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).

Ellie Caulkins
1400 Champa
Denver, Colorado, 80202
United States

Charlo G. W.

Visual Designer

Charlo G.W. is an artist, visual designer, and muralist from Monterrey, Mexico. He immigrated to the United States in 2013 to work as the principal designer of an art collection. Today, he is the Head of Visual Design at PARDON. Using symbols, letters, and lines, his monochromatic two-dimensional works are a space for exploration and discovery. The interwoven shapes, words, and symbols foster a sense of community interaction, collaboration, and optimism. In his native language of Spanish, the equivalent of “experiencing joy” is “alegría,” and it is this experience of joy he wishes to share with the world through his works.

Desert Atlas

Singer-Songwriter

Multi-instrumentalist Mark Ramirez, who performs and records under the name Desert Atlas, writes what he calls lowercase songs, which document a preoccupation with time and place: geography and geology, weather and the seasons, and, always, the past. Originally from the Philippines, Ramirez arrived in New Jersey at 17. After a couple of decades in the Northeast, he moved to Denver in 2015 and has been greatly inspired by the scale of the American Southwest, releasing his first solo full-length album‚ "The Great Plains are an Ocean‚" in June 2021.

Francis Agyakwa

Social Work Researcher

Francis Agyakwa is a first-generation Ghanaian immigrant, the father of two amazing boys, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work. As a Trauma-Informed Specialist and certified Compassion Fatigue Trainer, he’s held various positions in child welfare, including nine years at the Denver Department of Human Services. His research-based therapeutic program, “Drumming Out Stress,” is deeply rooted in the traditional Ghanaian belief system. He is joined on stage by Aimee Alcorn, Bethany Kammerer, Dawn Crosswhite, Marco DiFerreira, and Marnesia Bryant.

Janet L. Marling

Transfer Student Advocate

Janet L. Marling, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS), an advocacy organization striving for equitable and inclusive accesses to higher education opportunities and resources for today’s diverse, mobile learners. She is leading the charge to develop a cadre Transfer Champions ready to challenge the status quo and improve the transfer student experience. Her proudest accomplishment is parenting three amazing children, Jackson, Cooper, and Andersen, alongside her rock, David.

Jeff Hughes

Musician

"Born in Denver, Colorado, electric violinist Jeff Hughes pairs classical violin with other genres to create an original sound. By the age of ten, Hughes regularly soloed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. After earning a scholarship to the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, he first garnered national attention by winning an international competition to perform live at the Grammy Awards. Hughes was recently featured in a 30 minute CBS television documentary which won an Emmy award and has also been featured on America’s got Talent. He has toured through Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. Hughes seeks to expand the versatility of the violin and diversify its audience. He is joined on stage by Andrew Maloney.

KC Davis

Home & Self Care Expert

KC Davis is a licensed professional therapist, author, speaker, and founder of Struggle Care. KC Davis began her therapy journey at 16 when she entered treatment for drug addiction. Today, she teaches a compassionate and practical approach to self & home care for those dealing with mental health, physical illness, and hard seasons of life. Her methodology has attracted 1M+ followers on social media in less than a year. Her Amazon bestselling book, “How to Keep House While Drowning,” has sold 40,000+ copies. KC lives in Houston with her husband and two daughters.

Lucy Molina

Environmental Activist

Lucy Molina grew up in the most polluted zip code in the nation and is now the single mother of two teens, Omar & Hannah. For years, she’s fought to protect her community from one of the worst cases of environmental racism in Colorado’s history. She recently ran for City Council in Commerce City to work for a Just Transition away from fossil fuels – one where we mitigate the climate crisis without leaving anyone behind. She says, “Justice is long overdue for frontline communities literally at their last breath. Justice is not charity.”

Martin Lockley

Paleontologist

Paleontologist Martin G. Lockley is best known for his work on fossil footprints. He grew up on a nature reserve in Wales. After getting a BSc, a Ph.D., and a post-doc in Geology, he moved to the U.S. in 1980. For 30 years, Martin was a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver. He’s the former director of the UC Denver Dinosaur Tracks Museum and current associate curator at the University of Colorado Museum and the Museum of Western Colorado. He has published 1000+ papers, books, book reviews, reports, and abstracts on paleontology, geology, and evolution.

Meca'Ayo Cole

Writer & Artist

Meca'Ayo Cole (aka Tameca L Coleman) is a singer, multi-genre writer, itinerant nerd, massage therapist, and point-and-shoot art dabbler in Denver, Colorado. Their creative work explores heartbreak and healing, finding the words for our experiences, familial estrangement, being "in-between" things, finding beauty even during times of strife, and movement towards reconciliation. Their writing and photography have been featured in literary magazines, art exhibits, and other venues and publications. Their first book, "an identity polyptych," debuted from The Elephants on the Salish Sea in Fall 2021.

Olga González

Nonprofit Leader

Olga González has worked in the nonprofit sector for 28+ years. She is currently the Executive Director of Cultivando, a nonprofit that cultivates leadership in the Latinx community to advance health equity through advocacy, collaboration, and policy change. As CEO of O.G. Consulting Services, she facilitates trainings and workshops on equity, racial justice, and healing. Olga was born in Mexico and is the proud descendant of Indigenous Yaqui/Otomi people. She, along with her husband, is raising their children to be the next generation of fierce and compassionate social justice warriors.