Theme: Expanded Horizons

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.

This year's theme is Expanded Horizons. We all dream of more, not just possessions or money or power or fame. More for the world. A better environment, more cooperation, an expanded worldview, bigger ideas and on and on. Join us for a day of inspiration, learning and challenging the status quo. It's time to think bigger and to grow beyond what we believe to be possible—individually and as a community.

Moss Performing Arts Center: Love Recital Hall
1221 N. 12th Street
Grand Junction, Colorado, 81501
United States

Angela Rae Clark

Life Coach

I’m a survivor of incest, sex trafficking, and rape. And I love my life - I want other survivors to know they can thrive too. I’m on a mission to help us break the cycle of silence and reach beyond the pain. Our past does not define our future - we have choices, healing is possible. My emphasis is on practical tools, education, connection, community, and hope. I have a book being published in 2018 called The Other F Word: My Manual on Forgiveness. I’m a Life Coach specializing in trauma recovery with a focus on self-care practices, intimacy coaching, and defining what’s next in business, life, and relationships. www.thekiinside.com. I love the mountains and canyons for hiking, camping, and gazing.

Bert Nieslanik

Lawyer

After 32 years as a criminal defense lawyer, I have a developed knack of poking fun at difficult relationships and situations. Humor is the best medicine for me personally and I believe that humor allows others often to see “the problem” in the light of resolution. People DO listen to me and laugh both at me and with me. I am a passionate advocate for what I believe in and right now it is alternative energy and saving wildlife habitat.

Bryan Wachs

Entrepreneur

Bryan Wachs has a deep history of building, consulting, and starting a variety of businesses and companies. His approach is focused on customer experience, sales, and marketing, providing cohesive growth strategies, technological advances and return on investment. Bryan enjoys the Colorado outdoors lifestyle of skiing, biking, river rafting, hiking, playing music and cooking. His life purpose is “Community through Commerce”

Carol Rasmussen

Carol Ann Rasmussen resides in Cedaredge, Co., where she creates hand built sculptures, and paints beautiful landscapes in her own style using alcohol inks. Since moving to Colorado, Carol Ann has participated in many exhibitions and now displays her artwork in galleries around the United States. She has been accepted into the international directory of artists. Carol Ann studied under several well known artists. At the University of Montana, Rudy Audio recognized her passion and talent for color, and encouraged her to continue to develop her love of color. While raising her family she continued to study art, including the psychology of color. Her many canvases reflect her prior knowledge and current discoveries to produce brilliant hues that distinguish her work along with the best. After a tragedy in her life Carol Ann put her art aside for a few years. Under the tutelage of Daphna Russel she regained her sparkle and developed a sculpture style that is uniquely Carol Ann. Once again she applied her prior art knowledge of color and clay to represent her own style.

Christy Whitney

CEO of HopeWest

Christy is the founding CEO of HopeWest, a community-owned “for-impact” health and community services organization in Western Colorado formed in 1993 through a unique collaborative effort and initial funding from Rocky Mountain Health Plans, the VA Medical Center, Hilltop, Community Hospital and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. She completed her professional education with a Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado Health Science Center with a degree in Community Health Nursing. Her leadership career began with being the founding director of an “all volunteer” hospice in Durango, Colorado in 1979. She later served as Vice President of Mercy Medical Center, and CEO of Hospice Northern Virginia.

Daniel Suelo

Daniel Suelo has spent almost 20 years living without money. Modern life presents enough challenges with money, it's easy to imagine that the challenges increase as finances decrease. However, Daniel has found that a comfortable existence is possible even without money and many of the troubles inherent to modern life simply disappear in the absence of currency.

Elaine Marino

Entrepreneur & Owner, Equili

Elaine Marino spearheads a movement championing the underrepresented in the tech industry. Specifically, she has been working in Colorado running Equili, a company creating and running diverse tech programs such as GoCode Colorado and LadyCoders. Her experience ranges from Fortune 500 advertising to Ruby on Rails software development, allowing Elaine to bring a plethora of experience to her client’s tech programs from idea, curation to execution. There is a sweet-spot where technology enhances the lives of people and communities -- that is where Elaine thrives.

Felicia Sabartinelli

Actress, writer, photographer

Felicia Sabartinelli is a Colorado actress, artist, photographer, writer, and award-winning poet. Her personal essays have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Dr. Oz’s The Good Life, Country Living, Women’s Day, USA Today, Huffington Post, Elephant Journal, Thirty on Tap, and in Colorado Journeys. As an actress, Felicia has appeared in a variety of films, TV shows, and commercials, and also enjoys the thrill of community theatre, & working as a PA & Producer for various media projects. In her spare time, she enjoys board games, sprinkles, traveling the world, and binge-watching her favorite TV shows.

