Theme: Wait A Minute...

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).

Columbus Academy School
4300 Cherry Bottom Road
Columbus, Ohio, 43230
United States

The Academy Life

Student Newspaper

The Academy Life is the student newspaper of the Columbus Academy.

Alex Freytag

Entrepreneur

The product of an entrepreneurial household, Alex Freytag has spent much of his 25-year career helping entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses. He ran or helped run four growing businesses before discovering the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS). Drawn to its simplicity and effectiveness, ​Alex has since devoted himself to helping others master this complete “way of operating” an entrepreneurial organization. A sought-after speaker and certified EOS Implementer, Alex has introduced EOS to thousands of business leaders worldwide. Alex and his wife, Christine, live in Columbus, Ohio and love to travel, eat, learn and grow with their three children, Alec (’18)​, Sophia (’20)​ and Ethan (’22)​.

Ashton Cofer

Student

Ashton Cofer is a 9th grade student at Columbus Academy. He is passionate about science and technology, and was recently a winner of the 2016 Google Science Fair. Ashton also teaches robotics to kids in the Columbus area, and his robotics team has won international competitions around the world. He enjoys playing soccer and tennis, and also plays the saxophone. His favorite activities though are to hang out with friends and go snowboarding or paintballing.

Asim Haque

Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio

Asim is the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. In that role, he is the chief regulator in the electric, gas, telecommunications, water, trucking and railroad industries in the state. Asim has represented Ohio’s interests in energy and utility matters within the state, nationally and internationally. He has testified before members of the Ohio General Assembly, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and has educated regulators abroad through formal partnerships with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Asim is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University where he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and political science, graduating cum laude with department honors. He received his juris doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and received the Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award from Moritz in 2015. He is a very proud graduate of the Columbus Academy’s Class of ’98 (the greatest class to ever graduate from the school) where he ex

Brent Alan Burrington

Actor

Brent Alan Burington is an actor, director, writer, designer, and teacher based out of his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. His career began locally with school and community theatre productions and grew into semi-professional before even getting to college. Following his first national tour, Brent helped to found Columbus National Theatre Productions, which in turn lead to the creation of Ohio Festival Theatre, which for a decade was the fastest growing professional company in the state. While the Great Recession brought about the end of that venture, his career has expanded in multiple areas. He is on the teaching staff at both the Children’s Theatre of Mason and Weathervane Playhouse in Newark. You may have seen him on television in commercials for Big Boy Restaurants, AT&T, Ohio Lottery, Dayton International Airport, and the Cincinnati Zoo. He has performed all over the country in his three solo shows.

Gerardina Garita

High School Teacher

Gerardina was born in San José, Costa Rica. She is the second of three children. Gerardina grew up and lived in Costa Rica until 1990, hence her schooling took place there. She studied English as her undergrad and after she finished was awarded a scholarship to come to the Ohio State University to work on her Master’s. During her stay at OSU, Gerardina received a Master’s degree in English and also a Master’s in African American Studies. When done, she went back to Costa Rica and worked at the University of Costa Rica. Gerardina returned to the US in 1994 when she got married. Later, she had two children, Maxwell and Dorian. She was a stay home mom until Dorian started first grade. In 2005, Gerarddina started teaching at OSU and Columbus State. After that, in 2010, she was hired at Columbus Academy to teach history and the rest is history…

John Wuorinen

Columbus Academy Administrator/Birder

Growing up, owls were John Wuorinen’s favorite animals. Even before reading Farley Mowat’s Owls In the Family (as a 4th grader at Academy in 1972), the “wise old birds” had captured his attention and imagination. From that initial spark, John majored in Environmental Science at the University of Virginia and has always loved to experience and studying the natural world. In the late 80’s, he began to get into birding more seriously, because he and his wife, Liz, lived in a small guesthouse with huge picture windows looking into a 10-acre forest tucked in the middle of suburban Gahanna. While John’s ability to devote time and energy to birding has waxed and waned over 30 years, birding has continued as an interest and source of pleasure. He has not birded extensively internationally, but during vacations to the Plains, Southwest and South, birding has been a major focal point. There are always more birds to see…

