I have been going to BarCamp every year since I moved to town in 2010 – I always meet new people, see interesting friends, and leave with a long list of ideas.

This year’s BarCamp was one of the most diverse events I’ve been to in a while.  I met students, professors, parents, teenagers, executives, creatives, job seekers, hiring managers, entrepreneurs, Nashville natives and recent transplants – women and men of all ages and colors.

Here are a few of my takeaways from BarCamp 2015:

• Alan Laidlaw – one of the most thoughtful product strategy minds in our community – led an interesting discussion about the future of the internet.

• Data scientist Pete Mancini (@nectarineimp) convinced us – using the principles of Game Theory – that hostile aliens are probably planning to attack the earth.

• I learned about the HTC Vive Experience downtown – I lost a game of rock-paper-scissors to my husband and he got to go, but we might not have known about this amazing opportunity otherwise.

• I got personalized coaching on my elevator pitch – in front of an entire group of people. It sounds like a nightmare, but presenter Carolyn German made it powerful, and very instructive.

• I met lots of people who recently moved to town. Nashville’s reputation as an IT-city has blessed us with some great talent.

Thanks to Edwin, Chuck, and the amazing crew that works to make BarCamp such a great event for our city.  I’m excited to see what’s next.