The theme for TEDxLancaster 2015 was Without Boundaries. Innovation, invention, and growth are all borne by those that go beyond the ordinary and pioneer a new approach. They ignore the naysayers, unlock the shackles of conventional wisdom, and blaze a new trail. Their vision transcends perceived borders and creates a new status quo. Without their passion and courage we would never know what lies beyond the edge. We honor those that pursue a new path and encourage us to dream, to dare, and to think without boundaries.

42 N Prince Street
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17603
United States

Aryanna Hunter

Aryanna Hunter grew up the youngest of ten children in a family that lived below the poverty line. She joined the United States Army just weeks after the attacks of 9/11 and is an Iraq War veteran having served with the 18th Airborne Corp. She is the mother of two and is the Founder and President of One Push Up, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an environment of better food throughout our communities while empowering veterans through the path of becoming farmers; all to ensure we are protecting our national security. Aryanna holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration-Operations Management, and a Master's degrees in Project Management and another in Public Administration. In 2012, Aryanna won the Democratic Party's nomination to become the congressional candidate for the 16th district of Pennsylvania, is a member of the Truman National Security Project, and in 2014 she was named to Governor Tom Wolf's transition team.

Charlotte Katzenmoyer

Ms. Katzenmoyer is the Director of Public Works for the City of Lancaster. She graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and graduated from Lehigh University, with Master of Science in Environmental Engineering. Ms. Katzenmoyer spent the first 10 years of her career working for an environmental consulting firm near Philadelphia. As the Director of Public Works with the City of Lancaster she has responsibility for approximately 200 employees with an annual operating budget of $50 million and capital budget of $50 million. The water and wastewater systems of the City serve not only the City proper, but nine municipalities surrounding the City with a population of over 140,000 residents. She is responsible for managing a new stormwater management fee program based on impervious area of each property and generates an annual budget of $5 million to meet the Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction program and other CSO efforts.

David Ashworth

Judge David L. Ashworth was elected to the bench of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas in 1999 and retained for a second 10 year term. He received his B.A. in English from Gettysburg College and graduated with honors from the Delaware Law School of Widener University. Prior to going on the bench, he was a trial attorney for 20 years. He is a Senior Adjunct Professor at Franklin & Marshall College and a Drug Court Technical Consultant with the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in cooperation with American University. He is a member of the Lancaster County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges and the National and Pennsylvania Associations of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP & PADCP) and served as President of PADCP. He was appointed to the Statewide Drug Court Accreditation Committee by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He presides over Civil Court, Criminal Court, Drug Court and Discovery Motions Court.

Don Larson

Don is a graduate of J.P. McCaskey High School, and of Pennsylvania State University’s Industrial Engineering program. He worked for the RCA New Products Division and at Kunzler Meats, before moving to Hershey, PA, to work for the Hershey Company. Don eventually sold all his belongings, left his lifestyle of material wealth and abundance, and moved to Mozambique, Africa to prove that building the right kind of food factories in developing nations can bring lasting economic transformation. He now ships cashews to retailers worldwide through his business, The Sunshine Nut Company. His company has a social bottom line as it helps transform the lives of his workers. Don now resides in Mozambique with his wife, Terri, and has three children, who live in the United States, but travel to Mozambique often.

Dr. Gregg McGough

Gregg is an English Language Arts teacher at Penn Manor High School and an Independent Educational Consultant for The McGough Group, who believes in the radical transformation of public education through the leveraging of everyday digital technologies. Authentic learning, with high academic rigor, can be realized when students learn to nurture collaborative relationships while seeking unique solutions to relevant, real world problems.

Erich Goldstein

Erich Goldstein is a mathematician and chemist by schooling, an educator by profession, and a playwright by passion. Working at several science museums throughout his career, he has been able to infuse his enthusiasm for science and math to children and adults.

Gary Oppenheimer

Gary Oppenheimer is the founder of AmpleHarvest.org. He now makes his home in the mountains of northern New Jersey, after having lived on a boat on the Hudson River in Manhattan since 1978. He is also a Master Gardener, Rutgers Environmental Steward, former community garden director, Environmental Commissioner in northern New Jersey, an avid gardener, dancer and long distance cyclist.

