Theme: Decomposers

In the chaos of today’s world, it can seem like we’re living through an age of constant destruction. Whether it’s depletion of natural resources, corruption in our governments, violations in human rights – the problems are real and the consequences are heavy.

It can feel like our systems are breaking and crumbling around us. It can feel like there is more death and destruction than hope. More pain and sorrow than understanding and regeneration.

Our hearts heavy with grief and our eyes full of tears, it can be hard to find the hope. Everywhere we look, we’re met with more ruin. It becomes clear that to move forward, we must not ignore this destruction – we must face it head on.

Seeking for guidance, we turn to nature as our mentor and teacher. How does the natural world deal with death and destruction?

Nature finds hope in its decomposers. Decomposers break down the dead and the dying. They metabolize what has been destroyed. They turn ruin into hope.

Decomposers restore balance. They complete the broken loops. They bring back new life.

They might not look pretty, but they do their job. They work around the roots and in the dirt. They work underground – and largely, their work is unseen.

In nature they take the form of microbes, worms, fungi. But who are the decomposers of our human world? Who are the decomposers in our communities?

Our decomposers are everywhere – therapists, teachers, coaches who help us breakdown old ways of knowing and being to make space for new; friends and loved ones who spit cold, hard truth; artists, writers, poets who break down ideas; even scientists, who break down assumptions. In times like these, we look to our decomposers to transform grief, pain, and chaos into wisdom, hope, and ultimately, life.

This year’s TEDxMtHood event will bring Portland’s decomposers to the stage. Their actions are deep. Their ideas are regenerative. They break down the struggle and offer new hope for a better, healthier world.

Join us on October 13th where we celebrate our teachers, our artists, our friends, our neighbors, our leaders, our activists, our scientists, our system revitalizers, our life-bringers, our hope-restorers – our decomposers.

Roosevelt Theater
6941 N Central Street
Portland, Oregon, 97203
United States

David Walker

Comic Book Writer

David F. Walker is an award-winning comic book writer, author, filmmaker, journalist, and educator. His work in comic books includes Shaft (Dynamite Entertainment), winner of the 2015 Glyph Award for Story of the Year, Power Man and Iron Fist, Nighthawk, Luke Cage, Occupy Avengers, and Deadpool (Marvel Comics), Cyborg (DC Comics), Planet of the Apes (BOOM), Superb (Lion Forge), and Number 13 (Dark Horse Comics). He is also the creator of the critically acclaimed YA series The Adventures of Darius Logan. David also teaches part time at Portland State University.

Ernesto Fonseca

Equitable Systems Creator

Born into a small, underprivileged community in Central Mexico, and later an immigrant to the United States, Ernesto Fonseca has dedicated his life to addressing the needs of underserved communities. Ernesto holds a Master’s degree in Climate Responsive Architecture and a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning from Arizona State University. While in Phoenix, he spearheaded initiatives to assess the health impacts of community development including gentrification, transportation, access to fresh food and affordable housing. He focused on empowering low- and middle-income families through a systems approach to community development and developing policy for governments. Currently, Ernesto is the CEO of Hacienda CDC in Oregon, which provides affordable housing, youth and family services, homeownership and financial capabilities, small business development, a Latino Market for emerging food entrepreneurs and a safe place where everyone is welcome.

Frankie Simone

Performer

Frankie Simone offers a vision of pop music as a conduit for collective enlightenment, self-empowerment and awakening. Frankie’s music exists “to celebrate every type of human.” It’s a message she has worked hard to communicate through youth outreach programs, community work and in various musical projects. In 2014, she had a breakthrough... she put together a collaborative, experimental music project with her wife, dancer and performance artist Che Che Luna, and crowdfunded a tour that began in their then-hometown of Santa Cruz, California and wrapped up in Portland, Oregon. They fell in love with the city, and decided to move there. Portland, one of the least diverse cities in the US, may not seem the likeliest home for an emerging queer, Puerto Rican pop star, but after overcoming the initial shock of the constant rain, she found friends and allies in the city’s deep-rooted artistic community. Her vision is confident and fearless, especially for an artist just getting started.

Jessica Katz

Humanitarian

Jessica Katz founded the Family Preservation Project at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in 2003 which is the subject of the documentary film, “Mothering Inside.” Prior to founding the Family Preservation Project, she worked with the Children’s Aid Society in New York to create programs advocating for the rights of parents involved in the child welfare system. She also taught legal education workshops at prisons throughout New York through Columbia University’s Prisoners and Families Clinic. Jessica has presented at local, national and international conferences., has been recognized as a Re-unification Hero by the American Bar Association, and is an Alumna of Emerge Oregon. Recently she was instrumental in making Oregon the first state to legislatively adopt a “Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents.” Jessica is honored to work alongside women and children who have been most directly impacted by our criminal legal system towards more just and humane solutions.

Jonquil LeMaster

Sculptor

Jonquil LeMaster is an artist, designer, and fabricator. Her designs are inspired by nature and informed by 35 years of experience working in a variety of mediums and settings. Jonquil's one-of-a-kind pieces are visually striking, serene, and holistically integrated into their surroundings. Jonquil thrives on teamwork. Each piece is crafted through constant communication and collaboration with both clients and consultant. Her chandeliers and sculptures are featured in a variety of public spaces and private homes in New York City, Napa Valley, Malibu, San Francisco, Aspen, New Orleans, Jackson, Charlotte, and Portland.

