Theme: New Horizons

TEDxCapeMay returns live for its 13th season on October 6, 2024, at Cape May Convention Hall from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm, featuring nine outstanding presenters and performers under the theme of "New Horizons" followed by an open-bar reception. Tickets are $65, including reception, and $35 for the program only. See the talks that over nine million people have already viewed online.

Cape May Convention Hall
714 Beach Avenue
Cape May, New Jersey, 08204
United States

Amber Straughn

Astrophysicist

Dr. Amber Straughn is an Astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD and is a member of the Webb Space Telescope Science Team. She is also the Associate Director of the Astrophysics Science Division. Amber grew up in rural Arkansas and was the first person in her family to attend college. She obtained her BS in Physics at the University of Arkansas, and completed her MS and PhD in Physics at Arizona State University. In addition to research, Amber is a passionate and accomplished science communicator. She frequently speaks to large audiences at conventions, corporate events, museums, and research societies worldwide. Amber has done numerous live interviews and media features for NASA, and has appeared on CBS 60 Minutes, PBS NOVA, the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary “Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine”, The Science Channel, in the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's "Hubble Gotchu" segment, and in the Emmy-winning documentary The Hunt for Planet B.

Bianca Bosker

Author

An award-winning journalist obsessed with obsession, Bianca Bosker’s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world and couldn’t look away. Bosker ultimately disowned her normal life to sell art at galleries, help artists in their studios, patrol museum wings as a security guard, and more—all as part of a journey to understand why art matters and how anyone can engage with it more deeply. Bianca Bosker is the New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork and Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See. A contributing writer at The Atlantic, she has also written for publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Her work has been recognized with awards from the New York Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, and more, and has been included in The Best American Travel Writing. She lives in New York City.

Jessica Holmes

Comedian

Jessica Holmes is a comedian and motivational speaker. She has brought the house down, opening for giants such as Ellen DeGeneres, Jerry Seinfeld, and Oprah Winfrey. She performed at Just For Laughs, The Second City, and starred in the comedy series The Holmes Show and Royal Canadian Air Farce. After recovering from depression, Jessica became a mental health advocate and mixes her humor with a message about hope and resilience in her successful keynote Mental Health: The Good The Bad and The Funny. Her hilarious and inspiring book “Depression The Comedy: A Tale of Perseverance” was named as one of Good Housekeeping’s Best 36 Books on Depression. Jessica’s greatest joy is helping people take simple, sustainable steps towards fulfillment and wellbeing, one laugh at a time.

Mark Beal

Professor, Writer

A 30-year public relations and marketing executive, Mark Beal is a Rutgers University School of Communication and Information professor, author, and keynote speaker. He spent the first 30 years of his career creating integrated marketing campaigns for leading brands around high-profile sports and entertainment properties, including the Olympic Games, Super Bowl Halftime Show, and The Rolling Stones. Collaborating with members of Gen Z each day in the classroom, Mark has authored eight books, including four books focused on Generation Z. Mark's most recent book, published earlier this year, is titled, Win The Job & Thrive In A Multigenerational Workplace.

Mark Levy

Business Strategist

Mark Levy is a business strategist and differentiation advisor. The ideas Mark and his clients have created are known by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Mark has consulted to some of the world’s most prominent companies and individuals, including CEOs of major organizations, and thought leaders, such as Simon Sinek of “Start with Why” fame. He is also a writer. Mark has written for the New York Times, and has written or co-created five books, including “Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content,” which has been published in multiple languages. He has taught research writing at Rutgers University. Besides his strategy work, Mark creates magic tricks and shows. One of the shows he co-created, “Chamber Magic,” has run in New York City for well over two decades and has a day of celebration by proclamation of the mayor. He and his wife, Stella, a veterinarian, live on a historically preserved farm in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Russell Ferguson

Dancer

Russell Ferguson is a professional dancer and visual artist. He has been a part of the dance community from the age of five years old and started on his quest to become a well known dancer. From high school, he attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for a year (2008-2009). It was at the University of the Arts, Russell believes prepared him for his next conquest, which was a reality television show called "So You Think You Can Dance." Russell won the show in 2009 to become "America's Favorite Dancer." Since this milestone in Russell's career was achieved, in January 2010, Russell appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Academy Awards as a dancer and did a PSA shoot called B1Example for non-violence. In addition, in 2011, he made two movies, "Battlefield America (a character called 'Prime')" and "Things Never Said." To date his latest conquest is a staring role in the upcoming movie, "East Side Story (character called 'Captain')."

Sean Burcher

Scientist

Sean Burcher has a passion for solving difficult problems and enjoys learning new things along the way. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Astrophysics from the University of Tennessee while studying the origin of the elements in our universe. From there, he worked as a researcher in the Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He is an R&D Engineer at Cellular Tracking Technologies, where he designs, builds, and deploys cutting-edge wildlife telemetry devices. These novel tracking devices enable wildlife conservation research on every continent worldwide. Sean is also the Director of Scientific Operations at the Cape May Point Science Center, where he participates in many local conservation projects that help us understand and protect the wildlife of the Cape May area and beyond.

Steve Pearlman, Ph.D.

Educator

With over 35-years of experience in higher education, Steve founded the first academic office in higher education with a specialized focus on critical thinking. Author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis, he has been featured on NPR, Fox News Radio, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, CBS Atlanta, The Hill, and a plethora of podcasts. Steve founded The Critical Thinking Institute and is a keynote speaker on critical thinking for businesses, universities, conferences, and the U.S. military. With over 40-years of experience, Steve is also a sought-after martial arts instructor for his unique theoretical approach to training. Most of all, he’s a devoted father, an endeavor which stretches his own critical thinking most of all.