Why do I care about Reno’s history? If you read through my blog, the answer is pretty clear. Researching and interpreting Reno’s history for the public has become central to my professional life, and something of a personal crusade. You can read more about how all of that started here and elsewhere on this site, and I hope you do!

Ignite Reno, Cargo, November 20, 2014

But why should you care about Reno’s history? I addressed that question recently in a talk for Ignite Reno, held at Cargo in the Whitney Peak Hotel in downtown Reno on November 20th. If you’re not familiar with the format, Ignite presenters are given five minutes to speak on a subject of their choice–something that really fires them up–backed by 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. On this night, fourteen of us spoke on topics ranging from digital publishing to how lessons from cycling can make us a better community.

Ignite Reno speakers, Cargo, November 20, 2014

I geared my talk toward the local Reno audience, but my general points can apply to any location. History is every place’s most unique asset, and caring about it, promoting it, and preserving it, can help us make our places more walkable, more meaningful, and more community-oriented.

You can watch the 5-minute video here and the full powerpoint presentation here: Ignite Reno Powerpoint.  I hope you enjoy, and perhaps feel a little more inspired to care about the history in your community, wherever that may be.