Kevin Jones

Racial Equality Organizer

Kevin Jones is the CEO and co-founder of The August Wilson Red Door Project, a non-profit that uses art to change the racial ecology of Portland. The Red Door Project has been the recipient of Portland Monthly’s best new nonprofit award and the Regional Arts and Culture Council’s Juice Award for innovation. In 2017 Red Door was recognized as the Organization of the Year by the City of Portland. In 2016, Red Door produced The New Black Fest’s Hands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments, a collection of monologues exploring black people’s reactions to racial profiling. These performances are followed by facilitated conversations designed to evoke new thinking on the topic. Hands Up was presented to over 10,000 people in the last two years. Their work with Hands Up has led Red Door to partner with the Portland Police Bureau Training Division. Kevin is an award-winning actor and director with more than 30 years of experience in regional theaters throughout the US and abroad.

Kingsley Music

Musician

Straight out of college, Kingsley uprooted from Chicago and landed in Portland and has been honing in her skills and working on her first EP! She’s quickly made inroads with the local music scene and has been performing quite a bit around town. Kingsley is currently collaborating with a wide range of local musicians to create her own style. She aims to embrace all genres and styles that will give her an authentic platform to launch her songs. She is very excited to share her first EP, I Am Because I Am releasing on June 23, 2018.

Lillian Karabaic

Cat Economist and Radio Host

Lillian Karabaic is a cat enthusiast, radio host, spandex style-icon, and international public speaker who is on a mission to make boring things fun in unexpected ways. In Portland, Lillian is also known as the founder of the Bowie Vs Prince bike ride. This 9-year tradition has grown to over 1,500 costumed riders having a citywide dance party on two wheels. As host of the syndicated Oh My Dollar! radio show, she teaches personal finance with a dash of glitter. Her first book, Get Your Money Together, uses illustrated cats to explain purrsonal finance. In her twenties Lillian had 40 jobs, including dishwasher, social worker, tax preparer, figure skating coach, organic farmer, bagel deliverer, zine librarian, stripper economist, database wizard, and bicycle valet. Lillian has lived in a geodesic dome made of recycled political yard signs, in a tree, and has ridden trains in 31 countries.

Mary Peveto

Environmental Activist

Mary Peveto calls herself an “accidental activist.” In 2010, in response to dangerous levels of industrial pollution in the air at her daughter’s school, she founded Neighbors for Clean Air (NCA). Under her leadership, NCA has become a leader in advocacy for Oregon’s air regulations by building grass-roots coalitions in front-line communities impacted by toxic air pollution. The NCA recently advanced an unprecedented overhaul of Oregon’s Air Permit program through a bill that created the largest funding increase ever for the Oregon DEQ. Mary’s committee work includes the Cleaner Air Oregon Rule-making Advisory Committee, the U.S. EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, and the Portland Air Toxics Solutions Advisory Committee. She also chairs the Multnomah County Advisory Committee on Sustainability and Innovation, and its sub-committee on Air Toxins. Mary holds a BA in History from Macalester College and has worked in marketing and communications for both Nike and Adidas.

Mohanad Elshieky

Humorist and Activist

Mohanad Elshieky, originally from Benghazi, Libya, is a standup comedian now based in Portland, Oregon. Mohanad is known as a bold and fearless performer who brings his unique perspective to every conversation. He is not afraid to say what on his mind, even when he is discussing politics or racial issues. It is clear he has a fresh and sometimes challenging opinion on almost everything. Mohanad and his comedy have been featured on the Lovett or Leave it Podcast, National Public Radio, Buzzfeed and Live Wire Radio and can be seen performing nationwide. The Portland Mercury recently described Mohanad as a “genius of comedy.”

Morgan Vague

Scientist

Throughout school, Morgan Vague remembers teachers telling her she should avoid math and science, because she wasn’t “smart enough”. After high school, Morgan tired of avoiding math and science and enrolled at Houston Community College. There, she worked through remedial math courses starting with pre-algebra up to calculus and took the basic science courses she had missed out on. Craving a rigorous academic environment, Morgan applied and was accepted to Reed College. A microbiology course showed her how beautifully applicable biology could be and ignited her passion for science. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2018 and is currently a research assistant at Reed College, where she works on bacterial biodegradation- using bacteria to aid in the fight against plastic pollution. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys boxing, ice hockey, studying languages and history, playing with her adorable pet puggle, and exploring the gorgeous PNW.

The Brothers Billygoat

Performer

Spanning over a decade, the musical and visual project The Brothers Billygoat was originally conceived by David “Rowan” Klein. The stop-motion films, projected during performances, have served as templates to organize concepts surrounding sexuality, gender, mythology, fantasy, and the final destination: a protective matriarchal cosmos. Each carefully hand-crafted, time lapse animation guides you through psychedelic dreamscapes intending to mend the raging heart and leave you feeling contemplative yet elated. Klein teamed up with his partner, Nick Woolley, to complete these musical scores back in 2007, and they’ve been performing and creating ever since. The Brothers Billygoat have captivated audiences across the country, The Northwest Animation Festival, San Francisco’s Switchboard Music Fest, OMSI’s Kendall Concerts in the planetarium, locally renowned music venues, dive bars, to private backyard gatherings.