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).

Chicago Cultural Center
78 E Washington St
chicago, Illinois, 60602
United States

Brooke Skinner Ricketts

Power Generator

Brooke Skinner Ricketts is a growth strategist devoted to transforming possibility into performance. Brooke is an experienced queer executive who went from doing market research at truck stops to sitting in the c-suite and on the boards of public companies before her 40th birthday. Brooke’s professional work has focused on solving the problems that constrain growth with innovative leadership, product, marketing and business strategies that unlock outstanding results. With a strong track record of optimizing business for growth and impact, and implementing forward-thinking business building strategies, Brooke’s work enables the success of dozens of Fortune 200 brands. She's taken two companies public and advised many others in their journey toward meaningful scale. She has led strategy, brand, product, marketing and customer experience for market leaders, challenger brands and unicorns including X (Twitter), eBay, and Sprint.

Debi Hemmeter

Advocate, Executive & Researcher

Debi Hemmeter is the Co-Founder of Leanin.org with Sheryl Sandberg former COO of Facebook|Meta. Debi has over 25 years of experience within the private sector with four Fortune 50 companies. Debi began her career at PepsiCo and Sara Lee in sales and marketing. After close to 10 years in the consumer products segment, she was recruited to Wells Fargo Bank, where she specialized in retail banking strategy, marketing, and business development. Debi moved on to Bank of America and led one of their largest retail markets where she managed $3.4 billion in assets and 1600 employees. Along the way, Debi learned firsthand many of the important Lean In Principles. She believes and the research supports that having these conversations has allowed companies to improve their bottom-line performance and individuals to build confidence and become transformational leaders.

Dr. Rebecca Davis

Quantum Chemist

Dr. Rebecca Davis is a Full Professor of Organic and Computational Chemistry at the University of Manitoba, where she leads a globally recognized research group. Specializing in the development of sustainable chemical processes, her work combines quantum mechanical modeling with experimental synthetic chemistry to make pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis more efficient and eco-friendly. She has received prestigious funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and is a recognized leader in her field, named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2023. A passionate advocate for diversity in science, Dr. Davis co-founded the Working for Inclusivity in Chemical Sciences group and actively supports women and minorities in STEM. Beyond her groundbreaking research, she contributes nationally to scientific communities through various leadership roles and serves on the Researcher Council for the National Digital Research Alliance of Canada.

George Lepauw

Prodigy Pianist & Music Activist

A prodigious pianist” (Chicago Tribune) recognized for his “singing tone” (New York Times), and someone who “likes to shake it up” (Chicago Tribune), George Lepauw is an artist and cultural activist who uses music to inspire and bring people together. He has performed across the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra and chamber musician, and has toured internationally as far as Asia, South America, and Europe presenting a wide range of repertoire covering five hundred years of music up to our day, all guided by his insatiable musical curiosity. Named Chicagoan of the Year (2012) for Classical Music (Chicago Tribune), George represents the ideal 21st century musician, intensely focused on his art and wholly engaged with the world. He's given the World Premiere performance of newly-discovered and long-lost piano trio of Beethoven and released multiple recordings to great acclaim.

Jamyle Cannon

Boxer & Advocate for Transformative Change

Jamyle Cannon, founder of The Bloc, a CNN Hero and Lumenary award winner, uses boxing to transform the lives of Chicago youth. Growing up in Kentucky, Jamyle faced challenges such as poverty and household addiction, leading to early struggles with anger and violence. After discovering boxing in college and becoming a National Collegiate Boxing Champion, he found a way to channel his energy into positive change. His nonprofit, The Bloc, combines boxing with academic support to give underserved students a safe space to grow. Since 2016, The Bloc has helped over 300 students, achieving a 100% high school graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate. Recognized by CNN for his work, Jamyle is not just a fighter in the ring but a champion for youth empowerment.

Joel Braunold

Public Policy Entrepreneur

Joel Braunold is the managing director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace having consulted for leading organizations, funds and foundations on public policy and issues surrounding financing of violence prevention and peacebuilding in the domestic and international contexts. He served as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, during which he built its global footprint, impact and brand leveraging over $50 million into the field of peacebuilding, led the coalition that passed the Nita M Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act leveraging $250 million in a new authorized fund for peacebuilding.

Kim Greene Hiller

Improve Queen

Kim Green Hiller, Founder and Head Teacher at the Laughing Academy, earned her improv comedy pedigree from Chicago's lauded Second City Conservatory, where her teachers included Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. Kim also studied under improv legends Del Close and Charna Halpern at Chicago's ImprovOlympic (iO), sharing the stage with classmates Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

Matt Hay

Patient Advocate

Matt Hay, has a long journey toward deafness and even longer journey toward learning to “hear” again with an experimental brainstem implant. He first publicly shared his story on a National Public Radio podcast titled Soundtrack of Silence. The intimate, funny and authentic peek at what it’s like to start a career, fall in love and build a life while battling a rare disease inspired actor Channing Tatum and Paramount Pictures to option the motion picture rights to Matt’s life story. Matt’s memoir Soundtrack of Silence was released in January 2024 by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan. It immediately earned a spot as an Amazon Best Seller within the Disability category. When Matt isn’t adding tracks to the soundtrack of his life, he passionately supports the hearing loss community as a member of the Columbia University Genetic Counseling Advisory Board and previously as a consultant to the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf.

Michael Feinstein

Singer/Pianist/Composer

Michael Feinstein’s TEDx talk explores the transformative power of music, particularly focusing on the Great American Songbook as a unique expression of American culture and history. He delves into how these songs, created by a diverse group of songwriters, have not only captured the essence of the American experience but also evolved to resonate with different generations, often taking on new meanings in changing societal contexts. Through personal anecdotes and historical examples, Feinstein highlights how music has the ability to evoke deep emotions, foster connection, and even influence social and political change.