Innovation Collective holds first Silver Valley event
Photo by JOSH MCDONALD Don Rumpel (left) awaits a question from host Simon Miller during the Innovation Collective Silver Valley’s first Fireside Chat event at the Broken Wheel in Kellogg last Wednesday.
KELLOGG — It was a night of sharing and learning at the Innovation Collective (IC) Silver Valley’s first Fireside Chat event at the Broken Wheel last Wednesday.
The concept of these fireside chats is to hear about innovation and progress within the local community. The chats were modeled off IC Coeur d’Alene, which has been hosting the monthly events for some time now.
Each event features a guest speaker who participates in a live question-and-answer-style interview discussing their experiences in the constantly changing and developing world.
Don Rumpel, owner of Kellogg Plastics, was the guest speaker at the inaugural event discussing his own innovation and how he has found success as a industry pioneer in the Silver Valley.
Rumpel holds multiple patents and is the inventor of the Cane Butler and various clips for holding holiday lights in place. Kellogg Plastics was the first distributor of LED lights in the country.
The Innovation Collective’s Grace Stamsos felt the first Silver Valley Fireside Chat went pretty well.
“This was our first official IC Silver Valley event. And for a group of people all not knowing what to expect or how to really set things up, I am very proud of our team,” Stamsos said. “I think, given the group of people that were there, we can expect an even better turnout at our next event.”
Rumpel’s storytelling and vast amounts of knowledge were excellent and made for easy listening, but Stamsos believes the setting of the event makes it one that people will feel comfortable sharing in as Rumpel did.
“The high point for me was the speaker,” Stamsos said. “I think because the meeting was in such a relaxed setting, he was really comfortable sharing his story. And because he was so comfortable, the entire group was able to glean some real-world experiences from him. Before the event, he seemed unsure whether anyone would really care what he had to say. And by the end of it he left feeling heard, valued and sure his stories could make an impact on the members of his community. And that's the whole point of a fireside chat.”
Innovation Collective Silver Valley will host a Fireside Chat on the second Wednesday of each month, with the next one being Nov. 14.
Follow the Innovation Collective Silver Valley Facebook page for more information.