Theme: Normal

NOR•MAL (adj): typical, conventional, unremarkable,

_____________.

TEDxMaplewood invites you to join us as we explore the idea of NORMAL through the eyes of select local innovators, artists, disrupters, and free-thinkers. Soak up incredible stories, creative works, and unique perspectives through captivating talks which are being driven from our community.

We’re excited to offer this thoughtfully curated and immersive experience to our hometown, a community rich with genuinely curious and spirited people. We’ll surround you with art, design, and nods to local lore, as we advance the mission of ideas worth spreading.

The evening will get your synapses firing and leave you with much to consider. See you there!

The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts
10 Durand Road
Maplewood, New Jersey, 07040
United States

Anthony Mazzocchi

Director, John J Cali School of Music at Montclair State University + Executive Director, Kinhaven Music School

A native of Maplewood, Anthony began studying trombone at the age of eight. He is currently the Director of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He is also Co-Executive Director of the Kinhaven Summer Music School in Vermont with his wife, Deborah. In 2013, Anthony was nominated for the first ever GRAMMY music educator award; he was one of 25 finalists among over 30,000 candidates. He also serves as faculty or as a frequent guest lecturer at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Carnegie Hall, Mannes College of Music, and NYU. His book, The Music Parents’ Guide: A Survival Kit for the New Music Parent has sold over 40,000 copies internationally. Anthony has performed as a trombonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, San Diego Symphony, on Broadway, and in several movie and television soundtracks. Anthony resides in Maplewood, NJ with his wife, Deborah, son Luca, and daughter Tahlia.

Caroline Chubb Calderon

Founder and CEO of HelloHumanity

Caroline Chubb Calderon stands squarely at the intersection of humanity and technology. She is a futurist, humanist, innovation and leadership expert who believes that, now more than ever, we need to reclaim the unique qualities that make us richly and irreplaceably human. She works with executives to become conscious custodians of our AI future and is the founder and CEO of HelloHumanity, an organization dedicated to preparing humanity to lead, work, live and thrive in our AI future. She is actively involved with the IEEE working groups to define the standards for Ethical AI, has contributed to several books, and spoken internationally. She speaks 5 languages, a testament to her nomadic existence and thirst for adventure. Her two bright, joyful children are her true compass and reason for being.

Erin Loos Cutraro

Founder and CEO of She Should Run

Erin is the founder and CEO of She Should Run, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization for promoting and supporting women running for public office. Through its flagship program, The Incubator, She Should Run has persuaded thousands of women to consider a run for office since its 2011 founding. She frequently speaks publicly on gender equality in elected leadership and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Vice News. It's Erin's two daughters who motivate her to champion the systematic and cultural change needed to see gender equality for women and girls in our lifetime.

Eva Woolridge

Photographer

Eva Woolridge, a photographer, explores the sexual, spiritual, and emotional nature of femininity, using lighting and composition to convey strength, perseverance, vulnerability, and vitality, transcending surface-level labels of people of color. Her photographic essays include “Peeled Paint” (2014), conveying her understanding of ego and spirituality, and “Embrace Your Essence” (2015), a series focused on young women's journeys toward self-love —defining what they find beautiful about themselves. Many of the narratives included illnesses, challenges to meet Western standards of beauty, and quirks that once negatively affected their self-esteem. Eva continues to use visual narratives to convey a tone of a new, inclusive wave of feminine energy through her gaze as a queer, woman of color, while commenting on the social & cultural conditions of her communities. Raised in MAPSO, she attended Columbia High School, and graduated from the University of Maryland–College Park in 2015.

Gordon Bass

Author + VP-Creative Director of Pace Communications

Gordon Bass is author of “The Last Great Australian Adventurer,” a biography of Ben Carlin published by Penguin Books Australia in 2017. As VP–Creative Director of Pace Communications, he develops and leads programs and campaigns for clients including 3M and PepsiCo. Gordon was previously VP–Editorial Director at Time Inc.’s branded-content division. He lives in Maplewood with his wifw and two sons.

Jane Randel

Social Impact advisor and co-founder of Karp Randel and NO MORE

Social Impact advisor and co-founder of Karp Randel and NO MORE Jane Randel is a co-founder of the social impact consultancy Karp Randel and of NO MORE, an international initiative dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness, inspiring action and fueling culture change. She currently serves as a consultant to the NFL and NASCAR to help address domestic violence and sexual assault within their organizations as well as the public-at-large. Randel previously served as head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at Kate Spade & Co. A graduate of Wesleyan University, she is currently President of the Board of Break the Cycle and VP of Communications for the Board of Trustees at Temple Sharey-Tefilo Israel. She lives in SOMa with her husband and three sons.

Keith Hunter

Athlete + Entrepreneur

Keith Hunter is an athlete, entrepreneur, golf instructor, college football coach, and ex-professional football player—but not necessarily in that order. A native of Newark, NJ, Keith was a gifted high school football player. He was recruited by the University of Iowa, where he earned a BA in Communications. Keith went on to play with the NFL, signing on as a free agent for the Cleveland Browns. Keith immersed himself in golf. But becoming a golf pro wasn’t enough… Keith saw gaps in the market, so he founded KGH Enterprises LLC. Through his corporation, he developed golf clinics, opened golf courses, and created a line of golf clothing. He began speaking publicly, and working with student athletes, golfers, and other entrepreneurs. Keith—a father of two girls—knows first-hand how excelling in sports teaches valuable lessons, and leads to opportunities. Keith is always looking for the next challenge, and is committed to inspiring and motivating others.

Lindsey Collins

Dementia Care Consultant and Trainer + Speech and Language Therapist

Lindsey is a UK based Speech and Language Therapist (Pathologist) and a Dementia Care Consultant and Trainer. She specializes in supporting people with dementia to live well. Lindsey provides dementia care training and education to health and social care staff as well as to members of the public. Lindsey has particular interests in: promoting effective communication; enhancing the experiences of eating and drinking; and supporting people with communication and / or cognitive impairments to be involved in decisions which affect them. Lindsey’s Grandmother lives with dementia in a residential care facility, giving her a personal as well as a professional perspective.

Mohamed Sidibay

Education Champion + Youth Commissioner + Keynote Speaker

Mohamed’s story is one of resilience. He has been orphaned, uneducated and homeless. He was born in Sierra Leone, and at age 5, he witnessed his entire family being murdered and was forced to become a child soldier. At the age of 10 he became homeless in his home country of Sierra Leone and could neither read nor write. In 2007, at 14, he began his formal education in the U.S. At 27 years old, Mohamed is an internationally recognized voice for children in armed conflict. He has been featured on Forbes, Le Monde, BBC, France 24, Project Syndicate amongst others. He is a member of The High-Level Reflection Group on Strategic Transformation that advises the Director-General of UNESCO. He is an Education Champion for the Global Partnership for Education. He serves as a Youth Commissioner on the Education Commission on Financing Global Education. He speaks four languages and have traveled to over 70 countries.

Tina Kelley

Journalist, poet and author

Tina Kelley is a journalist, poet, and author who received the Maplewood Literary Award in 2018. A 10-year veteran of The New York Times, and 17 year Maplewood resident, Kelley shared a staff Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for its “Portraits of Grief” feature profiles of victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001. The co-author of “Almost Home: Helping Kids Move from Homelessness to Hope,” Kelley is publishing her fourth book of poetry, “Rise Wildly,” to be released in October 2020.