TEDxEvansville 2017 features the community’s ideas worth spreading

11 speakers and one musical performance take the USI Performance Center stage Oct. 27

EVANSVILLE, IND. – Months of speaker curation and preparation have led up to this Friday’s TEDxEvansville event, which shares the community’s ideas worth spreading. The locally organized event – now in its third year – is centered around this year’s theme, Grow. It features eleven local speakers, a musical act and a handful of thoughtfully selected TED videos. This year’s crowd will be the largest in the event’s history, with a venue that seats 300. Several tristate-area companies and local university groups are using TEDxEvansville as an offsite team-building opportunity to learn and find inspiration. TEDxEvansville is noon to 5 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2017, at the University of Southern Indiana’s Performance Center. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.TEDxEvansville.com.

WHAT: TEDxEvansville 2017

WHEN: Friday, October 27, 2017
Registration starts at noon; theatre guests seated by 12:45 p.m.
Live program runs 1-5 p.m.

WHERE: Performance Center on the campus of the University of Southern Indiana

For those unable to attend the event in person, a live stream of TEDxEvansville is available via a desktop computer or mobile device at www.TEDxEvansville.com.

TICKETS: $50 for general admission, $25 for students and $5 off each ticket for groups of five or more. Buy tickets online at www.TEDxEvansville.com.

TEDxEvansville 2017 Program Schedule

The 11 speakers were selected for their thought-provoking ideas and ability to convey them in a moving way. Talks are each less than 18 minutes in length. Here’s the schedule for this year’s event:

The times are approximate. 

1-2 p.m.

Workforce of Ability
Ben Trockman

Television and Creating My American Dream
Sarah Kluemper

Innovation from a Spark of Curiosity
Ryan Stephen Loehrlein

2-3 p.m.

Beyond the Science: Environmental Problems… Cultural Solutions
Paul K. Doss

The Art of Meetings
Lisa G. Wube

Video from TEDGlobal 2012

Live musical performance
Thunder Dreamer

3-4 p.m.

Syntax of Survival
Camea Davis

Cookies, Connections and Currency
Trent Engbers

Do Your Clothes Fit?
Mark Logan

Video from TED2016

4-5 p.m.

How a Beard and a Microphone Helped Me Connect
Jason Burton

Smart Apartments Will Transform How We live
Christopher DeSchamp

Tsunamis and Lifelines: Workforce Development in a Future Shocked World
Sue Ellspermann

TEDxEvansville is a volunteer-organized event

TEDxEvansville is organized by a volunteer group of Evansville-area community advocates, who are moved by the TED experience and committed to spotlighting bright minds and inspiring community members in the tristate who provoke meaningful conversations and change.

The community may access www.TEDxEvansville.com to view talks from past TEDxEvansville events and to learn more about other ways to get involved with TEDxEvansville, such as volunteering and sponsoring the event.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

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, TED Talks 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.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a “wish,” or idea, to create change in the world; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.

TEDxEvansville 2017 announces speakers; online ticket sales open Friday

EVANSVILLE, IND. – TEDxEvansville is pleased to announce its lineup of speakers for TEDxEvansville 2017. The event is centered around this year’s theme – Grow. The 11 speakers were selected for their thought-provoking ideas and ability to convey their ideas in a moving way. They will present their talks – each less than 18 minutes in length – at TEDxEvansville from noon to 5 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2017, at the University of Southern Indiana’s Performance Center. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 18 at www.TEDxEvansville.com.

Zac Parsons, licensee of TEDxEvansville, said, “With a couple years of experience in planning and executing TEDxEvansville events, we are applying lessons learned to make this our best event yet. Our theme of ‘Grow’ can be interpreted in so many ways, and we’re thrilled with the different expressions that our line-up of speakers brings to the event. The content covers a diverse range of topics. As with years past, we suspect attendees will have a tough time choosing their favorite talk.” Parsons added, “To meet the growing interest in TEDxEvansville, we have moved the event to a larger venue. We can’t wait to bring nearly 300 people to the USI Performance Center for this year’s event. That theater feels like it was designed for giving TED talks.”

TEDxEvansville 2017 Speakers

The speaker selection process is extensive, conducted over several weeks. The TEDxEvansville curatorial team reviewed dozens of speaker applications and conducted in-person auditions as part of selecting this year’s speakers – ruling out any speaker seeking self-promotion or an opportunity to market their business or organization from the stage.

Over the next few weeks, TEDxEvansville will select a handful of TED Talks videos, as well as local artists and performers, who will also be featured in the day’s lineup. While the titles of the talks are still in development, confirmed speakers for the 2017 event include:

Jason Burton

Jason Burton is the creator and host of Evansville Podcast, which spotlights business owners, event organizers and interesting people in the Evansville area. He is also a software developer in the health care industry. 

