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Put your idea on the dating scene tonight at JSP Civicside is casting a wide net for project ideas. Why not throw yours in the dating pool?

by Christiaan Mader

Civicside founder Butch Roussel
Photo by Greta Gerstner

Good ideas often live and die over one round of beers. They float in the ether of soaked creativity and plummet under the weight of their own logistics. To grease the wheels of amateur civic projects, community crowd-funding organization Civicside is hosting an idea meet-and-greet of sorts to gather project submissions for the upcoming 24-Hour Citizen Project, Tuesday (tonight) at Jefferson Street Pub in Downtown.

“When you get down and dirty, these ideas for projects have a lot of moving parts,” Roussel tells ABiz. “We all have day jobs.”

The 24 Hour Citizen Project is a crash incubator of community engagement that bands together idea holders, financial backers and experts to pressure cook community projects overnight. It’s an offshoot of Civicside founder Butch Roussel’s own work on a project to build water fountains along residential streets. Born like any great idea among the hot air shared by friends, Roussel’s efforts to complete the water fountain project led to a TEDxVermilionstreet unveiling of the 24 Hour Citizen Project’s progenitor — the 48 Hour Citizen Project.

Civicside has gathered a handful of project ideas for the 24 Hour Citizen event, and tonight's Civicside Session: Idea Speed Dating event is designed to generate a few more.

Roussel says the event is just like what it sounds.

“You have an idea,” he says. “You show up, and you date.”

Idea-holders pair up in two-minute intervals to pitch ideas and then rotate, taking note of each pitch’s merit on a ballot. At night’s end, the full complement of ideas will go to vote, producing submissions for the full 24 Hour Citizen event on July 22 and 23. The event is easy and open to all comers.

Drop in, share a drink and your next great idea tonight at 6 p.m. Even if you miss your chance to jump in tonight’s dating pool, you can submit your idea for the 24 Hour Citizen Project through July 17.