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).

171 Main Street
Eastsound, Washington, 98245
United States

Ben Nunez

Ben grew up on a small farm in a remote village in Mexico. Barely 20 years old, he came to the United States Illegally and took residence on Orcas Island, integrating into the community as he learned the operations of a classic sawmill. He became a local celebrity when he was arrested by US Border Patrol in an unpopular and questionably legal checkpoint. The influential community where he resides has negotiated repeated stays despite the government's attempt to have him deported.

Donna Gerardi Riordan

Donna Gerardi Riordan moved with her family to Orcas Island, Washington four years ago with no thoughts of starting a research organization. Then in early 2012, she learned about plans to build the largest coal transport terminal in North America – the Gateway Pacific Terminal – at Cherry Point, Washington, a short distance from Orcas across Georgia Strait. Drawing on her professional background in science and education policy and communications at the National Academies in Washington, DC and the California Council on Science and Technology, she started to explore how scientific evidence and technical information was being used to inform local policy and permitting decisions. The gaps she found inspired her to create Research Now, with the goal of crowd funding location-specific research to inform policymakers.

Eric Morris

Eric is the founder and creator of The EarthBall and was inspired by the early photographs of the whole Earth taken by the NASA astronauts during the Apollo Moon voyages. These images of Earth motivate him to create a truly spherical & photorealistic representation of our planet as it appears from deep space.

Gianna Toboni

Gianna is an Emmy-nominated producer and correspondent who has covered stories across the United States and overseas, most recently with VICE Media. In the last year, Gianna has done documentaries on topics ranging from black markets in the North Dakota oil fields; the rise of the Palestinian Women’s National Football Team; the legacy of Guantanamo Bay; mixed martial arts as an alternative therapy for war veterans; climate change and its effect on polar bears; among others. Before VICE, Gianna worked as a correspondent for Al Jazeera and a producer for ABC News. Originally from San Francisco, California, Gianna currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Hedrick Smith

One of America's premier journalists, Hedrick Smith is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter and editor, and Emmy award-winning producer/correspondent. For PBS and Frontline Smith has created 26 prime-time specials and mini-series on such varied topics as “Inside the Terror Network,” “Is Wal-Mart Good for America?” “The Wall Street Fix,” “Inside Gorbachev’s USSR,” “Can You Afford to Retire?” and “Rediscovering Dave Brubeck.” He has won most of television’s top awards including two Emmys and two Dupont-Columbia Gold batons for the best public affairs programs on U.S. television in 1991 and in 2002. His current best-seller, “Who Stole the American Dream” is a startling and revealing portrait of how we became Two Americas over the past 30 years and how the middle class got left behind.

Jean Brittingham

Jean has 20+ years of experience in designing and leading organizations to help create intentional, high-performing cultures that deliver exceptional results. By focusing on inclusivity and collaboration, she believes we can achieve significant breakthroughs in innovation, collective action and breakthrough results. Excited by big challenges and “gnarly” problems, she believes that intentionally creating culture is more powerful than most can imagine. If strategy is the brains of an organization, culture is the heart. The brain can’t work if the heart is not beating.

Jeremiah "Jay" Julius

Jeremiah “Jay” Julius (Sle-lh’x elten) is an avid reader and student of the history and culture of his people, The Lummi Nation. He is a man of great faith and hope who understands the importance to his family and all his relations of strengthening families and preserving family values. He believes it is critical that we learn from and respect the past, including protecting treaty rights, sacred sites, the environment and the Lummi way of life.

John Vechey

John grew up in Wisconsin under supervision of hippie parents and eventually found his way to Purdue University. In college he met his soon to be business partner in computer programming class. Following his passion he dropped out of school to program games, and that passion eventually lead to authoring one of the most popular mobile games of all time, Bejeweled. For the next 15 years he headed PopCap games until selling to Electronic Arts in 2013. His next venture is a Virtual Reality startup called Pluto VR.

Mike Bosworth

Mike Bosworth has been a thought leader within the field of sales over the last several decades. He is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and story seeker. From 1976 through 1982 he designed and delivered sales training programs for Xerox’s Computer Services Division. In 2008, Mike realized that there was still a ‘missing link’ in understanding why such a small percentage of sellers generate such a large percentage of revenue. Mike’s interest and research into how the very best sales professionals connect and build trust with buyers led him to build a framework around how to connect with, inspire and influence others. Mike founded Mike Bosworth Leadership in January 2013 to begin training salespeople and leaders in using the power of storytelling and story tending for gaining trust, and influencing without authority.

Nic Askew

Nic has a very clear mission : to capture ‘The Soul of This Human Race‘ on film, in all its shades and from all four corners. So that we might see ourselves reflected in each other. Former Managing Director turned Poet Film Maker, creating uniquely deep and transformational films.

Paul Freedman

Paul Freedman is a widely published writer, educator, activist and speaker. Paul is interested in exploring the many aspects of holistic educational theory and bringing them into practice with young people.Paul Freedman is the father of two amazing teenage children. He has been an elementary school teacher for 22 years in both public and independent schools. Paul and his family moved to Orcas Island in 2000. In 2001 he became the founding Head of Salmonberry School and Learning Center in Eastsound, WA, where he continues to work. Paul holds an MA in Education from Goddard College. He served for four years as a Contributing Editor for the education journal, Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice. He also currently serves as a faculty member of the Self-Design Graduate Institute in Bellingham, WA. He has organized and hosted three holistic education conferences on Orcas Island featuring prominent speakers from across the country.

Rhea Miller

Rhea Miller is a social artist and the Assistant Director of Lopez Community Land Trust. She served over 10 years as County Commissioner of San Juan County, WA, with an emphasis on environmental protection and sustainability in housing, agriculture, and people. She has been interviewed on “Good Morning America Sunday” and “CBS Sunday Morning,” and has a long history as a community organizer with international experience. She completed a Masters of Divinity in Feminist Liberation Theology from the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, and authored the book Cloudhand, Clenched Fist: Chaos, Crisis, and the Emergence of Community.

TJ Martin

Academy Award winner of the 2012 Best Feature Documentary film UNDEFEATED, TJ Martin has spent his life immersed in film. His Oscar win made him the first director of African American descent to receive an Academy Award for a feature length film, but his cultural heritage is more complex than a single racial identifier can encompass.