Theme: Untamed Imagination

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).

The Grand Oshkosh (formerly The Grand Opera House)
100 High Ave
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 54901
United States

Amanda Bauer-Frisch

Entrepreneur

Amanda Bauer-Frisch is a multiple business owner and advocate for personal growth and resilience, with a passion to improve the personal and professional lives of those around her. Drawing on her degree in public policy from UW-Whitewater, her 15-year career in human resources management, and her breadth of personal experience, Amanda Bauer-Frisch delivers a unique perspective on setting, achieving, and celebrating goals and achievements.

Brian Kinghorn

Educational psychologist

Brian Kinghorn is an Associate Professor of Curriculum, Instruction and Foundations at Marshall University. He has taught various psychology and education courses including developing and teaching a psychology of social media course. His areas of research include ways teachers learn science from their own teaching practice, methods for effective teaching, and the psychology of social media. Brian earned his PhD in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University & his bachelor's in psychology from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He has published articles in Teacher Education & Practice, the APS Observer magazine, the APA’s Amplifier magazine, and The Conversation. He has presented research at meetings of the American Educational Researchers Association, the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Division 15 of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the National Science Teachers Assoc..

Caitlin Looby

Journalist, Biologist

Caitlin Looby is a scientist turned journalist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She spent more than a decade hiking up mountains in tropical cloud forests to study microbes, soil, and climate change. Now she covers the Great Lakes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Before coming to Wisconsin, she taught science communication, developed workshops and trained scientists on how to engage with the public at the University of Minnesota. As a science writer, she’s written for radio, university media, national outlets, local outlets, magazines and paddling brands. She holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree in biotechnology from Kean University and a doctorate degree in biology from the University of California, Irvine. Caitlin spends her free time outdoors, paddling, hiking, camping and playing with her two dogs, Odessa and Olivia. Fun fact: She’s lived in every time zone in the continental US.

Cody Schuhart

Human

Cody was born and raised in Northeast Wisconsin, and has found careers in both the automotive industry, and now healthcare. He actively pursues new challenges and adventures in his journey to get every ounce of living he can out of his day-to-day life.

Estelle Song

Social psychologist

Currently pursuing her PhD in Social Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, Estelle’s research focuses on the intersection of art cognition, preference, viewing experiences & personality. Her focal areas of exploration include the prediction of art preferences based on individual preferences for harmonious art; impact of film music on audience perception and cognition of film information; and optimization of work performance through background music. Her research findings have far-reaching implications, ranging from the creation of personalized user art preference profiles to the development of innovative strategies for effective advertising. Estelle holds a B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science from East China Normal University, Shanghai, China, and an M.A. in Social Psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY. She has published her works in journals such as Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, & Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.

Gina Glover

Speaker, Coach

Gina Glover is a speaker, coach and connector with a diverse background spanning more than two decades in northeast Wisconsin. She is working on her first book, a guide to help business professionals navigate job change. In addition to growing her business, Gina is actively engaged in the local community, serving on the Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity board and mentoring entrepreneurs through Mid-Day Women’s Alliance. Gina is also on the board of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Speakers Association and was recognized in June with the chapter's Rising Star award. In her college days at Ferris State University where she graduated with a degree in Printing Management, Gina became active in Toastmasters and remained active even after moving from Michigan to Wisconsin upon graduation.

Jordan Schroeter

Speaker, Pastor, Filmmaker

30 years old at the time of this talk, Jordan was born and grew up with the neuromuscular disease, spinal muscular atrophy. It is a disease that causes muscles to become progressively weaker over time. That disability, however, has by no means left him sitting on the sidelines. He is a speaker, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and Pastor. Jordan has a Bachelor’s degree from Concordia University, and a Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Studies & Counseling from Liberty University. In his non-professional life, he loves watching his favorite sports teams, going to the tavern with friends, singing karaoke, and playing board games on Friday nights.

