Innovator's Latest Project Is To Make Stamford Smile

STAMFORD, Conn. -- She’s known as the local connector. Meg Dalton isn’t just a Stamford resident, but a creative millennial who takes awesome community ideas and helps snowball them into action.

Meg Dalton is encouraging random acts of kindness on Friday to brighten the mood in Stamford.
Photo Credit: *Contributed by Diane Pauley*

by Diane Pauley

08/14/2014 4:00 a.m.

Passionate about Stamford since moving here, she automatically fell in love with the innovative community, and founded "Ignite Stamford" in December 2012. "Ignite" officially launched in January 2013. It was all about gathering individuals who could share their creative stories in an “educational, inspirational and engaging” way. Ignite Stamford now occurs quarterly with 12 unique speakers from around Connecticut. But what’s even better is that Dalton has spearheaded a follow-up series to the quarterly event known as the "Sparked Workshops." The goal for ‘Sparked’ is to be able to take some of the ideas from "Ignite" and propel them into action. Which is how Bike Stamford and the recent paint mural by Landmark Square happened. Now for Dalton’s latest community endeavor, she’s being inspired by recent "Random Acts of Kindness" campaigns across the country, and bringing it back to Stamford. "Make Stamford Smile" will be happening Friday, Aug. 15, at 5 p.m. “The Make Stamford Smile crew hopes to encourage further community connection by showing the faces and sharing the thoughts of folks making up our diverse community through an ongoing visual record called #MakeStamfordSmile,'' Dalton said. As Meg says, “it’s a new and creative way to foster community connection with a shiny twist.” Dalton is a creative sherpa by day and civic crusader by night, Meg is all about making the world a better place through storytelling, creative placemaking, and baked goods up the wazoo.

Meg enjoys exploring her community by bike and foot, attempting the mandolin, and enacting positive change on a local level. Find her work at http://makestamfordsmile.tumblr.com & http://ignitestamford.com/

Diane Pauley, the PostGrad Coach, resides in Stamford. Always a lover of people, she finally learned how to harness her art and do it for a living. She is now on a mission to help other millennials do the same -- build up their art and be their own boss full time -- at PostGradolescence.com.

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