Theme: Local Leaders, Provoking Questions

TEDxHelena exists to celebrate local leadership and innovation by creating an experience that inspires attendees in their life and leadership. We want to showcase world class culture-making by framing discussions with questions. Expect to hear 20+ presenters share 9 and 18-minute presentations over the course of 7 hours. At TEDxHelena every presentation is framed by one poignant question.

Grandstreet Theatre
325 N Park Ave
Helena, Montana, 59601
United States

Judge Reynolds and Nicole Wenzel

Judge Reynolds is a district court judge for the 1st District Court Lewis and Clark County Montana. He has been on the bench since 2010. In this position, Judge Reynolds presides over the First Judicial District Treatment Court. Prior to his election as judge, Judge Reynolds was a partner in the Helena law firm of Reynolds, Motl & Sherwood, PLLP. Nicole Wenzel is 29 years old and grew up in Helena, Montana. She currently resides in Townsend, with her husband and their two boys. She has been married for almost seven years to Seth Wenzel, who is Captain of the Sheriff's office for Broadwater County. She graduated from Carroll College in 2011, with a Bachelor's in Health Science and a minor in Psychology. She is currently employed at a Dental Office, where she's been employed for over a year. She has a great life and has had a ton of support throughout her journey!

Angie Dailey

Angie Dailey is a school-based speech-language pathologist for the Helena School District in Helena, Montana. She is blessed with the honor to work with children that present with speech and language impairments, grades Kindergarten through Grade 12. She has been working as an SLP for five years in Butte and Helena, assessing and treating many different speech and language delays and disorders. She received her graduate degree from the University of Montana in Communication Sciences and Disorders. It is her passion to disseminate information and educate the community regarding speech and language development in children, ages 0-5. She wholeheartedly loves what she does and believes she has the best job in the world!

Brian Manley

Brian Manley is the sole proprietor of Fun With Robots Design Co., a design venture that began in 2006 as a therapeutic outlet to counteract the daily grind of a 9-to-5 job. Quickly this quest for a playful diversion and to toy with the mix of digital design and analog photography became his career. His self-taught style has been imprinted in the identity and illustrations of various clients, including nonprofits (North Point Community Church, Passion City Church, and Passion Conference), celebrity chefs (Kevin Gillespie) and album art (Taking Back Sunday, Yellowcard, Manchester Orchestra, Hugh Laurie, and All Time Low). Brian lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, daughter and office security system dog.

Colin Anderson

Colin is an Afro-Scot, born and raised in Kenya, where his grandfather started a farm over 100 years ago after moving there from Scotland. After completing his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Edinburgh University he worked for 36 years for International Paint, one of the largest Marine coating companies in the world. It was here he worked in both R&D and Marketing of antifouling paints, which involved extensive worldwide travel. In 2014 he moved from the UK to Helena, to work for American Chemet, where he manages the R&D team at their production site in East Helena. He has been married to Pamela Anderson for nearly 40 years, and they have 2 sons, 2 daughters and 3 granddaughters, including twins aged 4 who live in Lagos, Nigeria.

Colleen Martin

Colleen was born and raised outside of the city of Chicago. She graduated from Baylor University in 2011 with degrees in English and Political Science. Since starting her career, she has gone on to work on some of the country’s top Congressional and Gubernatorial races, directing programs that have raised millions of dollars. When she’s not out on the campaign trail, you can find her cheering on her beloved Chicago Cubs (2016 World Series Champions!!), hiking, cross-country skiing, or playing with her adorable golden doodle.

Debbie Gibson

Debbie is the Deputy Laboratory Director and Laboratory System Improvement Supervisor at the Montana Public Health Laboratory where she has worked for the past 19 years. She has been happily married going on 27 years and has two beautiful daughters who just recently turned 15 and 17. Between raising children, working a 40+ hr/week, and finishing her masters degree in public health, all while her husband was working out of state/country, Debbie has managed to fit in her passion for ultra-running. Debbie ran her first ultra-marathon (any race over the 26.2 marathon distance) 8 years ago and to date has run 56 ultras, including thirteen 50 milers, one 100K and three 100 milers. Her next big adventure is taking her to Germany to run Zugspitze 100K, which runs to the top of Zugspitze Peak in the Wetterstein Mountains, Germany’s highest peak located in the Eastern Alps.

Erik Hystad

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was the beer that turned Erik Hystad onto Craft Beer. He was raised in a blue-collar home of die hard Bud Light drinkers, who would enjoy a Corona with a lime on special occasions. As the craft beer revolution grew, so did Erik’s love for the new and interesting flavors in craft beer. After dabbling in home brewing for a few years, Erik decided to go pro and joined the production team at Blackfoot River Brewing Company as an assistant brewer in 2012. He became a brewer in 2013 and still works there today. When he is not at the Blackfoot working or enjoying a beer with friends, Erik loves hiking and biking on the Helena trail system with his dog Pokey, his wife Steph and his new son Thor.

