Theme: Branching Out

As TEDxBozeman enters its fourth year, the all-volunteer team of organizers strives to continually grow and evolve the event both in terms of content and format. In this same vein, TEDxBozeman 2015 will feature individuals who are branching out, those who are pushing the boundaries in their respective disciplines and distinguishing themselves as leaders, creators and preeminent thinkers.

The Commons
1794 East Baxter Lane
Bozeman, Montana, 59718
United States

Irizarry, Cichon, Swenson

Kaito Irizarry, Mike Cichon, and Hans Swenson are high school violinists who were classically trained before branching out into other genres. Kaito likes to experiment with mixing genres creating fusion in the pieces he performs. Mike likes to add flavor to his music with an electric violin twist. Hans enjoys fiddling, and more recently, adapting and arranging more contemporary pieces to fit the style of his electric violin. Combined, these musicians bring out the art and style in this new orchestral era. Kaito is a junior and plays football for Bozeman High School. He has career aspirations in International Business and Business Administration. Mike is also a junior who competes for the BHS Swim Team and Track Team. He hopes to become an Aeronautical Engineer and earn his private pilot’s license. Hans, also a junior, can often be seen in the summer busking on the streets of Bozeman with his father and sister, with the occasional accompaniment of a friend.

Irizarry, Swenson

Kaito Irizarry and Hans Swenson are high school violinists who were classically trained before branching out into other genres. Kaito likes to experiment with mixing genres creating fusion in the pieces he performs, while Hans enjoys fiddling, and more recently, adapting and arranging more contemporary pieces to fit the style of his electric violin. Combined, these musicians bring out the art and style in this new orchestral era. Kaito is a junior and plays football for Bozeman High School. He has career aspirations in International Business and Business Administration. Hans, also a junior, can often be seen in the summer busking on the streets of Bozeman with his father and sister, with the occasional accompaniment of a friend.

Ranges in Motion

Ranges in Motion is comprised of three dancers, Michelle Kolodin, Erin Levy and Deann Snyder. They choreographed and performed a piece set to original music written and recorded by local musicians, Ranges. Michelle Kolodin trained in classical ballet at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy and later studied Dance, Communications and Media Studies at Santa Monica College with a focus on modern and contemporary dance. She received numerous principal roles and attended some of the most elite ballet schools in the world. Erin Levy trained at Nutmeg Conservatory and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and danced with several semi-pro dance companies in New York City. She has an associates degree in Jewelry Design and a BFA in Metalsmithing with a minor in small business from Montana State University. Deann Snyder is originally from Missoula, Montana and is currently a graduate student at MSU in Microbiology and Immunology. All three dancers actively perform and teach dance in Bozeman.

Supaman

As a member of the Apsaalooke Nation, Christian Takes Gun Parrish or “Supaman” lives on the Crow reservation in Montana. He is a Native American dancer, hip hop artist, flute player, and aspiring comedian. He has dedicated his life to empowering youth and educating listeners with a message of hope through culture and music. He combines Native American culture, humor, and urban hip hop culture to dazzle audiences, captivate listeners, and break down stereotypes. Supaman has received numerous awards including the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award for best video and MTV’s Artist of the Week. As a champion fancy dancer on the powwow circuit, Supaman was selected to dance in the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Supaman has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally and is currently in the works with Nickelodeon to film a show of his life on the road as a Native artist. Supaman lives a drug and alcohol free life and is a loving husband and father of three.

Angela Des Jardins

Dr. Angela Des Jardins, a solar physicist by training, is the Director of the Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), Director of Montana NASA EPSCoR, and current Chair of the NASA EPSCoR Caucus. Montana Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR are programs that work to strengthen education and research in Montana in fields related to aerospace science and engineering. Angela is proud to be a third generation Bozemanite who was able to follow her dreams of working for NASA while staying in Montana. Angela's mission is to use the ability of space to ignite the human sense of wonder; to engage Montana students, teachers and researchers in aerospace activity, capitalizing on our inherent fascination with discovery and exploration to further the drive to achieve great strides in STEM fields; to conduct research in solar astrophysics with an emphasis on student involvement; to cultivate a spirit of service.

Anna Baldwin

Anna Baldwin has taught for 16 years on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and has won several awards, including the 2014 Montana Teacher of the Year. Anna taught at the tribal alternative school for four years where she learned immeasurably from her colleagues and students about tribal culture. Her passions are culturally responsive teaching and mentoring teachers. She is now a literacy coach and teacher at Arlee High School and an adjunct professor at the University of Montana. Anna designed and teaches Native American Studies for the Montana Digital Academy, an online class for high school students that is the first of its kind in the nation. She also designed and teaches an online class for teachers who want to integrate authentic tribal materials into their classrooms. Anna is committed to developing cultural understanding and has started a club which partners her students with those in other schools to increase understanding of reservation life.

