I’m excited to talk about innovation again as a RootsTech ambassador! This article is about some of my favorite innovations that I learned about at RootsTech and also about the changes coming for RootsTech 2018. With the announcement from RootsTech that they are moving away from the Innovator Showdown to the all new “Innovator Showcase” at the 2018 conference, I’ve been thinking about my favorite family history innovations that I learned about at RootsTech. Here’s...
“Which of the judging criteria was most important to you during the judging process?” Alan Doane, John Richards, Kenyatta Berry, myself, Thomas MacEntee I was sitting down with the judges after the RootsTech 2017 Innovator Showdown Finals, feeling pretty lucky to be surrounded by such experienced, knowledgeable people. “Business viability.” “Innovative technology.” “Pitch.” And then an answer I wasn’t expecting… “Impact.” Dalton Wright, a partner at Kickstart Seed Fund, said that while he was looking...
When did your family last gather in the kitchen to cook a favorite meal? Did you use tried and true recipes? Recipes that have been handed down from previous generations? If so, you preserved a piece of your family’s history. Now you just need to recognize and record your family food traditions. Steve Rockwood kicked off the RootsTech 2017 theme of food and family history with sharing his own family’s tradition of making his grandmother’s...
Did you know that when you learn stories about your ancestors, it actually gives them power to reach through the centuries and touch you?! At Family Discovery Day last week, Hank Smith, popular speaker for youth, shared how knowing a story from his family history helped him make a good choice. (See the video of Hank’s address here. And don’t forget to watch the bonus video at the end of this post!) Hank was a teenager...
Think of a time when you were a rookie. What happened? How did you operate? What did you do when you didn’t know what to do? What were your aspirations? Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work, asked us these questions during her keynote address at the Innovator Summit portion of RootsTech 2017. Straight out of business school, Liz found herself a rookie in a fast growing...
At RootsTech today, leaders of the family history department of the LDS church announced changes to the names of family history consultants. They will now be known as “temple and family history consultants.” The primary objective of temple and family history consultants will be “to assist members with a personalized one-on-one family history experience” which will enable them to perform temple ordinances (Temple and Family History Callings at LDS.org). See also Feb 9, 2017 Letter...
Tamra Stansfield, director of the Family History Library, spoke at RootsTech today about helping LDS church members turn their hearts to their ancestors with one-on-one guidance at the family history center. She encouraged the family history center directors and consultants present to use the Spirit and their experience (or lack thereof) to help people accomplish what they want to do. Her class was titled, “Family at the Center: Making the Family History Center a Sacred...
Are you interested in seeing what RootsTech 2017 is all about? Is this the year that you’d like bump up your genealogy education? Not able to travel to Salt Lake City to attend in person? With several sessions being streamed live and archived for later viewing, you can participate from the comfort of your home. 2016 was the first year that I attended RootsTech in person. Prior to that I waited until the streamed sessions...
It’s time to think about what you want to bring with you to RootsTech. With only two weeks left, you’ll want to download the RootsTech app, choose your classes, download the syllabi, and decide how you’re going to take notes. Here are some suggestions to help you do this (and otherwise enjoy the conference)! This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission. Thanks...
The RootsTech 2017 Innovator Showdown received 41 submissions. Innovators from all industries were encouraged to submit their family history related ideas for unique hardware, software apps, or services in the contest. I eagerly looked at all of the submissions. Here are the ones that stood out: Fun/Games Cuzins – see how you’re related to friends and celebrities and how celebrities are related to each other Little Family Tree Little Family Tree – This app was submitted last year but...