Jaclyn Haven

Jaclyn received her Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the University of Colorado – Denver in 2013 and earned undergraduate degrees in both human biology and psychology from the University of Montana – Missoula in 2009. She sees adult and pediatric patients for a wide variety of genetic and metabolic conditions at Shodair Hospital's outreach clinics statewide. Additionally, Jaclyn has a special interest in cancer genomics and sees patients at the Helena Cancer Genetics specialty clinic. She is an alumna of the renowned City of Hope Intensive Course in Cancer Genetics Risk Assessment. Jaclyn has been certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling since 2014. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

Marianne Adams

Marianne received her BFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Marianne has directed many main-stage productions for Grandstreet, most recently The Lion King, JR, Rock of Ages, A Christmas Carol, Oklahoma, The 25th Annual Putnam Co. Spelling Bee, Big River, Ragtime, Annie, Peter Pan, Oliver, and Songs for a New World. She teaches acting classes for the Theatre School (greatest kids in town). She has also worked as a mentor and artist-in-residence in the Helena Public Schools and surrounding areas. Marianne was the 2015 Runner-up for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award presented by The Broadway League and Carnegie Mellon University at The Tony Awards.

Mary Hollow

As a fifth-generation Montanan and outdoor enthusiast, Mary has long been connected to the lands and waters of Big Sky Country. She holds University of Montana degrees in Business Finance and Economics. She began her career in the U.S. Senate and later for a housing organization in Washington, DC. She eventually returned to Montana, working again for Senator Baucus then briefly ran a fishing lodge in the Blackfoot Valley. Feeling the urge to promote conservation, Mary went to work for The Nature Conservancy during their acquisitions of Plum Creek Timber land in western Montana. For nearly ten years she managed to land deals and served as the Government Affairs Director for TNC in Montana. The move to Prickly Pear, a regional land trust, has been wonderful and fitting as she sees an exciting future for PPLT’s work and for the incredible potential of her hometown and surrounding area.

Michael Kalous

Michael has over 20 years’ experience working with children and families and has worked with Intermountain in Helena since October 2000. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Puget Sound Christian College in April 2000 and his Masters in Professional Counseling from Liberty University in August 2012. Michael is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Montana with a private practice in Montana City, Montana. Michael is a published writer in several professional magazines, and for fun loves to write poetry. He and his wife, Kari, celebrate 27 years of marriage. They have four children and three grandsons. Michael and his family enjoy camping, hiking, and exploring new places. Michael believes the work that is done at Intermountain is of eternal value, working to improve the futures of children and families for generations to come.

Neil Clark

Retired Sr. Vice President of PAI ATM Strategies, LLC and Director of Sales & Marketing for ATM Express, Inc., Clark helped found ATM Express in 1999. Clark was born in August 1964 and grew up in Billings, MT. He attended Montana State University. For the 13 year prior to ATM Express, Inc., Clark owned and operated a bicycle shop. From 1991 to 1993 Clark owned a small moving company. Clark continues to be involved in the development and the ownership of commercial real estate.

Nikki Campbell

Nikki’s passion for motivational and educational speaking on becoming limitless extends from her years of work with those who struggle with physical disability and mental illness. As a childhood Traumatic Brain Injury survivor as well as a woman not formally diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety until her mid-thirties, Nikki believes that incorporating activity and exercise is crucial not only to a successful treatment plan but a lifetime of progress. Limitless Inc. is about moving forward in achieving a lifestyle that incorporates the inclusion of wellness practices for the whole person. To Limit Less and achieve more. Nikki Campbell is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist as well as a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Nikki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Therapy as well as a Masters Degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion.

Steven Lee

Steven Young Lee has been the resident artist director of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana since 2006. In 2004-05, he lectured and taught at numerous universities throughout China as part of a one-year cultural and educational exchange in Jingdezhen, Shanghai, and Beijing. In 2005-06 he was a visiting professor at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. In March 2013 he participated on a panel, "Americans in the Porcelain City," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2013, he was one of several international artists invited to participate in “New Blue and White,” an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston that featured contemporary artists working in the blue-and-white tradition of ceramic production. In the Fall of 2016, his work was featured as part of the Renwick Invitational at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Steve received his BFA and MFA in Ceramics from Alfred University. www.archiebray.org

Wilmot Collins

Mr. Wilmot Collins is a refugee from Liberia who was forced to flee the Liberian civil war. Mr. Collins arrived in the United States in 1994, and he now resides in Helena, Montana with his wife, daughter, and son. He is a Child Protection Specialist, and adjunct instructor at the University of Montana-Helena, and serves as a member of the United States Naval Reserves. He is very civically active in Montana through his service as a board member for United Way of Lewis & Clark County, the Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance, and for Lutheran Immigration & Refugees Service. Mr. Collins has an M.A. in Human Resources Management and is working towards a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology at Waldon University. Of all of his contributions to his community, he is most proud of his assistance and close involvement with the Soft Landing Organization in Missoula, Montana, and in bringing a resettlement branch of the International Rescue Committee to Montana. To Wilmot, the U.S. means a second chance.