Bill Clem

As CEO of technology startup KERBSpace, Bill Clem believes that digitally driven interaction will change the way everyone interacts with and discovers within their community. With over 25 years of experience creating useful solutions, Bill has a keen sense for design that is beautiful, yet elegant in its utility and user experience. He has worked in both startups and established companies, and has won numerous awards during his career that highlight his commitment to beautiful design, from consumer to industrial projects. Bill holds numerous utility patents and his career includes design projects for global brands such as Nike, Philips, Reebok, and Schwinn. He even designed the original Battlestar Galactica branded ride at Universal Studios. Bill earned a degree in Product Design from Montana State University and after living in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Seattle, he and his wife returned Bozeman, Bill’s hometown.

Chris Boyer

For 20 years, commercial pilot and aerial photographer Chris Boyer has documented the patterns of landscape change with particular attention to encroachment, pathways, and intersections between contrasting management decisions. His award-winning fine art and documentary imagery has appeared in regional and national magazines, museums, galleries and private collections. Chris has also provided flight services for a wide variety of photographers, journalists, researchers and decision makers. He earned his pilot’s license during a graduate program in Fluvial Geomorphology and after 10 years designing and constructing ecosystem restoration projects, Chris sold his company to start Kestrel Aerial Services, Inc. Kestrel offers a wide variety of flight and imaging services to conservation and natural resource projects. When not flying professionally, Chris is a frequent and enthusiastic volunteer for Lighthawk and Angel Flight, serving conservation and humanitarian causes.

Dan Moshavi

Dan Moshavi is a Professor of Management in the Barowsky School of Business at Dominican University of California (DUC). He previously served as dean of the business schools at both DUC and Montana State University and as a management professor at Montana State and San Jose State universities. Dan’s teaching, research, and consulting focus on leadership, high performance teams, change management, and attitudes and emotions in the workplace. He has been a faculty member at the University of Lugano in Switzerland and a research fellow with the Nemours Center for Medical Leadership. Dan received his bachelor's and master’s degrees from George Washington University and his Ph.D. in management from the University of Oregon. Prior to his academic and consulting career, he spent 10 years in marketing and public relations. A dynamic presenter and skilled facilitator with a background in improvisational theater, Dan has won more than a dozen teaching and presentation-related awards.

George Bumann

George Bumann, a professional sculptor working in and around Yellowstone National Park, takes an unconventional approach to his art. Though reared in his mother’s New York sculpture studio, he initially turned his back to the arts to pursue a parallel passion–ecology. Later, living in the fabled Lamar Valley of Yellowstone, he was overcome by the depth of experiences that words could not convey. An effort to communicate the indescribable brought him back to the early lessons of the studio. The tug between art and science, in the end, led him on a very personal journey to unify his two worlds. Through his art, George chases the awe and the mystery of wild places and wild beings in pursuit of a deeper sense of what they mean to us, and more importantly what they reveal about us. When not working in his Montana studio, he may be found modeling clay beside a herd of bison, hiking primordial pathways, or scrambling up a tree to avoid an ornery moose.

Heather Higinbotham

Heather Higinbotham is a Montana girl at heart, passionately working to protect the landscape and communities that inspire and ground her. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Studies, Alternative Energy and Sustainable Building, from the University of Montana and an MBA in Sustainable Systems from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute at Pinchot University. She currently serves as the Energy Conservation Technician for the City of Bozeman. Heather is a bridge builder and an eco-warrior, harnessing her insatiable curiosity and the power of community to find collaborative solutions to the region’s greatest environmental, social and economic challenges. Heather is a rekindled poet and musician who believes in the inherent goodness of people. She has an intense love affair with learning and more books than she can ever hope to read. She is proud mom and Sherpa to her amazing daughter, Scout. Heather is deeply grateful for her family, purpose, creativity, and curiosity.

