IGNITE! 2025 Session: Catch the VIBE during breaks, Friday, September 26, at Cintas Center
Catch the VIBE: IGNITE Experience Lounge Opportunities
Make every moment count.
IGNITE! 2025 is about more than our amazing speakers! In addition to ample breaks to allow for networking, recharging, checking in, and taking care of YOU, we’ve curated an amazing roster of Partners who are helping make the whole experience VIBE! We are excited to share some exceptional opportunities for you to take advantage of during your extended 30+ minute breaks. Scroll down for a sneak peek, and please be sure to visit all of our phenomenal Sponsoring Partners – the experience would flatline without them!
OPPORTUNITIES
Ever wished you could have a professional record and produce a quality video clip of yourself introducing your business and/or services? Brian Erickson and Cincinnati Podcast Studio are offering to do just that during breaks at IGNITE! Swing by and grab the mic – it’s first-come, first-served, so when you see your chance, take it!
Brian Erickson
Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner, Cincinnati Podcast Studio
With 13 years of video production experience, Brian has traveled the world creating content for everything from multi-billion dollar organizations to small mom-and-pop businesses. He spent a large portion of his career working for a large, Cincinnati-based church as their technical director and on set with their video team. Then he founded his own video agency, Renegade Reels, which helps small businesses make awesome video content. He is married to his wife, Heidi, and has two fantastic kids who are giving him a run for his money. When he’s not making videos, you’ll find him binge-watching his favorite shows (currently Ted Lasso and Ryan Trahan’s 50 in 50) and lounging in his $25 inflatable pool. He used to be in a band that only knew one song and didn’t play it all that well. Josh and he became friends when they were 10 years old, and their families have been having Thanksgiving together ever since. Connect with Brian on LinkedIn.
We are giving away 100 copies of Nick Glimsdahl’s NEW book, The Heart of Service! Nick will be on hand to chat, sign your book, and exchange ideas about how to use AI to empower the humans at the center of customer service. Books are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and Nick will only be in the lounge in the morning, so be sure to visit early!
Nick Gliimsdahl
Author, The Heart of Service, Senior Account Executive, VDS,and Podcaster, Press1forNick
Nick Glimsdahl helps customer service leaders cut through the noise and make clear, confident decisions in a fast-changing market. At VDS, he advises teams on high-impact moves in cloud contact centers (CCaaS), AI, and digital transformation—always with a focus on better customer experiences, stronger agent support, and measurable business results. He is the author of The Heart of Service: A Business Parable for Customer Service in the Age of AI and the host of the Press 1 For Nick podcast, where he talks with executives, bestselling authors, and tech leaders about the future of customer service. Known for turning complex concepts into practical next steps, Nick and the VDS team guide companies through platform selection, responsible AI adoption, and long-term strategies that keep people—not just technology—at the center. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn.
If you participate in the Workshop on Thursday, you’ll see the incredible work done in real time by the artists at Upstream 360. During conference breaks, Mike and his team welcome attendees to stop by for a live vibe snapshot. First-come, first-served – stop by to see how you’re showing up and see what we see!
Mike Thoomas
CEO and Owner, Upstream 360
Innovation Leader with 18 years experience in R&D, Marketing, Innovation Strategy, Products Research, Product Design, Market Research, Digital Content Creation, Connect & Develop, & External Relations.
• Extensive Global Experience in Beauty and Personal Care such as Hair Care (Pantene), Antiperspirants/Deodorants (Secret, Gillette, Old Spice), and Body Wash
• Led Multi-Functional Teams of 15-25 Innovators, Scientists, Engineers, and Marketers to Deliver a Broad Portfolio of Commercial, Technical, and Consumer Innovation.
• Extensive research, strategic planning, and insight generation in Low Income Markets (India, Brazil, China)
As Innovators… “We are architects of new products and experiences… as well as expert story tellers and translators of our technology to the consumer”
BrandRank will be available during breaks, with the platform primed to share B2B and B2C case studies. They’re offering custom assessments for 3 lucky winners (delivered after the conference) to see how YOUR brand’s Answer Engine visibility, vulnerability, and content readiness. Are you nervous? Excited? We bet you’re at least curious. ENTER HERE for a chance to win!
Pete Blackshaw
Founder and CEO, BrandRank.AI
Pete Blackshaw is Co-founder and CEO of BrandRank.AI, a fast growing start-up on a mission to help brands measure, protect, and grow trust through the power of AI-driven search and discovery, especially in high-consequence areas such as sustainability, product performance, data and AI usage, supply chain, and service. Most recently, Pete was CEO of Cintrifuse, a syndicate “fund of funds” and startup incubator created by P&G, Kroger, Western & Southern and other major entities in the Greater Cincinnati region. He previously served as VP of Digital Innovation and Service Models, and earlier Global Head of Digital Marketing. & Social Media, at Nestle, S.A.s global headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland. Pete pioneered Nestle’s industry-recognized Digital Acceleration Team (DAT), the Silicon Valley Innovation Outpost (SVIO). the HENRi Open Innovation platform, and the migration of 210,000 employees to the Facebook Workplace collaboration platform. He served as CMO of NM Incite, a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey centering around enterprise social media strategy and insights. He is author of a book by Doubleday entitled “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000: Running a Business in Today’s Consumer-Driven World,” and periodically authors columns in Advertising Age centered around the book’s themes. Pete founded PlanetFeedback.com <http://PlanetFeedback.com> , one of the web’s first consumer-feedback portals, and co-founded the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA). He recently served as Chairman of the Board of the National Council of Better Business Bureaus and in that capacity sat on the National Advertising Review Council. He’s a 2016 Mediapost “Online All Star” recipient, a 2014 inductee of the World of Mouth Marketing Hall of Fame, and a 2010 Grand Prize winner of the “Great Minds” award from the Advertising Research Foundation. Pete is a graduate of Harvard Business School and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Connect with Pete on LinkedIn.
SPONSORSHIP/PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
LEVERAGE OUR PLATFORM
We have Ignite Sponsorships and other Chapter Partnership opportunities (both cash and in-kind) available! To support our nonprofit volunteer effort and collaborate with us to create the ideal value exchange, contact partnerships@amacincinnati.org!
