Theme: INSTINCT

We are excited to present the 4th annual TEDxBreckenridge event on September 30th.

This year's theme is INSTINCT. We chose it to challenge people to experiment with holding a variety of ideas simultaneously. This topic like all TEDx themes is designed to expand thinking, allow for interpretation and encourage different perspectives.

Looking forward to sharing these ideas with you!

Riverwalk Center
150 W Adams
Breckenridge, Colorado, 80424
United States

Andy Thorn

Songwriter, Record Producer, Multi-instrumentalist

Andy Thorn is a banjo player who’s been touring for over a decade with the jam band Leftover Salmon. He’s also a songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and dad. He never expected to go viral. But during the pandemic, he was in his backyard, playing banjo tunes for a wild fox, when his wife caught the whole thing on video. The video made headlines around the world. It was covered on the Kelly Clarkson Show, NPR’s Political Gabfest and more. A New York Times writer called it “a moment plucked from Aesop.” Since then, Andy has continued touring, recording music, and parenting, while enjoying being known as “that fox guy.”

Christopher Fisher

World Record Endurance Athlete

Chris Fisher is a highly accomplished Mountain Endurance Athlete who has made a name for himself through his relentless pursuit of records and Fastest Known Times (FKTs). With a deep passion for the mountains, he has spent the past four years immersing himself in the rugged landscapes of Colorado. In 2021, Chris shattered expectations and made headlines by breaking the world record for the most vertical feet climbed in a single month, surpassing an astounding 400,000 feet. One of his most notable achievements was becoming the first person to complete the grueling Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup (WURL) in both directions, completing the entire course in an astonishing 66 hours. Continuing to break barriers, Chris embarked on a monumental winter expedition, where he successfully scaled all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains within a single calendar winter and shaved 12 days off the current record.

Diane Calvin

Civil and Environmental Engineer

Diane Calvin studied Civil and Environmental Engineering. During her Bachelor’s Degree at University of Texas at Austin and her Master’s Degree at Duke University, she focused on materials and energy efficiency. After school, she worked in local and state government as well as non-profits and private environmental consulting. She worked in energy efficiency and environmental compliance in the Netherlands and started a family there. Later, they moved to South India. In all of these places the contrasts in food systems and societal supports made her interested in food systems, the environment, and public health. When she returned to the US, she worked in recycling in schools and turned her focus to wasted food in schools. Through her food rescue organization, CAFE Food Rescue, she has diverted more than 60,000 pounds of fresh, surplus food to people in need in the community.

Eligar Sadeh

Aerospace Professional

Eligar Sadeh, Ph.D., has been an Aerospace Professional for the past 40 years. He is CEO and Founder of Astroconsulting International LLC and the non-profit Astropolitics Institute, where he engages in technical consulting and educational programming. He serves as Chief Editor of the academic journal Astropolitics. Eli is a Professor and STEM educator since 1999 of Aerospace Engineering, Space Operations, Program and Project Management, Business and Entrepreneurship, Astrophysics, Physics, Environmental Studies, and Astropolitics. Professional experiences include work with NASA, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, SpaceX, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Colorado, Colorado State University, US Air Force Academy Eisenhower Center of Space and Defense Studies, US Air Force Space Command, University of North Dakota Aerospace Sciences and Space Studies, International Space University, Western Colorado University, and foreign national space agencies and academic institutions.

Garrett Scharton

Real Estate Development Specialist

Garrett Scharton leads partnerships at Servitas, an innovative housing development firm exclusively focused on public-private partnerships. Garrett and his team have forged groundbreaking partnerships with communities across the Mountain West with a singular goal: bringing new housing supply for the benefit of the community. As a classically trained musician from the Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and a credentialed negotiator who knows first-hand the challenges of growing up in Section 8 housing, Garrett brings a fresh and tenacious perspective to this staid industry.

George Gerchow

Father, Cyber Security Expert

George Gerchow, father, son, friend has spent the last 20+ years in the Technology space with an expertise in Cyber Security. George was born in Panama and moved to Colorado in 1980, Spanish is his first language. As a father of two incredible children, he had a charmed life until March 12th, 2021 when his family suffered an unimaginable traumatic experience that would change their lives forever. Post-Trauma, George moved permanently to Frisco CO and Co-Founded a 501c (3) nonprofit XFoundation along with his daughter, Madison, to start helping bring awareness and education to the Fentanyl epidemic, specifically poisoning through fake pills or street scripts. The XFoundation is working hard to break the societal stigma around Fentanyl deaths usually labelled overdoes. George has made it his life’s mission to keep other families from suffering the same kind of trauma and loss.

Isabelle Amigues

Rheumatologist

Isabelle Amigues, MD, is a rheumatologist. She trained both in Paris as well as Columbia University, in New York City. She is based in Denver, CO. After being on the faculty of National Jewish Health for over 5 years she opened the first direct care Rheumatology practice in Colorado. She is also a researcher and the author of multiple book chapters and scientific articles.

Kara Napolitano

Human Rights Advocate and Trainer

Kara Napolitano is a human rights advocate and trainer. She holds an MA in International Development with concentration in International Human Rights Law. Before completing her education, she spent eight years working and volunteering in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, working mostly with education-based NGOs in post-conflict areas. This is where she was introduced to the crime of human trafficking. She was appointed to Governor’s Colorado Human Trafficking Council Prevention Task Force in 2018 and the Equitable Access Task Force in 2022 and she is a commissioner on the Denver Crime Prevention and Control Commission. For the last few years she has led training and education efforts as the Research and Training Manager at the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT). She has trained more than 25,000 professionals across rural and urban Colorado on how to recognize and compassionately respond to labor and sex exploitation in their communities.

Kenzie Reichert

Audiologist

Kenzie Reichert is an audiologist who specializes in the treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus, and decreased sound tolerance disorders. She earned her Doctorate in Audiology from Northwestern University and completed her residency at the National Institutes of Health. She founded the online audiology practice Hear Lab Clinic (www.Hear-Lab.com), where she provides virtual consultations catering to various ear-related needs. This innovative platform was created to empower individuals with the knowledge to manage their hearing health long-term.

Michael Ballard

Psychologist

After growing up in a troubled home scarred with substance abuse, domestic violence, and divorce, Dr. Michael Ballard made it his personal and professional mission to help families heal from anger, addictions, and abuse through forgiveness and reconciliation. He is a licensed psychologist, speaker, and published author. Outside of the office Michael is a competitive runner who completed the Abbott World Marathon Majors by qualifying for and running in the Boston, Chicago, New York City, Berlin, London, and Tokyo Marathons. He is an avid outdoorsman who can often be found in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Sarah Rubinson Levy

AI + Education Specialist

Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy has an undergraduate degree in business and sociology and holds a Master of Jewish Education degree from Hebrew College, a doctorate in education from Northeastern University, and certificates in Advanced Jewish Studies, Day School Education, and Jewish Educational Leadership. Her areas of focus include progressive/student-centered education, integration of artificial intelligence into education, and teacher professional development and support. She considers herself a scholar-practitioner, drawing from research and data to create effective and joyful learning environments. Most recently, she was a founding head of school for Einstein Academy, a progressive private school in Denver, CO. She currently empowers excellence in education through her work with Sarah Rubinson Consulting and Contracting with an approach that integrates empathy and curiosity, working with each organization in a way that is both realistic and aspirational.

Tony Molina

Musician

Tony Molina, who performs a TLoop (www.tlooparatist.com), creates music designed for Yoga and Relaxation. However, you can find him jamming out in Espanol, as well. Tony is a father, teacher and innovator.