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).

Ted Mann Concert Hall
2128 S 4th St
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
United States

Caroline Ticarro

Caroline was four years old when her family fled Vietnam on April 29th 1975, along with hundreds of thousands of other Vietnamese. Twenty-three years later to the day, she returned to Vietnam to adopt her twin daughters. It was during that first return trip that Caroline decided she wanted to do something to help. The desire to help resulted in the founding of Catalyst Foundation in 1999, focused on helping build communities to fight human trafficking. The holistic community development programs center around the child, and the belief that no child is disposable. Catalyst Foundation has a formal commitment with the family to ensure that basic human rights are respected, and that every person has the right to self-dignity. Caroline leads her team to provide the ethnic minority communities with basic human needs: education, safe housing, proper sanitation, medical care, enough food, and water. In addition, Caroline has coordinated annual humanitarian volunteer expedition to Vietnam, and led the annual Vietnam Culture Camp in the Midwest and on the East Coast, to celebrate Vietnamese culture to families that have adopted children from Vietnam. Caroline, who is fluent in Vietnamese, graduated from St. Could State University, St. Cloud, MN, with a degree in International Business. She is a leader in the Vietnamese-American Community, and the adoptive community. She has been featured in National, Public Radio (NPR), CNN International, New York Times Magazine, and the Washington Post. Caroline's passion and work is tireless. She travels often to Vietnam to direct the mission and vision of Catalyst Foundation.

Kyle "Guante" Myhre

Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre is an MC, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, activist and educator based in Minneapolis, MN. His work explores the relationships between identity, power, and resistance, and has been featured on Upworthy, Welcome to Night Vale, Everyday Feminism, BBC Radio 6 Music, MSNBC, the Huffington Post, and beyond. Garnering over ten million views online, Guante has also performed live at the United Nations, the Soundset Hip Hop Festival, and countless colleges, universities, and conferences. Whether deconstructing traditional notions of masculinity, challenging dominant narratives related to race and racism, or just telling stories about the different jobs he’s had, Guante strives to cultivate a deeper, more critical engagement with social justice issues, one based in both empathy and agency. To that end, he serves as a teaching artist on the rosters of TruArtSpeaks and COMPAS, and regularly facilitates workshops and classes on a range of subjects.

Timothy Foss

Timothy Foss brings over 20 years of experience working as a fine artist, and entrepreneur in the creative industry. He founded his company MORE BELIEF as a wanna-be-futurist hoping to tell a new story that closed the gap between arts and leadership. Having discovered the ability to make an art of observation, Foss is now paid to pay attention. Making graphic recordings and animated video, he is constantly stunned by the creativity of his clients. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, 3-year old girl, and 8-year old boy who try not to pay him too much attention.

Tyler Quinn

Tyler Quinn is co-founder and owner of Union Fitness and Alchemy365. Tyler Graduated from St. Olaf College with a B.A. in Political Science and English before opening the first CrossFit affiliate in Minneapolis in 2009. Over the next eight years, Tyler and his partners would cultivate one of the largest and most successful CrossFit affiliate networks in the country. In an attempt to reach those outside of the CrossFit and yoga niches, Tyler and his fellow coaches developed Alchemy, a combination yoga, strength, and conditioning group fitness program whose core purpose is to help its members feel more alive, whatever their fitness level. Today, as Chief Talent Officer of Alchemy365, Tyler is responsible for the training and development of new coaches and products, and most importantly, maintaining cultural consistency across the company’s many departments. He looks forward to further growth with Alchemy, which has plans for 11 locations in three markets by the end of 2019. In his spare time, Tyler trains Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, reads, attempts to write, and works on his 120 year-old Victorian duplex in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Yuya Negishi

Yuya Negishi is a Japanese visual artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born in Showa Village, Gunma. A small farming community in the mountains beyond Tokyo. Yuya draws artistic inspiration from the memories and sensations of growing up in the Japanese countryside, where he would roam “like a hidden Ninja” exploring the woods, temples and mountain tops of the breath taking Gunma region. Since relocating to Minneapolis in 2010, Yuya has been a prolific member of the city’s artistic community, involving himself in a wide range of projects. He teaches Japanese artistic styles to students in grade school up to College and participates in public art projects, murals, frequently has work in shows, has a wide portfolio of commissioned work. He also does illustrations and often performs at live paintings events. His work combines his extensive background in the classical Japanese techniques of calligraphy and SUMI-e with Japanese pop culture images such as koi, dragons and Buddha’s. Yuya approaches his work in the spirit of play, often exploring new ideas and mediums. Along with being a working artist he also teaches with hands on workshops sharing his approaches to SUMI-e, calligraphy, painting and lectures on Japanese artistic cultural history and trends in the art world and the integration of eastern and western cultures in contemporary art.