A diverse group of faculty, staff, students and alumni make up the lineup of speakers for this year's TEDxDePaulUniversity. Their talks and performances will explore the theme "Fast Forward." (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)CHICAGO — Tickets are on sale for TEDxDePaulUniversity, scheduled for April 12 from 1-5 p.m. at DePaul University School of Music’s new Holtschneider Performance Center in Lincoln Park.
In its fourth year, TEDxDePaulUniversity will explore the theme “Fast Forward,” with nine speakers and two musical performances. As activists, youth mentors, company founders and champions of the arts, mental healthcare and the environment, the speakers are a diverse group of DePaul faculty, staff, students and alumni. Each speaker's talk or performance is rooted in an area of research or personal interest and promises to provoke stimulating conversation within the community.
Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for students, and $8 for groups of 15 or more. To purchase tickets and learn more about the speakers, visit https://tedxdepauluniversity.com/.
This year’s speakers, in order of appearance, are:
- Meredith Ferrill: “What I learned the year I tried to give up plastic”
- Josh Fort: “The powerful potential of bystanders”
- Amanda MacDonald: “How we move is how we think”
- Emad Mahou: “The cost of democracy: From a Syrian detention cell to a Chicago voting booth”
- Tyree Taylor: “The power of love: A spark for community change”
- Lindsay Fredrickson: “El Sistema: Changing the face of the American orchestra”
- Enid Montague: “How to improve a community’s wellbeing after tragedy”
- Ellis Confer: “Intergenerational teams as a force for change”
- Bushra Amiwala: “Why you can’t afford to wait”
The emcees for the afternoon with be TEDxDePaulUniversity 2018 alumni Karen Bartuch, Brandon Hendrix and Tammy Higgins from Team Funny Business.
Throughout the afternoon, audience members in attendance will receive TEDxDePaulUniversity merchandise and be eligible for giveaway items, including a two-night stay at a 4-star downtown hotel and gift certificates worth $50 each.
The TEDxDePaulUniversity experience includes opportunities for audience engagement and fun. Last year’s event featured a balloon sculpture artist who built real-time designs of the speakers, music, meditation and drawing. More artistic experiences that engage the mind are lined up for this year including graphic recording artists and performances by School of Music students and a DePaul a cappella group, The Fullertones.
Each of DePaul's TEDx events has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm and support by those both within and beyond the DePaul community. Past TEDxDePaulUniversity talks have been viewed more than 1.5 million times on YouTube and attendees have described the talks as “inspirational,” “necessary,” “inclusive,” “thought-provoking” and “motivational.”
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. 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 and made possible through a license from TED.
Media Contact:
Russell Dorn
312-362-7128