Kyle Channell

High School Student

Kyle Channell is a sophomore at Columbus Academy. This is his second year at Academy having previously attended Olentangy Orange Middle School. Prior to this, he was homeschooled by his mother, Linda, through seventh grade. His mother now has returned to work as a Speech Pathologist while his father works in food purchasing. Kyle is the youngest of three siblings; his two older brothers were also both previously homeschooled and now attend Vanderbilt University in the Freshman and Junior classes. Kyle’s academic interests include creative writing and biology. Other school activities include journalism, debate, choir and student council, along with being a member of the CA football team. Outside of school, Kyle has been performing musical theatre since he was seven. He has also appeared in several films, beginning at the age of ten. Kyle is very passionate about education, having enjoyed such a diverse background in his personal learning experience.

Lauren D'Souza

Business Owner

At different points in her life, Lauren has tried her hand at being an elementary school teacher, a graphic designer, a screenwriter, and an entrepreneur. A 2010 graduate of The Columbus Academy, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and joined the Teach for America corps in Dallas, Texas. After a series of misadventures in the classroom, Lauren came back to her hometown of Columbus, Ohio and jumped feet-first into the startup world. These days, she runs her own startup-focused marketing agency while pursuing her MBA at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. In her downtime, Lauren is the Marketing Lead for Carnegie Mellon’s Hyperloop Team, an organizer of Columbus Startup Weekend and GiveBackHack, and an evangelist for all things entrepreneurial. She once was voted “Most Likely to Eat Bacon for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner,” and this remains her crowning achievement to date.

Lawrence Funderburke

Financial Advisor

Lawrence Funderburke, MBA and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional Lawrence Funderburke is perhaps best known for his exploits on the basketball court at The Ohio State University and in the NBA, but his heart has always gravitated to helping people fulfill their God-given potential personally, professionally, educationally, and financially. A dean’s list student and Business Finance graduate (magna cum laude) at Ohio State, he is passionate about motivating and “schooling” people in the area of financial life skills – a must-have for our dynamic twenty-first century. Lawrence is an accomplished speaker on a variety of subjects and has authored three books, Hook Me Up, Playa!, The Triangle Formula of Success, and Sociopshychonomics™: How Social Classes Think, Act, and Behave Financially in the Twenty-First Century.

Maggie Daiber

Student

Maggie Daiber is a 7th grader at Columbus Academy. When she was a kindergartener, she and her mom came up with an idea that provided both a service opportunity for their family and a way to reduce waste. Hence, Maggie’s Matches was born. In her talk, Maggie will explain how the lost sock in your laundry really can have a home. Maggie lives in Clintonville with her mom, dad, and her younger brother. She enjoys skiing, volleyball, reading, biking, and baking. She plays flute, takes Latin, and was a finalist in the 2017 Geography Bee. This is her second TEDx talk. The first one she gave was in 2012, also about Maggie’s Matches.

Maggie Walther

Student

Maggie Walther is 14 years old and is in eighth grade at Columbus Academy. She has been going to Columbus Academy since she was in pre-K and spends most of her time there. Outside of school, Maggie enjoys dancing, babysitting, and hanging out with friends and family.

Shaun Ditty

School Counselor

Shaun Ditty is a licensed professional counselor currently working in the lower school at The Columbus Academy. Shaun earned a Bachelors of Technical Applied Studies from Ohio University and his M.A. from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Prior to becoming a counselor he worked as a paramedic in various settings. This unique career path has allowed him to have a different understanding about how people respond emotionally to various situations as well as ways to care for people in times of need and stress. Shaun’s interests vary but he strongly enjoys the fields of technology, art, and people. These interests have led him to become involved in a number of projects throughout his career. His most current project is a joining of many of his passions and interests in a way that encourages conversation and growth for all participants. Step Into My World is a three-dimensional painting project that gives artist the opportunity to convey a feeling to its viewers by using virtual real