Our Purpose
The purpose of TEDxCharleston is to gather inspiring people with diverse ideas to share the many untold stories of Charleston’s thinkers, visionaries and fascinating teachers. We provide a setting where new connections, partnerships, and opportunities can be forged, where we honor the past while bringing forth something new for consideration and action.
About TEDxCharleston
TEDxCharleston is an all-day immersion experience at the intersection of science, art, performance and business. It is designed to enrich the Charleston, South Carolina community through presentations and entertainment that inspires, engages and transforms.
About TEDxCharleston 2015
EMBRACE CHAOS
Be inspired by the change agents who have learned how to use chaos as a “construct for creativity” ... unfolding positive change in their personal lives, the community, and our world.
•Experience today’s brave change agents who have learned how to embrace chaos to create positive change.
•Explore the concept that one can fear chaos – or embrace it as part of a process of transformation.
•Expect results as speakers inspire us to glean positive outcomes from chaotic circumstances.
Speakers
Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.
New Music Collective
Ron Wiltrout is co-founder and co-artistic director of the New Music Collective (NMC), a non-profit arts organization devoted to the composition, production, and promotion of new music. He is devoted to exploring the use of unconventional percussion and extended techniques. Based in Charleston, Wiltrout performs with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, Garage Cuban Band and others. Award-winning saxophonist Dan Voss, is also a member of NMC. Originally from New York, Voss has played at venues such as CBGB’s and the Village Vanguard. Now living in his grandfather's native Charleston, he's teaching and part of the local jazz scene, including his music being featured on the soundtrack of the new documentary film about Charleston’s local foodways. newmusiccollective.orgWona Womalan
Wonderson Duo
Long time yoga practitioners and teachers, the college sweethearts, Jordan Anderson and Clayton Woodson, found their way into the air more than 10 years ago through an introduction to aerial yoga. This led to their interest and practice of aerial silks, aerial hammocks and the static trapeze. In 2013 they opened the first dedicated aerial space in Charleston, South Carolina. Performers and experienced instructors, they are helping others to realize what is possible when you challenge yourself. .circusbuilding.comDerek Snook
Once upon at time, Derek Snook imagined he would grow up to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. His life leapt into a different story when he chose to live at the Star Gospel Mission, in his native Charleston, South Carolina. Working as a day laborer, he built upon the insights he had gained, while teaching at a school for orphans in a fishing village of Kenya— the disconnect between those who want help and those who want to provide it. From this experience, Snook and Pete DeMarco co-founded a temporary services organization, with an innovative rewards program that incentivizes workers to fulfill their goals, resulting in better outcomes for the workers, the companies hiring them, and ultimately the community. ieslaborservices.comDonna Hardy
Donna Hardy's earliest memories are of learning about plants from her mother. This interest has grown, including the 10 years of study and work with plant materials for fiber dyes. Fascinated with indigo, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina to start an organization to cultivate the plant, which was one of the three major crops of colonial America. Hardy is working with Dr. Brian Ward and others in the Lowcountry to promote the use of natural dyes, in the cultivation and use of Indigofera suffruticosa, an original indigo plant, which had been presumed lost. Her mission is to create a thriving, sustainable indigo culture, with the ultimate goal being truly domestic blue jeans not only manufactured, but made of cotton and indigo grown, in the Southeast. supremeappsllc.comEarl Hewlette
Hurricane Hugo brought Earl Hewlette to the Lowcountry. Having served in Vietnam as a Marine Officer and practiced law for almost 15 years, he rarely takes no for an answer. Against the advice of many who knew him, he followed his instincts, to purchase the operating assets to go into the resort business. Out of the torn apart beach, he developed a successful business on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Thirty years in the hospitality industry then positioned him for another opportunity out of chaos. Working with a local patent developer and others, Hewlette helped bring about a company that is disintermediating the spirits business. terressentia.comHarold May
JamieSue Goodman
JamieSue Goodman has her dream job. Recently, she's returned to her roots in South Carolina to launch an initiative to ignite interest in fourth through eighth graders, especially girls and other under-represented minorities, to pursue computer science careers. She's passionately helping others get excited about coding and computer science. For more than 15 years Goodman has worked in software development and programming. Goodman is keen to attract girls and minorities to computer science, and knows that with the right introduction, persistence and encouragement they will fall in love with it too. cs-first.comJeffery Deal
Jeffrey Deal's life exemplifies the idea that opportunity emerges from catastrophe. Health challenges have presented obstacles, which Dr. Deal interpreted as only detours and chose another route. For almost 20 years, he worked as a board-certified otolaryngologist in private practice in Charleston, South Carolina. Then, losing much of the vision in one eye from a retinal disease, Dr. Deal directed his energies to anthropology and mission work. From his passion for tropical medicine, he has worked in South Sudan and Dafur, as well as Tanzania, where he was instrumental in establishing the first Emergency Training Program in that country. Another first resulted from the collaboration, with his brother David and others, in the invention and patent of a machine that automatically decontaminates every surface in a room, and is effective against every known pathogen. Tru-D.comJenny Bevan
Trained in architecture at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Virginia, Jenny Bevan is one of the few contemporary designers looking to the past for sustainable building and design methods. She is also co-founded the Vision for Civic Conservation, an initiative to provide the framework of guiding principles to sustainably address progress and growth in local communities, especially their historic districts. bevanandliberatos.comJohn Zinsser
Whether at home, school or in the workplace, John Zinsser observes that most people want to avoid disagreement, but at what cost? Like a summer thunder storm, conflict regularly occurs and has benefit. Zinsser makes the case that it's the legal-based model of how we react to conflict, which creates the maelstrom. For a more fulfilling path forward, he encourages people to embrace conflict, using three waypoints to negotiate a beneficial outcome. conflictbenefit.comNancy Simpson
Nancy Simpson describes herself as uniquely positioned to de-stigmatize mental illness because she has been on both sides of the locked door. With great honesty and humor, Dr. Simpson, who is a licensed clinical psychologist, courageously uncovers what can lay behind the milk and honey. Walking the talk, Dr. Simpson offers a personal testimony for the need to de-stigmatize mental illness.Nicholas Glover, Sr.
