We are so excited to be having Jeff Shinabarger with us in March for the Ideation Conference! Jeff is a social entrepreneur, experienced designer and is always creating new cause-marketing ideas.  He is passionate about communicating the needs of the impoverished and connecting them with the privileged in our culture to determine what is enough in all of life. He recently launched Plywood People, an innovative community addressing social needs through sustainable goods, awareness campaigns, and creative services. His latest projects include starting a local coffee shop and a new form of giving: GiftCardGiver.com. Jeff and his wife, Andre, live in East Atlanta Village with their daughter, Jada.

Check out Jeff’s latest idea, Plywood Presents

Plywood Presents | August 6, 2010 from Proper Medium on Vimeo.

We are pleased to announce that Lee Fox, Founder of KooDooZ, will be joining us at the Ideation Conference. Passionate entrepreneur and humanitarian, Lee Fox is the founder of KooDooZ, a “cause-based” social networking site for kids ages 15 and under. Leveraging her professional background at the intersections of entertainment, technology and new media, Lee spent the last three years collaborating with students, parents and educators to create a learning environment which rewards kids for tackling humanitarian and community challenges.  KooDooZ soft-launched July 2010 and is certified by the White House to track the hours youth dedicate to serving their community.

Please take a moment to watch the following interview with Lee highlighting the work of KooDooZ. You can also visit the KooDooZ blog here.

We’re excited to have Ben Keesey, Executive Director and CEO of Invisible Children join us at the Ideation Conference!  Invisible Children began as a project of three young filmmakers from Southern California who traveled to Africa and discovered the tragic reality of night commuters and child soldiers in Uganda. Upon returning to the States, the three filmmakers released their footage as a documentary, and the film has since spawned an international movement reaching over three million people and building a network of over 750,000 supporters. Through this youth-based network, IC has raised over $25 million dollars for its development programs in Uganda and international awareness campaign to end Africa’s longest war.

Here’s a brief overview of the work of Invisible Children over the last two years.

The Ideation Conference is a creative gathering of innovative leaders from both the non-profit and for-profit world who desire to bring good to our world. We gather to share best practices, find avenues of intentional networking, and be inspired to continue on in doing good.

We will be hosting next year’s event at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA March 28-29, 2011. Our presenters will include Scott Belsky (Founder of Behance), Ben Keesey (CEO of Invisible Children), Rod Arnold (COO of charity: water), Lee Fox (Founder of KooDooz), Mark Horvath (Founder of InvisiblePeople.tv), Rob Morris (President of Love146) and many more.

Registration is NOW OPEN at our lowest price possible. In addition, we’re glad to announce the availability of partnership and sponsorship opportunities for next year’s event. Our partners and sponsors have addition access to some great benefits as well as exposure to an innovative crowd that is actually changing the face of our world. If you have interest in partnering with us, please click on the link below for our sponsors guide:

Ideation Conference Sponsors Guide

Whether you join us as a participant or sponsor, we anticipate a one-of-a-kind experience towards collaborative good. We look forward to seeing you in Long Beach!

The Ideation Conference 2011 (March 28-29) is coming together really well. This coming year’s theme will be “Love Human. Invest Good.” Our conversation will center around how both the non-profit and for-profit sectors can work together towards human good in our world.

The spirit of our work leans heavily towards intelligent action and development. On this note, we’re excited to announce that we’ve added some amazing thought leaders to our already stellar line up of presenters! Here are three more that have just been confirmed:

Scott Belsky – CEO of Behance & Creator of the 99% Conference

Rod Arnold – COO of charity: water

Keith Kall – Executive Director of National Foundation Corporation Development for World Vision

Our Special Web Offer tickets are going fast so don’t forget to register TODAY!

Sneak Peek: We also working on developing a special one-day event on the Wednesday (March 30th) after Ideation Conference with Scott Belsky on Making Ideas Happen. More information about this event will be available in a few weeks. Those attending Ideation Conference will receive a special invitation and discount for this event.

