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    Young leaders brainstorming with sticky notes and laptops

    Ignite — UpDayton

    Community Innovation & Young Leaders Network • pitch ideas • build teams • launch impact

    Turn “What If” Into “We Did”

    Ignite is UpDayton’s accelerator for early-stage community ideas. Over a focused sprint, you’ll validate a problem, shape a solution, recruit a team, and launch a pilot that improves life in Dayton. Think pop-up public space, youth arts programming, micro-mobility experiments, or small-business boosts—Ignite helps you move fast, learn faster, and lead with purpose.

    You bring the spark. We bring coaching, microgrants, and a network that opens doors.

    Facilitator leading a design thinking workshop

    Team planning on a whiteboard

    Coach-Led Sprints

    Hands-on sessions in problem framing, user interviews, prototyping, budgets, and storytelling.

    Pitch night audience and presenter on stage

    Microgrants & Pitch Night

    Seed dollars to launch pilots, plus a public pitch to recruit partners and supporters.

    Volunteers activating a public space with art

    Launch & Measure

    Pilot in the neighborhood, gather feedback, and iterate with mentors and peers.

    Ignite Curriculum (4–6 Weeks)

    1. Discover: problem statement, stakeholders, equity lens, success metrics.
    2. Design: solution sketching, feasibility, budget & microgrant plan.
    3. Prototype: small tests, feedback loops, risk & safety planning.
    4. Storytell: brand, one-pager, 5-minute pitch, partner outreach.
    5. Launch: pilot day logistics, volunteer ops, measurement dashboard.

    Who Should Apply

    • Students and early-career pros eager to lead a first project.
    • Neighbors with a clear challenge and a spark of a solution.
    • Creatives, founders, and doers who learn by building.

    You can apply solo or as a duo—Ignite will help you recruit teammates.

    How to Apply (Simple & Fast)

    1. Submit: a 200–300 word idea summary with the community you aim to serve.
    2. Chat: 15-minute screening with an Ignite coach to refine scope and fit.
    3. Kickoff: join the cohort, meet mentors, and set your pilot date.

    Priority is given to ideas with clear community partners and equity-centered outcomes.

    Applicants sharing their ideas during a cohort kickoff

    What Success Looks Like

    1 Pilot
    Launched with safety & permits
    50+ Voices
    Residents engaged for feedback
    $2–5k
    In-kind or cash mobilized
    1 Pager
    Results & next steps documented

    *Adjust goals to your project scale and timeline.

    Project lead smiling at community event

    “Ignite gave me a roadmap and a team. We launched a weekend market pop-up that’s now a recurring neighborhood tradition.”

    — Ignite Alumni Project Lead

    Good to Know

    Time Commitment

    ~3–5 hrs/week across workshops, team time, and launch day.

    Team Size

    2–6 people; we help with recruitment and roles.

    Eligibility

    Open to all—students, residents, early-career pros, and neighbors.