Janelle Evans

A high school junior, Janelle Evans represents a core group of students forging new paths in education. She is a passionate advocate of equitable employment for women in Third world countries, and seeks ways for American teens to be involved as ambassadors for these women. Janelle enjoys studying music and the arts, learning Arabic, and upon graduation hopes to offer her skills in the fields of International Relations and Linguistics.

Jeff Swarr

Jeff Swarr is the Chief Competition Officer of the Heart of a Competitor, motivating and encouraging competitors of all ages to perform at their best. He has coached at all levels of sport including youth football and basketball, Junior High basketball, High School Baseball, and NCAA Division II and Division III Baseball. Jeff is a veteran Special Education Teacher, impacting countless students to overcome adversity and achieve their dreams. Jeff has presented and spoken at numerous high schools and colleges including Muhlenberg College, York College, Millersville University, and Columbia University. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Millersville University.

Kerry Briggs

Kerry Briggs of the North Museum of Nature & Science in Lancaster, PA taught middle school science for two decades and now gets to have fun engaging audiences in informal STEM education! Through the Museum, Kerry coordinates the regional science fair (the North Museum Science & Engineering Fair) involving over 1000 students who vie for 400 allotted places, competing county-wide for the top two places to go on and compete worldwide at Intel ISEF. Kerry earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University and a Master’s Degree in Science Education from Lebanon Valley College.

Marie Cleaves Rothacker

As a professionally trained ballet dancer, Marie’s life focus has been on creative expression through movement. She believes that movement is the key to a fulfilling life and that there is a movement style for everyone. Her dance training includes programs at North Carolina School of the Arts, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and American Ballet Theatre. Marie holds a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame (cum laude, '11). Along with teaching, she applies her nonprofit expertise as a consultant to various arts organizations, helping to launch the Dance for Parkinson’s-Central PA program with Cobalt Dance Company.

Martina Lynch

Martina Lynch is a Hip Hop/Spoken word artist from Baltimore MD, who has been performing and perfecting her craft since 2005. She specializes in being a MC and working every crowd like a true “lyte”. Martina has performed in over 8 states and has reached stages such as BET’s 106 and park, and had radio spins on Baltimore’s station 92Q. In 2013, Martina Lynch competed in Chicago’s international MC Olympics and took home 2nd place. In 2014, Ms. Lynch competed in the Baltimore MC Olympics and took home 1st place. Martina Lynch is an underground, hard working artist, who believes that Hip Hop and poetry can be used as a way to change the world for the better.

Ricky Staub

Ricky Staub is the Founder of Neighborhood Film Company - a community of filmmakers that believes there is a soul to every story. He has served as the company’s Chief Creative Director and personally directed projects all over the world for clients such as Nike, Anthropologie, and Coca-Cola. Recently shortlisted for two projects at the Cannes Lions Young Director Awards, his company has additionally garnered numerous attention and awards across the globe. Ricky currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife Katie and dog Whiskey.

Santanu Majumdar

Santanu Majumdar is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Georgia Southern University's Betty Foy Sanders Dept. of Art. He believes contemporary design education requires an innovative and collaborative approach between various disciplines. Santanu has received several national and international awards and has presented papers on design education, sustainability in design, collaborative research projects and mentoring in several distinguished national and international design conferences.

Shohini Banerjee

Shohini Banerjee is a high school sophomore. In her free time, she is an Indian Classical dancer, focusing on the Bharatnatyam style since she was six. She graduated as a classical dancer in 2012 after years of vigorous training and continues to do many local performances today. She also loves playing the flute, performing for both the school, Lancaster Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the PMEA band at county, district and regional levels. Shohini is a meticulous student in her studies and maintains her position in the top five in her class. Apart from her passion for science, she also has particular interests in the arts and religion. She loves traveling to India and expressing her heritage. Shohini’s lifelong goal is to become a better person everyday by adopting more altruistic ways of life.

Tina Davidson

Tina Davidson, a highly regarded American composer, creates music that stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical dignity. She has been commissioned and performed by well-known ensembles such as National Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, OperaDelaware, VocalEssence, Kronos Quartet, and Cassatt Quartet, and most recently by Grammy Award-winning violinist, Hilary Hahn. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden and grew up in Oneonta, NY, and now lives in central Pennsylvania.