The first C3MD meeting of the year in January was an opportunity to discuss Higher Purpose, presented by Meghan Ogilvie, CEO of Dog Tag Inc. and Presidential Scholar. CEO of Dog Tag Inc., an organization whose purpose and business model embraces conscious business principles, helps build a bridge to bring business employment and productive civilian life for returning veterans with disabilities and caregivers that have served our country so well, through a small business venture, Dog Tag Bakery.
C3MD’s February event was “#Choose2BKind: Building Community Through the Exchange of Empathy,” presented by Allison Jessing, Events and Seminars Manager at Howard County Library System. She discussed HCLS’ Choose Civility initiative and the ongoing campaign to build community through open dialogue and the exchange of empathy. She also talked about HCLS’ experience of producing successful collaborative community events such as the Human Library and The Longest Table.
In March 2018, Julie Reisler, the founder and CEO of Empowered Living, LLC, a Life Design and Personal Development company, presented “The Power of Creating a Conscious Culture & Why It Matters.” March’s meeting was all about culture. The impact of adding consciousness to company culture pays dividends in overall employee engagement, attention, productivity, innovation, creativity, happiness, and success. We looked at various ways to add consciousness through mindfulness practices, giving opportunities, and appreciative inquiry.
The May 2018 event was a Conscious Cocktails highlighting Beth Sandbower Harbinson, The founder of Sobar – party with a purpose. Close to 20% of the adult population in the U.S. is in recovery from alcoholism or addiction or taking medications where drinking is contraindicated. And yet, there are few alternatives to alcohol that cater to those in recovery, designated drivers, or those who choose to live alcohol-free. It was when she was behind the scenes at a VIP Bar for a concert that Beth conceived of Sobar. Why not celebrate sobriety and offer innovative, sophisticated, even healthy non-alcoholic beverages at parties, festivals, sporting events, and concerts? Sobar is hoping to do just that: Kick-ass party – no booze! Beth has committed to local efforts focused on reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness and providing greater access to treatment resources. We met Beth and sampled some of her creations in the backyard of insight180.
June was Conscious Capitalism’s Planning Meeting. We hosted a planning meeting with the goal to solidify the events and meetings for Conscious Capitalism of Central Maryland for the next year. It was a working meeting to gather the ideas and to create an execution plan that generated the most interest.
Ignite Howard County #4 was in October of 2018 held at Jailbreak Brewing Company. Held every year, Ignite Howard County is a high-energy evening where the community comes together to share their passions! The goal is to create collisions of conversations & collaborations between people in our artistic, entrepreneurial, creative, technical, and innovative communities. Speakers teach us something, enlighten us, or simply inspire. The speakers for Ignite Howard County #4 were:
Rev. Brian Akers – Hidden in the Shadow of Mental Illness
Jeffrey Antkowiak – The Night I Found A Dead Man
Wendy Baird – The Storm Before the Calm
Anisa Cott – Let’s Talk About Race.
Thomas Grobicki – Why I Lost 110 lbs.
Allison Jessing – School is Out. Global Learning is In.
Rachel Lajoie – Almost an Astronaut’s Wife: Dreams, Vulnerability and Living a Life You Love
Lori Lilly – Saving the World with Charcoal and Plants
Sheela Reddy – Civil Assertion – A Cure for Relationship Violence
Elizabeth Richardson – Wake Up!
Greg Schuckman – Becoming Your Own Superhero
Arti Varanasi – From Idea to Impact: Curiosity in Action
You can view those videos here, and you can apply to speak by visiting the Ignite Howard County website.
The last meeting of 2018, in December, was Ignite Afterglow. At the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship, Ignite attendees were asked to come network, share thoughts about the event, learn about Conscious Capitalism, and even, begin developing their own Ignite Talk!