Camea Davis

Camea Davis is a poet, educator and educational researcher with a heart for urban youth and communities. She is a doctoral teaching fellow at Ball State University, where she teaches multicultural education. There, she is also an advanced doctoral candidate, majoring in Critical Educational Policy Studies and minoring in Educational Technology and Curriculum. Her research interests include culturally responsive teaching, youth spoken word and youth civic engagement. As program director and co-founder of Indy Pulse, she works to cultivate critical literacy and develop youth as leaders in Indianapolis.

Christopher DeSchamp

Christopher DeSchamp is Director of Customer Solutions Development at Vectren Corporation, where he focuses on new energy solutions – smart cities, smart homes, smart buildings and smart energy. DeSchamp is a futurist who thinks and acts boldly. He makes what is technically feasible a reality and implements technology solutions that improve lives and positively impact the environment.

Paul K. Doss

Paul K. Doss is Professor of Geology at the University of Southern Indiana, where he teaches courses on environmental geology, environmental science, geology of national parks, and water resources. Doss directs student research on environmental problems, such as impacts of humans on water resources, natural resources management and geological hazards. He has previously held positions with Yellowstone National Park, Indiana Dunes and Everglades National Park.

Sue Ellspermann

Sue Ellspermann is an academic administrator and politician, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2016 before becoming current President of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. Ellspermann, an Indiana native, has served in the Indiana House of Representatives for the 74^th District. She also has classroom experience teaching at the University of Southern Indiana, the University of Evansville and University of Louisville, where she earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering.

Trent Engbers

Trent Engbers is an experienced college educator and nonprofit consultant living in Evansville. Engbers, who holds a Ph.D. in public affairs from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, has taught more than 35 different courses in his 15 years of college teaching. His research on leadership, economic development and social capital has been published widely in journals, including Social Science Quarterly, Public Administration Review and the Journal of Leadership Education. A husband, father of four children and former Peace Corps volunteer in China from 2005-2007, Engbers actively serves on three local nonprofit boards.

Sarah Kluemper

Evansville resident Sarah Kluemper is a Talent Acquisition Sourcer at OneMain Financial. As someone who believes that you should always love what you do, she is passionate about connecting great people with great opportunities.

Ryan Stephen Loehrlein

Ryan Stephen Loehrlein is a student at the University of Southern Indiana, where he is pursuing degrees in mechanical engineering and finance. He is a student trainee at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, and president of Guardian Aviation Technology LLC.

Mark Logan

Henderson, Ky., native Mark Logan, M.D. is a surgeon with Midwest Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgery, husband and father of three children. Logan is also active in real estate development and acquisition, as well as restaurant development. He is committed to retaining and attracting the talents and energy of Millennials in the tristate and helps them make professional and community connections.

Ben Trockman

Ben Trockman serves as Community Outreach and Employment Specialist for Old National Bank, where he is dedicated to assisting the bank in becoming a leader in disability employment and inclusion. He is active within the disability advocacy community and works with legislators in Indianapolis and Washington D.C., to improve employment opportunities, airline accessibility and health care options for people with disabilities.

Lisa G. Wube

Former Division I college basketball player, Lisa Wube serves as program service director for the City of Evansville’s Department of Parks and Recreation. In her role, she has introduced numerous new athletic and community-based programs for residents and strives to create a high level of awareness about the community’s parks and recreation.

Heather McNabb, a TEDxEvansville Organizing Committee volunteer who also leads the curatorial (speaker selection) team, said, “Holding true to the TED spirit, the curatorial team looked for ideas worth spreading to our community and the larger global community. We have found engaging speakers who will educate, entertain and enlighten the TEDxEvansville community.”

Online ticket sales open Friday, August 18

New this year, TEDxEvansville attendees may purchase tickets online at www.TEDxEvansville.com, starting Friday, August 18. Prices are $50 for standard admission and $25 for students (college and other post-secondary, high school, middle and elementary students). Seats will be assigned by TEDxEvansville, and priority seating consideration may given to those who purchase tickets early. Groups of attendees interested in sitting together are encouraged to purchase tickets in one transaction.

In keeping with its 2017 theme, “Grow,” TEDxEvansville moves 
October event to larger venue

EVANSVILLE, IND. – Now in its third year, TEDxEvansville, an event designed to share inspiring ideas, has selected a new, larger venue to accommodate the community’s growing interest and participation. Local volunteer organizers of TEDxEvansville have announced the Friday, October 27, 2017, event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the University of Southern Indiana’s Performance Center. All locally organized TEDx events have a theme to set the tone for the event. The theme of TEDxEvansville 2017 is “Grow.”