Nick Glover has long been influencing communications. Channel One and the Medical News Network (which morphed into what is now known as WebMD) were two vehicles created under his leadership. Nick then shifted his focus to the venture capital field and began advising start-ups. Five years ago, the 11th generation Charlestonian joined others to launch an innovative system, which improves how people get medical information and assistance. From his commitment to improving health, Nick and his wife, a clinical psychologist, founded a non-profit where horses help humanity. PEC360.comPeter Tuerk
Peter Tuerk is the section chief of the PTSD Clinical Team at the VA in Charleston, South Carolina and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. His clinical research and training focuses on the treatment of combat-related PTSD in the areas of therapy effectiveness, treatment enhancement and dissemination, as well as telehealth and applied technologies. The author of 40 publications regarding the integration of technology into treatment, Dr. Tuerk has made numerous presentations, in the U.S. and internationally. What he has learned and developed through the VA, he has transformed to share with others. Dr. Tuerk founded the Japanese/U.S. Evidence-based Mental Health Response Initiative (JEMRI), a non-profit organization that supports the dissemination of effective PTSD treatment for people who have experienced natural disasters. youtube.com/user/PeterTuerksChannelRandy Dobbs
Randy Dobbs knows about transformation first-hand. The author of Transformational Leadership: A Blueprint for Real Organizational Change, he started as an hourly employee. More than 30 years later, his resume includes the title of CEO three times, each company valued over $1 billion dollars, as well as private equity advisor, author, motivational speaker and coach. Now, a private business consultant based in Greenville, South Carolina, he uses his leadership in professional, community and personal settings. dobbsleadership.comRiley Csernica
In just a few short years, Riley Csernica earned three degrees and started a company with her Clemson classmate Chelsea Ex-Lubsekie. With her Mom's blessing, an MBA, plus two degrees in biomedical engineering, Csernica became an inventor and entrepreneur. Taking the design from a class project, Csernica and her partner worked with athletic trainers, orthopedic surgeons and patients to advance the shoulder brace device, developing an effective and revolutionary design. When Csernica isn't developing future designs, she is involved with local community groups to support youth entrepreneurship. tarianorthotics.comSeth Gilliard
Steven Stegelin
On a regular basis, Steve Stegelin creates awareness, raises tempers, and sometimes changes minds. Unlike most adults, Steve stayed with his childhood love of drawing. The editorial cartoonist for the alternative weekly advocates asking, "Why?" He distills current events, on a weekly basis, into consumable chunks to inform, express an opinion, engage the reader, and maybe even elicit a laugh. This helps Stegelin manage the chaos of the times. An award winning cartoonist, Steve and his family have called Charleston, South Carolina home for more than 15 years. stegelin.tumblr.comSundar Balasubramanian
Born in Tamil Nadu India, Sundar Balasubramanian studied yoga starting at a young age from his father and uncles. Graduating from Gurukula, he majored in chemistry, and yoga, meditation, prayer and group singing also part of the curriculum. In 1999, Dr. Balasubramanian came to Charleston, SC for post-doctoral research. Except for three years working at Yale, Charleston has been home since. His work with other Medical University of South Carolina scientists includes a Yoga adjunct for various diseases. Based on Dr. Balasubramanian's interest in Tamil literature and Yoga, he collects ancient scripts. Applying the translation of one of Thirumoolar's writings to his yoga breathing practice launched the idea for his groundbreaking study of yoga stimulated salivary biochemicals and how they affect human health. His future goal is establish to conduct research on mind-body exercise, from various cultures, to learn any social and therapeutic potential for integrative medicine..Will Jamieson
Innovation came at an early age for Will Jamieson. In the eighth grade he read the calculator manual and discovered the shortcut for his algebra homework. Now, he's in Charleston, South Carolina and an "Entrepreneur in Residence." In 2013, Jamieson founded a company which has more than 1.5 mill + users across its five applications. Once he graduates in 2016 with his bachelor's in computer science, he will be underway with his next start-up. supremeappsllc.comOrganizing team
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Andrea Schenck
Post production