Yes, the Ideation Conference will be back in 2011! We are currently updating this website with the latest information about next year’s event March 28-29, 2011 in Long Beach, CA. It will include a special offer for those who want to save lots of money on registration by registering early.

Here’s a sneak peek to what we’re planning for 2011. Enjoy!

Our Theme – “Love Human. Invest Good.” – Our focus in 2011 will continue to center around the main concept of human care. More specifically, we will be facilitating a meaningful conversation about the partnering relationships and dynamics between individuals, companies, and organizations towards human good. Our presenters will share their thoughts on what Investing Good looks like in our world.

Our Venue – We will be hosting our 2011 conference at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach (aka MOLAA). MOLAA is truly inspiring, innovative, and will provide a creative environment for engagement. Just imagine… workshops in galleries, a film viewing room, and an amazing garden area that will facilitate a memorable setting for connecting with others. Parking is plentiful and several galleries & restaurants are all within walking distance.

Our Presenters – One Word: WOW! Here’s a growing list of people who have already confirmed to be a presenter at Ideation Conference (several more being confirmed):

Aaron Young | Executive Driector of Boys and Girls Club in Santa Monica

Ben Keesey | CEO of Invisible Children

Ben Morrison | Founder of Laugh-Aid, Former Co-Host of Punk’d

Chad Mayer | Executive Director of ShareFest

Chris Heuertz | International Executive Director of Word Made Flesh

Craig Watson | Executive Director of Arts Council for Long Beach

Esther Havens | Humanitarian Photographer

Jeff Shinabarger | Founder of Plywood People

Joel John Roberts | CEO of PATH (People Assisting the Homeless)

JR Kerr | Lead Architect for Aitreni Group

Lee Fox | Founder of KooDooZ

Mark Horvath | Founder of InvisiblePeople.tv

Mike Foster | Co-Founder of Plain Joe Studios

Nikole Lim | Founder of Freely in Hope

Rob Morris | Founder of Love146

Sam Oh | IT Director for Fresh & Easy

Sean Carasso | Founder of Falling Whistles

Tyler Marrick | Founder of Project7

Our Videos of 2010 – We will be releasing video content from our inaugural event in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

Sponsorship Opportunity – We are looking for a few more sponsors for our 2011 event. If interested, please download this document: Ideation Conference Synopsis & Sponsorship

Register Early – Space will be limited this year so please plan on registering early! Special rates will be available for non-profits, students, and groups (upon availability). Registration is NOW OPEN!

I believe that 2011 will take all of us to another level of experience and engagement. If you were there this past April, please let us know what you thought!

If you enjoyed what Beth Kanter had to share at the Ideation Conference, be sure to check out her new book, “The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change,” co-written by Allison Fine.  As described on Amazon.com: ”This groundbreaking book shows nonprofits a new way of operating in our increasingly connected world: a networked approach enabled by social technologies, where connections are leveraged to increase impact in effective ways that drive change for the betterment of our society and planet.”

Both Beth and Allison will be participating in book launch events in the next couple of weeks, including a free webinar hosted by Care2 later today (2 PM EST) and a virtual launch party on June 21st.

Keith Kall, Executive Director of Corporate Engagement at World Vision, joins Jena Iwata Andres to talk about the unique journey that has brought him to the role he now serves at World Vision, and to share his humble perspective on one of the most basic elements of his line of work.

!deation Conference 2010 : Keith Kall (World Vision) from Ideation on Vimeo.

Greg Russinger, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Just One, stops by to talk with Jena Iwata Andres about the power of story and shares one out of the many moving stories that Just One has been a part of through their commitment to producing “everyday ideas for human care.”

!deation Conference 2010: Greg Russinger (JustOne) from Ideation on Vimeo.

Lee Fox, Founder of KooDooZ, joins Jena Iwata Andres to talk about family, a unique item she collects from her travels, and just a few stories (out of many!) about how KooDooZ has helped empower kids to do good in their communities.

!deation 2010: Lee Fox (KooDooZ) from Ideation on Vimeo.