Aflac VP to speak at Columbia innovation event

The speakers for next week’s Ignite! 2015 celebration will include the executive vice president of the Aflac insurance company; the stars of “2 Fat 2 Fly” on the Oprah Winfrey Network; and a Columbia husband-wife architect team.

Ignite, presented by EngenuitySC, is billed as the region’s annual celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic competitiveness. It will be held Nov. 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the USC Alumni Center, 900 Senate St. The cost is $55. For more information, visit www.engenuitysc.com/ignite.

Among the speakers next week:

▪ Dan Lebish, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Aflac Group Insurance, will speak about how Aflac grew so quickly locally.

▪ Ramone Dickerson and Corey Simmons, founders of 2 Fat 2 Fly Wings, will tell their story of starting a food truck, landing a national TV show and how Columbia has helped them.

▪ Adrienne Montare and Tom Savory, both architects, will talk about how they founded the Columbia Design League 18 years ago. They will also discuss how communities that have a strong design presence can bounce back better from natural disasters like last month’s flood because of the creativity and different ways of thinking regarding architecture.

EngenuitySC is an economic development nonprofit focused on enhancing the region's competitiveness.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 8:14 PM with the headline "Aflac VP to speak at Columbia innovation event."