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Reflectivities

Event Time

Sunday, September 18, 2011

10:00-16:00

Evolution/Revolution: a summary of ideas & experiences, filmed during the reflectivities.

Produced by:
The 520collective - http://520collective.org and Danby 4 - http://www.danby4.com

Within our EPIC community, we are all explorers of ideas embedded in the junctures of people, place and time. This year EPIC introduces Reflectivities - an opportunity to collectively explore and draw inspiration from locally embedded experiences to reflect upon Evolution & Revolution in our community of practice. Boulder provides a rich array of opportunities to explore metaphors, principles, and dynamics surrounding Evolution and Revolution while immersing in local experiences of past and present. We encourage you to bring your sense of play and insightfulness to participate in a Reflectivity of your choice on Sunday, September 18th - and join the conversation around Evolution & Revolution. Here's how it will work: - We have arranged a diverse set of opportunities to venture forth into the Boulder community and visit local people and places. You decide which Reflectivity you would like to participate in, and sign up on the website. - Each Reflectivity group will be asked to reflect upon some core concepts around Evolution & Revolution, and to share with the community photos, thoughts, insights in real-time via your mobile devices. - We will aggregate all of your insights and share them back to the community during the conference. - Closer to the conference, you will be emailed details for name/contact of your Reflectivity leader, meeting time, meeting location, final costs (if any) and any other logistical details. SIGNUPS HAVE NOW CLOSED, BUT CHECK BACK AT THE REGISTRATION DESK ON SUNDAY TO CHECK FOR OPEN SPOTS.

Bcycle: Bike Sharing for The Last Mile

Bcycle is a "next generation bike sharing system" that replaces the need for a car for short trips in, and around, urban areas. Formed by a partnership between Trek Bicycle, Humana, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky, this nonprofit believes that bicycles should be a vehicle for positive health and environmental change. This Reflectivity will be hosted by two B-cycle employees. We'll visit a Boulder Bcycle station, go through the experience of renting a bike for the first time, and do a leisurely short tour of downtown Boulder. Then, we'll discuss the Bcycle design research process -- and the learnings that affected everything from the bicycle construction to the mobile interface.

Cost: $6 bicycle rental
Time: 1:00-3:00 pm (may change)
Special instructions: Wear comfortable clothes.

Chautauqua & Boulder County Open Space

One of the unique characteristics of Boulder is the amount of protected open space surrounding town. Boulder County Open Space has a long and often politicized history. Come take a walk at Chautauqua, a preserved area on the edge of Boulder that encompasses the beautiful flatirons. Chautauqua was purchased in1898, when the Boulder Valley stretched wide and mostly unspoiled from the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to the far horizon of the plains. We will be guided by two of Boulder's Volunteer Naturalists who will teach us about the natural history (geology, plants, animals, ecology) of the area, and talk a bit about the politics of open space.

Cost: Free
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
Special instructions: We will divide into two groups at Chautauqua: an "easy" walk and a more "moderate" level of hiking. Weather in the Rocky Mountains can change quickly, so please bring a light backpack with a sweater, sun hat, rain gear, sunscreen, and LOTS of water.

Location:

Chautauqua

Historic Walker Ranch Tour

Get a tour of the historic Walker Ranch from Boulder County's Volunteer Cultural Interpreters. The ranch, settled in 1882, was one of the biggest cattle ranches in this part of Colorado. You will get a chance to visit the homestead, view artifacts from life in the Wild West, and learn about how this area has changed over time. The ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located on a beautiful piece of land in Boulder's foothills.

Cost: Free
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
Special instructions: Weather in the Rocky Mountains can change quickly, so please bring a light backpack with a sweater, sun hat, rain gear, sunscreen, and LOTS of water.

Location:

Walker Ranch

Nederland Past and Present

Take a walk through Rocky Mountain mining history and take a ride on a modern interpretation of a historic carousel. This group will travel by public bus (20 minute ride) up scenic Boulder Canyon to the mountain village of Nederland, disembark for a walk around the historic town and visit the Mining Museum and local shops. The group will end with a ride on the Carousel of Happiness, a 25-year long project of local artist Scott Harrison who has created a modern take on an antique carousel by restoring it with a global menagerie of hand-carved animals. We are also working to confirm an informal conversation with Scott, with the opportunity to hear more and ask questions about his project.