Juliëtte Sterkens

Audiologist

Juliëtte Sterkens, AuD, is an audiologist with forty years of experience in hearing rehabilitation turned consumer advocate with the Hearing Loss Association of America. She has published numerous articles and lectured internationally to consumers, audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and venue operators. Topics include living well with hearing loss, hearing accessibility, and hearing loops. Her work has led to hundreds of hearing loop installations in Wisconsin. She has received numerous awards for her efforts, including the American Academy of Audiology Presidential Award. She serves on the board of HEAR in the Fox Cities, a non-profit that helps pay for hearing aids for children in North-East Wisconsin. She enjoys gardening, traveling worldwide to observe solar eclipses with her husband, and visiting her family and son in the Netherlands and daughter in Australia.

Karen Schneider

Newspaper publisher

Karen Schneider is the publisher of the Oshkosh Herald & Neenah News newspapers and co-owner with her husband, Jeff. She has worked on the business side of newspapers for over 25 years. Prior to launching the Oshkosh Herald in January 2018 she worked in various roles at the Arizona Republic/azcentral and as ad director at Arizona State University State Press student daily newspaper. In 2005 she opened a scratch insurance agency which she sold just prior to returning to her hometown of Oshkosh in 2012. Returning to newspapers , she was general manager and ad director of the Oshkosh Northwestern and Fond du Lac Reporter markets until October 2015. After that, and before and launching the Herald she worked on the hub coalition, a partnership whose mission was to assist community members to achieve self-sufficiency. On a personal level, Schneider has two grown, successfully adulting children in Phoenix and lives in Oshkosh with her husband and "bonus daughter."

Kary Oberbrunner

Entrepreneur, Author, Inventor

Kary is dedicated to helping authors, entrepreneurs, and others publish, protect, and promote their intellectual property, setting free their world-changing ideas. An award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and inventor, he’s been featured in Entrepreneur, CBS, Fox News, Yahoo, and many other major media outlets. Kary is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen books, and speaks internationally on a variety of topics including leadership, personal growth, human performance, blockchain technology, and entrepreneurship. As a futurist, he often consults on marketing, branding, intellectual property, and Web3. Kary holds a number of earned degrees, including a BA, Masters in Divinity, and a Doctorate in Transformational Leadership. He also serves as the Berry Chair of Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University, where he teaches on the topics of Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing. He enjoys cycling, and lives in Ohio with his wife & three children.

Keydi Bognar

Immigration advocate

Keydi Bognar was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and immigrated to the United States with her parents at four years old. She is passionate about sharing her story and educating the community about the realities of living in Wisconsin as a non-citizen. She is the co-director for Dreamers of Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that gives resources and scholarships to students like her throughout the state. Keydi received her associates degree in marketing from Gateway Technical College and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in law at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She is also the co-founder of Championship Digital Media Agency, a digital marketing company located in Racine, WI. Keydi loves traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband and two-year-old daughter.

Mai Lee Chang

Engineer, Roboticist, AI researcher

Mai Lee Chang is a postdoctoral researcher in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (School of Computer Science) at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research is part of the AI-Caring National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute that focuses on developing the next generation of personalized collaborative AI systems that improve the quality of life of aging adults living at home. She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to her Ph.D., she worked as an engineer at NASA-Johnson Space Center. She received her M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and B.S. in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sadaf Lodhi

Obstetrician / Gynecologist

Based in New York, Sadaf Lodhi has over 20 years of experience as a practicing physician, is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is a life coach for women. She has a BS in Biochemistry with honors, from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Michigan State University. Sadaf also holds a certification as a life and executive coach from Rutgers University, and additional certification in Sexuality Counseling & Education from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. As a practicing OBGYN; sex counselor and educator; podcast host; and life coach, her mission has always been to empower and educate women. Through coaching, she helps women with sexual confidence so they can find pleasure in their relationships, and believes that all women, regardless of their backgrounds, have the potential to live life to its fullest.