Jennifer Allen

ACTIVISTS

Former Fundraising, Special Events, and Community Outreach Coordinator for Hilltop’s Latimer house- which is the domestic violence and sexual assault program in mesa County Passionate about people and fighting Human Trafficking, Domestic violence, and sexual assault. Believes everyone has a right to freedom! Believes that we must talk about injustices but we also must take action. Believes that we must take care of each other in order to create a better world for ourselves and future generations. I want to be remembered as a person who deeply loved, cared, and didn’t sit idly by while injustices occurred around me.

Kate Belknap

Teacher / River Guide

First and foremost, I am a teacher. It’s really the only thing I know how to do and is the current (metaphor intended) that runs through my life. I have worked as a boatman and river guide, teacher of seventh graders and college students, and director of a ski and snowboard school. I like to joke that I have a short attention span, so I have to keep busy, but really I just love learning. And I love sharing what I have learned with others. That’s what I consider teaching to be: sharing. Is it bad that I don’t know what One Direction is?

Marc Nager

Managing Director at Telluride Venture Accelerator

Co-Founder of Startup Weekend and former CEO of UP Global and Chief Community Officer at Techstars. Since 2009, Marc has been a leader of the startup movement around the world. He has built and scaled programs that have served more than 500,000 entrepreneurs in over 700 cities and 142 countries around the world. At UP Global he managed a team of nearly 75 people with offices in 5 international locations and oversaw Startup Weekend, Startup Next, Startup Digest, Startup Week, and Startup America. He's worked with grassroots and political leaders from around the world as well as executives at many FT500 companies around innovation and entrepreneurship. Marc and his work have been featured in many major publications around the world including Entrepreneur, Forbes, TechCrunch, TheNextWeb, The Economist, NYT, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, etc. Having grown up in Mammoth Lakes, CA, his love for the outdoors brought him back to the mountains in Telluride and he's on a mission to help create

Michael Conklin

Author and Host

Creator and host of the podcast, “Saved by the Bell with Millennials.” Author of books covering inaugural addresses, the death penalty, and negotiations. Participates in numerous special event lectures and debates. Guest Commentator for the Denver Post Toastmaster 2017. Triple Crown winner. President of the Grand Junction Talk of the Town Toastmasters Club. Creator of the Numberline Trivia Game. University Instructor for 11 years. Successfully summitted the world’s highest volcano at 22,600’. Summitted the 100 highest peaks in Colorado. Visited every presidential library.

Nancy Murphy

Muse, Catalyst, Business Growth Strategist

A former marketing strategist for global luxury and lifestyle brands, Nancy helps entrepreneurs navigate the road to success with confidence and ease. She believes that business has the opportunity to be an expression of the human spirit, a vehicle for our untapped creativity, and a spectacular contribution to the world—socially, environmentally, and financially.

Rebecca Weitzel

Health and Wellness Professional

Rebecca A. Weitzel is a health and wellness professional with 22 years of experience, committed to helping people discover their healthiest potential. After almost a decade of focusing on employee wellness, having designed and managed Hilltop Community Resources’ award-winning wellness program, she recently started her own business, Good Life Wellness Solutions, to deliver affordable workplace programs to small businesses. She attends Dirt Church every Sunday with her husband by hiking the beautiful mountains of Colorado, bakes cookies regularly, and attempts to keep up with her two amazing adult sons.

Terry Chase

ND, MA, RN, CEIP-ED

Terry Chase, ND, MA, RN: A national speaker, teacher and group facilitator, author of countless professional papers, Terry has used her experience of living with a spinal cord injury to guide others along a pathway of health and healing. Terry’s professional engagements include Craig Hospital, Up With People, Institute for Life and Care, Colorado Outward School and Colorado Mesa University as well as volunteer board member roles on the Colorado TBI Trust Fund, Center for Women’s Health Research, Temple Grandin Equine Center and the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation. Working with Terry has been referred to as answering the call to adventure and expansiveness to a fuller, richer life. Terry’s courageous honesty, personal integrity and energetic spirit guide her personal commitment and continual growth. She will open a loving space for you to step forward into your own greatness and assist in navigating challenges and barriers encountered along the way. I love being outside, biking, kayaki

Veniece Miller

Senior at Fruita Monument High School in Colorado

Last year, Veniece coordinated Fruita Monument's first ever Mock Caucus where she brought in political leaders from both major parties to educate students about the voting process in the U.S. Since then, she has been an advocate for youth involvement in politics through voter registration drives and candidate debate watch parties. She has participated in local campaigns working on engaging the voting population, specifically the youth block. Veniece plans to attend college after high school and major in Political Science.Veniece is currently serving in her Student Council as Student Body President. In this position, she collaborates with many different groups, she is passionate about making school a more friendly place. Veniece is captain of her Speech and Debate Team and Model United Nations Team, she is on the board of Nonprofit Help Light the Night, a board member of the Colorado Student Leaders Institute, and Director of Kindness is Contagious week.