Theme: Hope: A Driving Force Toward The Future

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45207
United States

Helen Farrell

Helen M. Farrell, M.D., is a Harvard Medical School Instructor in psychiatry and a forensic psychiatrist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Farrell received her medical degree from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. She has been published in many respected publications including the Journal of the American Medical Association, The New York Times and Psychology Today. Dr. Farrell is passionate about mental health and wellness, speaking frequently on the importance of overcoming stereotypes of mental illness. Dr. Farrell is optimistic about the progress of mental health, believing that everyone can create his or her own bright future with a little help along the way.

Nathan Pelletier

Nate Pelletier is originally from Kennebunk, Maine. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and is a licensed and certified Innovation Engineering Black Belt from the Eureka Ranch International. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III and earned the Combat Infantrymen’s badge and the Bronze Star for outstanding leadership during a combat deployment. In 2009, he joined P&G. In 2012, he left P&G to take over as the Executive Director of the Joseph House- a transitional housing facility in OTR that provides chemical addiction treatment for homeless veterans and some non-veterans. He recently started his new company, BlueFire Innovations, LLC where he works with aspiring entrepreneurs and established companies to grow their businesses using innovation systems. Beginning in the Fall of 2015, he will be attending the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University to pursue his MBA.

Robert McEwan

Bob McEwan is a Williams College of Business Executive in Residence at Xavier University. He recently retired from GE Aviation after 34 years with the company. McEwan represented GE across various media outlets. His time at the corporation was both influential and successful. Apart from his corporate career, he has participated in global technology seminars and has enjoyed the privilege of being a guest lecturer at multiple universities. McEwan considers himself a teacher at heart with a great passion for leadership.

Sara Thomas

Sara is a Cincinnati area native and proud Xavier alum, where she first discovered her passion for merging business and social change. Sara is an avid lover and supporter of entrepreneurs and believes in the power of business to positively change the world. She has been working with startup founders for seven years and is currently an investor at Maven Ventures, an incubator and Micro VC fund in Palo Alto, California. Sara works hands-on with the 20+ companies in the Maven portfolio and reviews over 2,000 companies per year to find the best consumer venture deals.

Seth Walsh

Seth is the Executive Director of the Sedamsville Community Development Corporation and the Project Director at the Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati. Beyond his day job, Seth serves as a Founding Member of the Cincinnati Chapter of the Global Shapers Hub, Executive Director of the Cincy Salon, as well as a member of the WCPO-TV Community Advisory Board and Cincinnati Neighborhood Summit Planning Committee.