Heather McPhie

Heather McPhie grew up skiing with her family in Bozeman and has always loved the mountains. In her first year on the Bridger Freestyle Ski Team, Heather competed in every mogul competition and despite rarely making it through a run without falling down, she fell completely in love with her sport. Almost ten years later in 2005, Heather qualified for the US Freestyle Ski Team and became known for a diligent work ethic. Heather became the first mogul skier to pick up a Red Bull sponsorship and used her new wings to soar to 9 additional World Cup podiums, bringing her current total to fifteen. She took home the U.S. National Title in 2012 and 2013 and finished the season ranked in the top five internationally, including three Grand Prix podiums. Last year, Heather reached a pinnacle goal, becoming the first woman to compete back-full and d-spin together at World Championships in Voss, Norway and she made history by performing this difficult air package at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

John Scannella

John Scannella was born in Queens, New York and fell in love with dinosaurs at an early age. He received a bachelor's degree in Geological Sciences from Rutgers University and is completing a Ph.D. in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University. Since 2006, he has been involved in the Hell Creek Project, a multi-institutional exploration of the end of the Age of Dinosaurs in Montana and surrounding areas, spearheaded by the Museum of the Rockies. John's research focuses on the growth and evolution of Triceratops and its relatives. In 2010, he and Jack Horner proposed that the horned dinosaur Torosaurus actually represents the mature growth stage of Triceratops. When John is not digging up new specimens of Triceratops in the field, he is studying the details of this dinosaur's anatomy at the Museum of the Rockies and other institutions. John is passionate about deciphering dinosaur evolution and sharing the excitement and importance of paleontology with the public.

Josh and Kathy Lockie

Josh and Kathy Lockie own and run Lockie Photography. They primarily specialize in photographing weddings, so spend half of each year in Bozeman and half in Scottsdale, Arizona which allows them to focus on weddings all year round. Josh and Kathy were both born in Bozeman and their families have been in the area for generations. Josh studied at Montana State University and has degrees in both Photography and Business. Kathy went to college for a Business Management degree at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. She moved back to Bozeman in 2008 and worked in the banking industry until joining Lockie Photography full time in 2010. The Lockies love to travel and between the two of them, they have been all over the world, from Africa to Hong-Kong and many places in between.

Karen McNenny

Karen McNenny has had a diverse career path, stretching from her days performing as an actress and dancer, to hocking souvenirs at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. She currently works throughout the country as a professional speaker, group facilitator and personal coach. Before starting her own business, Made You Think Consulting, she worked as a master trainer and facilitator for Providence Health and Services. Karen’s areas of expertise include employee engagement, leadership development, and transforming workplace culture. After studying media and theater arts at Montana State University, Karen completed her graduate studies as a Rotary International Scholar at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. Karen has a unique talent of weaving her skills as a storyteller and performer with relevant and meaningful content. She currently lives in her hometown of Missoula, Montana where she also holds the glamorous position of Domestic Diva, serving her two young children.

Kerry Williams

Kerry Williams began her work in early childhood advocacy over twenty years ago. She holds a master’s degree in Child and Family Sciences from Montana State University and a bachelor’s in Spanish Language and Literature from Middlebury College. In 2003, the Children’s Defense Fund awarded Kerry an Emerging Leaders Fellowship. She was chosen by the state DPHHS office to facilitate the creation of Montana’s Early Learning Guidelines, which she then presented to audiences across Montana, in addition to testifying in front of the Montana state legislature on the positive economic impacts of childcare subsidies. As an Early Learning Specialist, she has taught educators and other professionals about the latest early childhood research and brain development findings. Most recently, Kerry was a Children’s Librarian at the Bozeman Public Library. Currently she is in an “on” phase of off-and-on stay-at-home parenting raising two boys, which has been her dominant occupation for the past decade.

Lisa Kirk

Dr. Lisa Kirk is Principal Geochemist and President of Enviromin, Inc., a consultancy specializing in microbial and environmental geochemistry, as well as the application of biotechnology to the management of mined materials and water resources. Her work feeds her passion for innovation in the sustainable production of mineral resources at the industrial/academic interface. She is Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of Montana State University and serves as Mining Outreach Coordinator for the MSU Center for Biofilm Engineering. Lisa was a graduate fellow of the Inland Northwest Research Alliance, the Montana Water Center, and the U.S. EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. For over 25 years, she has conducted environmental geochemistry investigations and surface water management projects throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Australia and Africa.

Sasha Joseph Neulinger

Sasha Joseph Neulinger is a native of Pennsylvania who moved to Montana to pursue a BFA in Film Production from Montana State University. He is the Co-Founder and Head of Production at Step 1 Films which has a mission “To deliver truthful and compassionate storytelling through the unifying experience of film.” Sasha Joseph has worked behind the scenes on National Geographic’s award winning series, “America, The Wild” as an editing assistant and production assistant. At Step 1 Films, he has produced, directed, and edited multiple commercial videos for various corporate clients, including Simms Fishing Products and Wisetail, among others. He is currently directing his first feature length documentary, “Rewind To Fast-Forward,” an autobiographical film about his life surviving multi-generational sexual abuse. Sasha Joseph also travels nationally as a public speaker, advocating for reforms in child advocacy and child abuse prevention.