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. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Beckham Hall
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United States

Alton Byers

Dr. Alton C. Byers, Ph.D. is a mountain geographer, conservationist, and mountaineer specializing in applied research, high altitude ecosystems, climate change, glacier hazards, and integrated conservation and development programs. His work has been recognized by the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal from the Nepali NGO Mountain Legacy; David Brower Award for Conservation from the American Alpine Club; Distinguished Career Award from the Association of American Geographers; Ecosystem Stewardship Award from The Nature Conservancy; and as an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Nepal Geographical Society. Dr. Byers has published widely on a range of scientific and popular mountain topics and is an author and co-editor of Mountain Geography: Human and Physical Dimensions (University of California Press at Berkeley, 2013). His most recent book, Khumbu Since 1950, is a unique collection of historic and repeat photographs of the Mount Everest region and its Sherpa people over time. In May, 2022 he and his botanist wife, Elizabeth, will return to Nepal to begin a six-month research project on glaciers and high-altitude alpine ecosystems in the Kanchenjunga region, funded by the 2021-2022 Fulbright Nepal Research Program.

Brad Herzog

Brad Herzog is the author of dozens of children's books, as well as a series of travel memoirs that the American Book Review has called "the new classics of travel writing." A native of Chicago and graduate of Cornell University, he began working as a freelance magazine writer in 1992. A few years later, he and his wife took a 10-month, 48-state RV trip, which inspired his first travelogue, States of Mind. After Brad discussed the book on the TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, it rose to #2 on the Amazon.com bestseller list, behind only Harry Potter! For the next 16 summers, he and his family roamed the country as the RV industry's "Explore America Family." Brad has been a guest on the Today show and Oprah and has received numerous awards, including three CASE Circle of Excellence Awards for magazine writing and an IPPY (independent publishers) award as one of the "10 Outstanding Books of the Year" in 2000. He also started his own publishing house: Why Not Books. From his home on California's Central Coast, he continues to write about everything from sports car racing to civil rights.

Chris Frank

Previously at Microsoft, Chris Frank led global initiatives in satisfaction, branding, and communications research. He is currently the Vice President of research and analytics at American Express. Chris started his career at Accenture and launched two start-ups. He teaches courses on decision-making at Columbia University and is an author. His first book, Drinking From the Fire Hose, which he co-authored with Paul Magnone, focused on making smarter decisions with the information. His ability to connect insight to strategy in a coherent and actionable way has won him global recognition as a leader in his field.

Ivanie Cedeno

Ivanie Cedeno is a student in the Latin American studies department at Wesleyan University, as well as a reproductive health advocate, birth worker, and in-training doula who also owns a crochet business that pays homage to her home country of Puerto Rico.

Kate Purdy

Kate Purdy has won a Writer’s Guild of America Award for her work on the show, Bojack Horseman, and has gone on to be the co-creator and showrunner of the award-winning series Undone on Amazon Prime.

Paul Magnone

Paul Magnone is the head of Global Strategic Alliances at Google. He has worked for some of the world’s most influential technology companies including IBM and Deloitte. He is a leader in understanding where technology and innovation are headed to help businesses form growth strategies. Paul has conducted business in over 30 countries, holds four patents, and is passionate about mentoring young entrepreneurs and advising promising new businesses. Paul regularly teaches courses on quantitative intuition at Columbia Business School with Chris. Their second book Decisions Over Decimals will be published this fall.

Raquel Graham

Raquel Graham has had a star-studded career in helping companies build their brands, but she considers her biggest achievement to be her own business, ROQ Innovation, a product innovation company that makes life easier for others by developing problem-solving solutions. Mrs. Graham has been featured by Martha Stewart and The View, and her company even walked away from Shark Tank with $200K.

Ritu Chhatwal

Born in Havana, Cuba, Dr. Ritu Chhatwal has lived and worked in 15 countries. Starting with teaching primary school in the Middle East, tackling social development and public health issues in the Caribbean with the UN, and running a successful clinical hypnotherapy practice in India, Dr. Chhatwal has accrued a unique global perspective. She is now a serial entrepreneur passionate about creating a new category of nutrient-dense foods. Her latest venture-funded startup GreenGourmet Foods is developing a line of delicious planet-friendly products to help us "eat our way out of extinction!"