Cost: $10 per person should cover bus fare, museum admissions, and carousel ride
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Special instructions: Weather in the Rocky Mountains can change quickly, so please bring a light backpack with a sweater, sun hat, rain gear, sunscreen, and LOTS of water.

Location:

Nederland, CO

Yoga in the Wild

Participate in the Zen side of Boulderites and relax into a gentle yoga/stress release/meditation session at the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram, at the foot of Eldorado Canyon about 15 minutes from downtown Boulder. Open to all experience levels, we'll find sanctuary and fellowship in the beautiful meditation dome, adorned with sacred art and permeated by ‘shakti’ or spiritual energy. Then we'll enjoy tea and a brief tour of the ashram grounds -- including spaces designed for blending or separating different Eastern spiritual traditions. This Reflectivity is based on a popular Activity from the recent IxD11 conference held in Boulder in February.

Cost: $20
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Special instructions: Wear clothing appropriate for yoga.

Location:

Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram

Retrofitting Historical Homes

Like many cities, Boulder has a mix of housing stock ranging from 1890's mansions, to Craftsman bungalows, Mid-Century Modern tract homes to 1960's architectural experiments. What cultural factors influenced the design of the original houses? As sustainable energy technology evolves, to what extent should energy-efficient retrofits honor those influences? Join James Hewat, City of Boulder Urban Planner, for a custom bus tour of sustainable retrofit houses, including a LEED platinum house and a net-zero carbon house.

Cost: Free, donation requested.
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Volunteer Firefighting: the Future of Life and Death

What happens when the success of an interface literally does mean life or death? Come to a hands-on session at the Louisville Fire Station to see the products and software that firefighters and EMTs use every day, try out the way that the equipment is intended to be used, and learn how the culture of firefighting interacts with the design of equipment. You'll get to participate at three different stations: vehicle-based wayfinding, Fire SCBA use (personal air tanks), and the fire pump panel on an actual fire engine. This Reflectivity is based on a highly-rated similar Activity at the recent IxDA interaction11 conference. It's led by John Milanski, an industrial designer and human factors expert who is also a volunteer firefighter.

Cost: Free, donation requested.
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Location:

Louisville Fire Station, Louisville, CO

The Start-up Culture in Boulder

Join members of Boulder’s start-up community -- including representatives of TechStars, Unreasonable Institute, Startup Women, and bootstrap businesses -- as they discuss the relationship between location and entrepreneurialism, how to create businesses that cause evolutionary vs. revolutionary change, what it means to be an entrepreneur or a social entrepreneur, and how they envision success. Richard Florida and others have identified Boulder as one of the top cities in the US to create a start-up due to the fact that it has one of the highest concentrations of the “creative class”. Boulder’s dynamic start-up culture has been characterized as a “bottom-up revolution led by entrepreneurs” (Wadhwa, Businessweek 2010). In addition to technology, Boulder entrepreneurs also specialize in products and services related to organic food, lifestyle, sports, and outdoor activities. Local venture capital groups, such as the Foundry Group, invest in early-stage information technology companies (foundrygroup.com). Five years ago, they started TechStars, a start-up incubator program that mentors and funds a select group of new talent each year. The Unreasonable Institute (unreasonableinstitute.org) runs an intensive summer program for entrepreneurs from around the world who are dedicated to creating a significant social and environmental impact with their ventures. This reflectivity is hosted by Elizabeth Anderson-Kempe, a (recent) Boulder resident and partner in Artemis Research By Design. The format is an interactive panel discussion with opportunities for questions, conversation, and input from EPIC attendees.

Cost: Free
Time: 2:00-4:00 pm
Location: TBC
Number of attendees: 25

Reflectivities

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Reflectivities

EPIC Concierge Desk

where to stay

what to do

how to participate

stay connected