Have you heard about Ignite? Ignite Madison is a high-energy evening of presentations by people who have an idea, concept, or story - and the guts - to get onstage and share it with their fellow Madisonians. Ignite Madison has been held since 2013 - started by local residents Jocelyn Vande Velde and Philip Crawford. The two saw an opportunity in the Madison area for people to connect, share stories and be inspired by each other - and so, Ignite Madison was born. Since inception, each Ignite has a theme that ties all the presenters and their presentations together. While past events have covered topics like craftsmanship, food, sports or sustainability, this upcoming January's Ignite focuses on 'Getting Away.' 'Getting Away' will take place on Tuesday, January 19th, at 6:30pm at the High Noon Saloon. The stories shared will be from ten individuals who have found or continue to find unique ways to step away from their current lifestyle, home, day-to-day routine, mindset and more for a multitude of reasons. When the presenters share their stories at Ignite, it's entertainment, education and an adrenaline rush! Presenters are backed by 20 slides (which auto-advance every 15 seconds) for a total presentation of only 5 minutes. Ignite is about telling a story more than presenting a pitch so no notecards or lectures here, but a brief look into the lives of others. Past events have had speakers covering topics from pet portraits to polish cooking, entrepreneurism to eco-warriors, and have packed the High Noon Saloon (701 E. Washington Avenue, Madison) with around 200 attendees at each event. Beyond being a great learning and entertaining event, Ignite also includes DJ Mike Carlson, social and bar time and a raffle with prizes from great local businesses. Find out what this event's door prizes are at www.ignitemadison.org. Ignite Madison is philanthropic in nature, with all proceeds going to a charity that represents each event's theme. Past charities have included Sustain Dane, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Community Action Coalition. For January's 'Getting Away', the partner charity will be Arts Wisconsin. Arts Wisconsin is Wisconsin's community cultural development and citizen action organization concerned with access to the arts and the arts as essential to economic vitality, education for the 21st century, healthy, vibrant communities, and engaged residents everywhere in the state. To attend, purchase tickets ahead of time for $9 at www.ignitemadison.org, or at the door for $14. Additionally, Ignite has a limited amount of special group packages available with 5 tickets for $25. The event will be filmed and live streamed by Hinckley Productions http://hinckleyproductions.com/live/. Inspired by Ignite. If you are interested in being a sponsor by donating money or a raffle prize to upcoming events, please contact Giovanna Couey. More information can be found at www.ignitemadison.org.