Name: Ignite! Reception
Start: 2026-10-21T17:00:00-0700
End: 2026-10-21T19:00:00-0700

Wednesday October 21, 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT

Our signature welcome event, Ignite, showcases a series of rapid-fire talks from creative thinkers in the museum field. Expect lots of energy with fresh, inspiring, and timely ideas from familiar faces and emerging voices in the field and beyond. Talks follow the “Ignite” format, in which presenters have five minutes and 20 slides (which advance automatically every 15 seconds) to enlighten, entertain, and inspire. Hear from several brave and visionary speakers sharing their experiences in a wide variety of disciplines.

One Team: Better Museums Through Collaboration
Miranda Kerr

Lessons In Risk Management from an Avid Baker
Isabel Cuellar

Getting There: Female Pleasure as a Model for Transformative Museum Experiences
Sarah Wambold

Before I Tell You What I Learned
Sherman Bausch

Can Technology Replace My Mom?
Nina Callaway

Museum Network Mycelium Network
Andrea Montiel de Shuman

Can We Still Trust Digital History
Sonya Norman

How to Touch Grass
María-Elisa Heg

This reception is included in the registration cost; no separate ticket is required. Light appetizers and beverages will be provided. Each attendee will get one drink ticket.

Moderators

nikhil trevedi

Director of Engineering, The Art Institute of Chicago

nikhil trevedi is the Director of Engineering at The Art Institute of Chicago as well as a facilitator, educator, and community builder. His experience planning and executing complex web projects has also brought him to work with institutions to create concrete plans around the healing... Read More →

Speakers

María-Elisa Heg

Digital Content Manager, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

María-Elisa Heg is Houston Center for Contemporary Craft's Digital Content Manager, a cartoonist and co-organizer with Zine Fest Houston, a proud Mom, and a passionate early music enthusiast. She has worked in the field of craft since 2018, where she served as the Windgate Curatorial... Read More →

Andrea Montiel de Shuman

Independent

Nina Callaway

Head of Narrative Strategy, Bluecadet

Nina Callaway is Head of Narrative Strategy at Bluecadet, where she focuses on exhibition storytelling and media-rich visitor experiences for cultural institutions. She has shaped narratives across film, digital, and spatial environments for projects with the Metropolitan Museum of... Read More →

Miranda Kerr

Head of Learning Innovation, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Since 2023, Miranda Kerr has been the Head of Learning Innovation at the Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, whose mission is to create a positive relationship between people and nature. She is passionate about environmental education, museum-based learning... Read More →

Isabel Cuellar

Community & Partner Success Manager, Bloomberg Connects

Isabel Cuellar works on the Bloomberg Connects program, helping facilitate and execute various community, research, and professional development initiatives for 1400 cultural partners worldwide. Her background in business and the arts has allowed her to work cross functionally to... Read More →

Sherman Bausch

Co-founder and CEO, Cappption

Sherman Bausch is the co-founder and CEO of Capption, an assistive technology company dedicated to enhancing accessibility for museum exhibitors. Born with a visual impairment that makes reading wall information challenging, Sherman has a personal understanding of the need for inclusive... Read More →

Sarah Wambold

Principal and Co-Founder, Headroom Media

Sarah Wambold is a producer with 20 years of experience in museums and arts nonprofits, where she builds strategies, leads teams, and advances digital engagement in the cultural sector. Her work prioritizes authentic connections with audiences. Through storytelling and strategy, she... Read More →

Sonya Norman

Student, Academy of Art University

Sonya Norman is an emerging cybersecurity professional exploring how digital trust, AI, and cybersecurity intersect with cultural preservation and public institutions.

Wednesday October 21, 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
The Point at Pier 70 2801 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121

Special Event

MCN 2026