Theme: WONDERLAND

We are excited to announce the third annual TEDxCoeurdAlene event: "WONDERLAND"! This year's event will feature 12 speakers and performers who will inspire us to consider new perspectives and ideas, and will challenge us to wonder more about our world. We will also have several live performances and art exhibits. If you would like more information about our event, including videos from last year's speakers, please check out our website at www.TEDxCDA.com

Coeur d'Alene Salvation Army Kroc Center
w, 1765 W Golf Course Road
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 83815
United States

Ben Greenfield

Human Performance Consultant + Athlete + Author

Ben Greenfield is an Ironman triathlete, obstacle course racer, human performance consultant, speaker, and author of 13 books, including the New York Times Bestseller “Beyond Training”. Ben is a Spartan SGX certified coach, has been voted by the NSCA as America’s top Personal Trainer and by Greatist as one of the top 100 Most Influential People In Health And Fitness. He works with individuals from all over the globe for both body and brain performance, and specializes in anti-aging, biohacking, and achieving an ideal combination of performance, health and longevity. Ben’s understanding of functional exercise, nutrition, and the delicate balance between performance and health helps thousands of people around the world achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. He is the founder and owner of KION, a company that provides everything a human being needs to achieve peak performance, look amazing, defy aging, and live an adventurous, fulfilling, joyful and limitless life.

Dan Cummins

Podcaster + Comedian + Television Producer

Dan is a stand-up comic who has appeared on The Tonight Show, Conan, Comedy Central, Netflix, TBS, NBC, VH1, CBS, Showtime, and more. He’s released five albums on Warner Brothers Records and is one of the most listened to comics on Pandora. He worked as a producer on numerous reality shows in Los Angeles such as Duck Dynasty. And for the last two years, Dan has hosted Timesuck - a podcast blending education and comedy that has been written up in numerous “best of” podcast lists and has spent over two years on the iTunes charts for the world’s top 100 most popular comedy podcasts. He lives in Couer d’Alene, Idaho with his wife, Lynze two kids, Kyler and Monroe, and two “fur babies”, Penny and Ginger.

Devin Sommer

Performance Poet + Activist + Toy Store Manager

Devin is a performance poet & community activist from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Devin spent 6 months living in Argentina and nearly 8 years living and teaching in Turkey where he witnessed the Syrian Refugee Crisis and an attempted military coup. Transformed by his experience overseas, he is an outspoken advocate of international study, regularly performing Hip Hop music with artists from all over the world in an effort to support cultural exchange programs, empower youth, and uplift communities. Devin currently manages one of the most successful toy stores in the country, where he supports teachers and hands-on play-based learning. Devin has been recognized by the Institute of International Education, The Fulbright Scholarship Program, and the New York Times in Education for his contributions to education and the arts.

Emalee Gillis

Author

Emalee is an author with published pieces covering mental health, historical, and human interest topics. Her articles have appeared in numerous regional magazines. She recently published her first memoir, The Other Side of Madness: Adventures on the Path to Living Well with a Mental Illness. Emalee is a returned Peace Corps volunteer who travelled through western, central, and eastern Africa. She previously worked as a rural development specialist in eastern Washington. She earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Penn State. Emalee lives in Spokane with her husband. She is proud of her two very creative adult children.

Josh Misner

Communications Professor + Author + Weekly Digital Detoxer

As an NIC alumnus, Josh is proud to work at the North Idaho College campus in Communication since 2008. Josh has spent a good portion of his life on college campuses. Along the way, he has earned a BA, MA, and PhD in communication and leadership studies. Currently, Josh's area of focus is centered in how mindful presence impacts interpersonal relationships. In addition to being an educator, Josh also loves writing to help others, and he feels fortunate to have his work on mindfulness published in book, textbook, and article formats all over the world. At home, Josh is proud of his wonderful and supportive family. He and his family enjoy long road trips, exploring abandoned places, attending concerts, and seeing the world!

Kelly Burns

Caregiver + Entrepreneur + Humanist

Kelly is an inspirational, self-employed woman who has worked throughout her career to motivate, excite and lead her people to success. Recently she’s discovered compassion on an entirely different plane as a caretaker for her father-in -law with Parkinson’s (PD). Kelly has re-discovered the essence of what being human really is. She believes one can find joy in the daily struggle, hope in the forgetfulness of dementia, comfort in mundane routines and love and zest for all life. By changing perspective and looking for opportunities to show acts of love, one can transcend woebegone conditions and find lasting purpose through caring for others.