TEDxEvansville licensee, Zac Parsons, shared how the event’s organizers decided on “Grow” for this year’s theme. “We’re at a point in our society where cities and communities are either in a state of growth or in a state of decline. Fortunately, in Evansville, we have plenty of markers that show that this community is growing. But too few of our community members are aware of it,” he said. Parsons added, “That’s what makes the TED Talk format so powerful. It gives a stage to explore and share the best ideas that our community is engaged in – or should be. And this year, with our amazing new location at the Performance Center at USI, we are able to share that stage with a crowd of 300 in person, in addition to the thousand-plus who will stream it online.”

Individuals interested in applying to speak at TEDxEvansville may complete the form online at www.TEDxEvansville.com. The deadline for submitting speaker applications is May 21. The TEDxEvansville curatorial committee will review speaker applications and select presenters in July, following personal interviews and auditions.

The community may also access the website to view talks from past TEDxEvansville events and to learn more about other ways to get involved with TEDxEvansville, such as volunteering, sponsoring or attending the event. Ticket prices and online ticket sales will be announced this summer.

“We are delighted this year’s TEDxEvansville event will be held in the stunning Performance Center on USI’s campus,” said Dr. Linda L. M. Bennett, USI president. “As these talks are devoted to spreading ideas, they work hand in hand with elements of our own University mission as an engaged learning community advancing education and knowledge.”

TEDxEvansville is organized by a volunteer group of Evansville-area community advocates, who are moved by the TED experience and committed to spotlighting bright minds and inspiring community members in the tristate who provoke meaningful conversations and change.

TEDxEvansville announces 2016 speaker lineup

Local speakers will come together under “Pause, Play, Fast-Forward” theme

EVANSVILLE, IND. – TEDxEvansville is pleased to announce its lineup of speakers for its 2016 event, “Pause, Play, Fast-Forward.” The nine speakers were selected for their thought-provoking ideas and ability to convey their ideas in a moving way. They will present their talks – each less than 18 minutes in length – at the 2016 TEDxEvansville event on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Evansville Museum’s Koch Immersive Theater.

Confirmed speakers to date for the 2016 event include:

• Basel Al Haj – Scholars for Syria
• Joe Atkinson and James MacLeod – University of Evansville and WNIN
• Roneshia Clark Evans – PhD student, Diversity Educator
• Kay Corpus, M.D. – Owner/Director, Center for Integrative Medicine and The Yoga Loft
• Brad Garnett – Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Erin Gibson – Student Publications Manager/Advisor, USI
• Dr. Edith Hardcastle – Associate Professor of Biology, USI
• Jarin Jaffee – Head of School, Evansville Day School
• Tim Piazza – Online marketing consultant

TEDxEvansville received more than 60 written idea submissions from individuals interested in speaking at this year’s event. The TEDxEvansville curatorial team narrowed that list to about 20 individuals who were invited to audition in person, where they shared their ideas and discussed how they would deliver them in an impactful way.

“The responsibility of the curatorial team is to select speakers with fresh, poignant ideas that uphold the mission of TEDx, while at the same time providing the audience with a diverse range of topics,” said Jenn Schultheis, TEDxEvansville Curatorial Team Lead. “We were inspired by so many of the speaker applicants this year, making it difficult to narrow the group. Our 2016 Speakers definitely bring ‘ideas worth spreading’ to life.”

The team reviewing applications had no access to applicants’ names or where they work to ensure the focus remained on the ideas presented. The curatorial team ruled out any speaker seeking self-promotion or an opportunity to market their business or organization from the stage.

How to get tickets
TEDxEvansville will soon share information on how to get tickets online and tips for hosting a TEDx viewing party, where you can stream the event at your organization or gathering area. Those who want TEDxEvansville updates and happenings are encouraged to subscribe to emails from TEDxEvansville or follow TEDxEvansville on Facebook or Twitter.

TEDxEvansville is organized by a volunteer group of Evansville-area community advocates, who are excited to introduce the TED experience to the tristate area and spotlight bright minds and inspiring community members who provoke meaningful conversations and change.

TEDxEvansville 2015 videos now available online

Be re-inspired: Watch the TEDxEvansville 2015 talks – now available online
See how the 13 speakers were inspired by the event’s “renaissance” theme

EVANSVILLE, IND. – Did you miss TEDxEvansville 2015? Or simply want to experience it again? Watch all 13 talks from the Oct. 13, 2015, event – now available at www.TEDxEvansville.com and the TEDx YouTube Channel. See how the locally and regionally sourced speakers’ talks aligned with the event’s renaissance theme.