiquid’s Annual Benefit v.12

Get your tickets today & check out more info from InLiquid below!

Young Professionals Preview Party Thursday February 9, 6-9pm

VIP Preview Party & Main Event Friday February 10, 6-10pm

Anti-Valentine’s Day Party sponsored by The Food Trust Tuesday, February 14, 6-9

Tactical Urbanism
Short-term Action // Long-term Change

Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby &
Trenton Avenue Arts Festival

Beautiful weather, awesome friends, and good beer!
Check out the photo set on Flickr.

Simon Kim of Immersive Kinematics at UPenn
Diana Lind Urbanist & Writer
Dave Martorana Developer & all around awesome dude
Varissa McMickens of Arts Rising
Jessica Moore of Philadelphia Cow Share
Yasmine Mustafa GirlDevlopItPhilly Organizer
Pam Selle Webivore
Andrew Simonet of Headlong Theater

Young Professionals Preview Party
Thursday February 9, 6-9pm

VIP Preview Party & Main Event
Friday February 10, 6-10pm

Anti-Valentine’s Day Party
sponsored by The Food Trust
Tuesday, February 14, 6-9