Kendra Wright

Entrepreneur + World Travelor + Rebel

Kendra Wright is part entrepreneur, part self-help junkie, and part rebel. She is the creator of The Year of Fear Project and has completed 850+ self-assigned comfort zone challenges. She has been featured in many mainstream media publications and interviewed on podcasts around the world. In her former life, she led marketing for some of the biggest music legends in history and toured the country with rock and roll bands. When she isn’t poaching WiFi from quirky coffee shops or growing online businesses, you’ll find her traveling the country in an RV named Limitless.

LoVina Louie

Native People's Activist + Health Facility Manager + Film Maker

LoVina is an enrolled member of the schitsu'umsh (Coeur d’Alene) Tribe and a descendant of the nselxcin (Okanogan/Colville) and Nimipu (Nez Perce) tribes. She is a descendant of Chief Morris Antelope of the schitsu'umsh and Chief Manuel Louie of the Inkaneep Band in Oliver, BC, Canada. LoVina is director of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Marimn Health Wellness Center as well as the Coordinator for Qwest Life. She earned her Bachelors Degree from University of Idaho in Organizational Sciences with an emphasis in Community and Tribal Wellness. LoVina is the visionary behind the revolutionary exercise series “Powwow Sweat” and co-directed the American Indian Film Festival and Red Nation Film Festival award winning music video “We Shall Remain.” As a former Miss Indian World, she has traveled to hundreds of tribal communities. LoVina is a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend and an amazing human being. Her passion and zest for life is infectious.

Ryan Oelrich

Non-Profit Director + Artist + Homeless Activist

Ryan Oelrich is the Executive Director of Priority Spokane, a nationally recognized collective impact organization working to collaboratively identify and address priorities for Spokane County. He’s a Culture of Health Fellow with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and has an MA in Leadership and an MBA. Ryan was awarded the Peirone Prize for service in 2016 and has received congressional recognition for his work on poverty and homelessness issues. Also an artist, Ryan built a life size model of a Hobbit House in Spokane, Washington which serves as the office for his nonprofit consulting business. The Spokane Hobbit House has become a regional attraction. Ryan is married and enjoys kayaking, traveling, and raising their kids- two Nigerian Dwarf goats.

The Girl, Awake! Project Brooke Bassett

Activist Theatre + Girl Empowerment + Social Justice Fighters

Girl, Awake! Is an original activist theatre production written by Brook A. Bassett. Girl, Awake! is a show performed by six girls between the ages of 10 and 17. The show allows audiences to learn about social justice facts and stories important to girls and women. This year's show includes vignettes about Education for Girls, Child Marriage, Water Scarcity, Refugees, Child Abuse, Perfectionism, and the Glorification of Busy. Topics are presented utilizing many theatrical forms including spoken word poetry, dancing, monologues, video projections, singing, and more. Each topic is presented in a way accessible and geared for all ages and genders. Topics are backed by statistics, demographics, historical precedence, and personal experience.

Tim Gerlitz

Amateur Mycologist + Director of Student Support + Food Forager

Tim Gerlitz is a long time member of the North Idaho Mycological Society. He has given many workshops throughout the region and has introduced hundreds of people to wild mushroom foraging. Tim is an avid backpacker and hiker and first developed a love of fungi while living in Germany in the early 1980’s.

Tyler Alvarado

Entrepreneur + Inventor + CPA

As the CEO of Continuous Composites, Tyler is an entrepreneur focused on building and inspiring those around him. Headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Continuous Composites is a rapidly growing tech company in the composites and additive manufacturing industry. Tyler is a licensed CPA and holds a BA & MBA from Washington State University. He is a principal in a long-established engineering firm focused in the Ultra High Vacuum industry. His experience extends from start-ups and early stage financing, to acquisitions and legacy business analysis. Tyler knows a successful business is a reflection of its culture and the well-being of its people and customers - and genuinely emulates this in his leadership. He surrounds himself with high-quality people and continues to learn from those around him. Tyler has extensive experience in manufacturing and believes Continuous Composites’ groundbreaking technology is going to revolutionize manufacturing as we know it today.

Tyler Sea

Community Activist + Podcaster + Mentor

Tyler Sea is the man behind The Community Experiment, a podcast that encourages people to tell their individual stories. He believes everyone has a story to tell and he uses his podcast to provide a platform for everyday people in Coeur d'Alene and our surrounding area to share their experiences. Tyler's story began in Louisville, Ky., Sea where he grew up. His wife is from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After visiting Coeur d'Alene, Tyler and his wife decided to stay and have lived here for more than three years.