Theme: LEVEL UP

We are excited to announce the 2020 TEDxYYC Drive-In event on August 20th. Our outdoor venue will be at TELUS Spark and we are delighted to have a partnership with BIG ART to deliver this unforgettable experience. This event will truly be a ‘level up’, as per this year’s theme.

There will be two shows to choose from, tickets on sale now:

- August 20th at 5:00 to 7:00PM
- August 20th at 8:30 to 10:30PM

To level up is to take TEDxYYC to the next level. When we chose this theme in January, we had no idea just how relevant and meaningful Level Up in 2020 would be. When COVID-19 hit, we had to reimagine everything. Finding an innovative way to social distance and to be together in-person for our main event was no easy feat.

Don’t miss the chance to experience TEDxYYC 2020 live! As Calgary’s largest independently-organized TEDx event, our 11th annual event will continue our legacy of excellence and inspiration in the areas of Technology, Entertainment, and Design.

TELUS Spark
220 Saint George's Drive Northeast
Calgary, Alberta, T2E 5T2
Canada

Adora Nwofor

A professional actress, comedian, host and model, Adora Nwofor has worked with audiences from all walks of life. She’s acted as board director for both the Nigerian Association, youth division and Femme Wave: Calgary’s Feminist Music and Arts Festival. She is also a founding organizer and grand marshal of the global initiative March for Women (Western Canada) since 2017.

Amy Bishop

Amy Bishop’s voice is a combination of the smooth of the pavement and the gravel of the road, with the ability to charm listeners with her sweet tones; yet stun audiences with the ability to hit any high note. Hailing from Calgary, Amy began her music career around campfires, at block parties, and in church choir. Knowing a career in music is no guarantee, Amy decided to practice other trades, but her passion for music prevailed, leading her to collaborations with Moby and opening for April Wine, Farmer’s Daughter, and Chris Cummings. Most recently you may have seen her as a finalist on CTV’s “The Launch” where she wowed the panel and won over the hearts of Canadians across the nation. Amy has an instinctive ability to craft stories into song and deliver them with sincerity and passion, all qualities that make her an undeniable Canadian talent.

Byanca Nimijean

Byanca, also known as Bee, is a fourth-year Bachelor of Social Work student at the University of Calgary. A hard, scary and seemingly impossible journey took her through the highly involved processes of the justice system. She fought with everything she had, and learned about the power she had within her. In order to survive, Byanca had to take back her voice. This remarkable experience sparked a passion for social justice and led her to act as an advocate for others. Believing each of our voices is loud, fierce and empowering, Byanca will share what speaking up can take, and, more importantly, what it can give back.

Dan Balaban

Dan is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Greengate Power, a leading Canadian renewable energy company. Under Dan’s leadership the Greengate team has been successfully developing renewable energy projects of unprecedented scale in Canada for more than a decade, including the country’s largest wind and solar energy projects. Dan was named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People in 2010 and 2013 by Alberta Venture magazine, a winner of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Prairies in 2012, and named one of Canada’s Clean50 for 2015.

Keeta Gladue

Keeta Gladue is a self-proclaimed Indigenous nerd. Passionate about pop culture, humour and storytelling, Keeta examines how Disney tells stories with Indigenous characters. Through learning about ourselves in relation to such shared stories, we also learn more about each other. Her family is from both the Sucker Creek Cree Nation and the Métis Nation. Keeta grew up on a small island off of Vancouver Island called Tlay Maak Tsu, now known as Esperanza, in the traditional territory of the Ehattesaht people of the Nuu chah-nulth. As the Indigenous Student Program Advisor at the University of Calgary, Keeta is committed to supporting Indigenous student success, intercultural engagement and understanding.

Richard Harrison

In July 2017, Richard Harrison attended his mother’s medically-assisted death. His experience led him to reflect on the lack of stories around such moments. Now, what he has to share about the experience of medically-assisted death can help spark a conversation around our disconnect with death. Harrison is the author of six books of poetry, among them On Not Losing My Father’s Ashes in the Flood, which won the Governor General’s Award for English Language Poetry in 2017, and which was translated and published in Italy the following year. As well as being an editor and essayist on a range of topics, among them hockey, mathematics, comics and graphic novels, and the meaning of the wheel, Harrison teaches English and creative writing at Calgary’s Mount Royal University.

Salima Stanley-Bhanji

Salima is the CEO of social enterprise Humainologie and a filmmaker. Humainologie uses art, including film, to spread empathy, increase inclusion, and reduce discrimination. Salima has produced and directed more than 20 short films for Humainologie. Her award-winning films have been screened at film festivals worldwide. In 2015, Salima raised awareness of the world’s 60 million displaced people by hiking 1,200 kilometres from Geneva, Switzerland to Pamplona, Spain.

Sweta Chakraborty

Dr. Sweta Chakraborty’s work is motivated by the need for clear, credible, evidence-based communication to urgently and proactively manage the risks that threaten human security and well-being. She is the U.S. Representative for “We Don’t Have Time,” the Sweden-based tech start-up that launched Greta Thunberg to global renown, as well as the founder and principle of Adapt to Thrive, a venture that seeks to better inform individuals, businesses, and government entities on the complex, interconnected challenges already existing and emerging from a warming planet.