Theme: (r)Evolutions

As a city and a civilization we are experiencing rapid change. We are truly living in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). How do we deal with this? What does it mean to navigate this complexity? What conversations do we need to have? These are necessary conversations and they are going to happen on May 7th.
TEDxCalgary (r)Evolutions will be held in the middle of one of the hotbeds of innovative activity in Calgary; The Cumming School of Medicine. Participants will be surrounded by world class research labs and agile minds from the world over. Participants will experience world class ideas and cutting edge interactions in multiple disciplines.

Libin Theatre
3280 Hospital Drive, NW
Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6
Canada

Interview with Dr.Peter Brown

Bandile Phiri

Student Change Agent Bandile Phiri is a 16-year-old student from Calgary, Alberta. She has participated in speaking and debate tournaments for over five years, competing successfully at the regional and national level. After developing an interest in environmental studies and a rooted passion for the climate change subject, Bandile has spoken at conferences throughout the city. With a deep passion and desire to effectively make a difference, Bandile has worked to spread awareness on social media and at speaking events, encouraging others to take action. She now plans to share her idea about how today’s education system needs to be remodeled to work as humanity's defense against the dangerous consequences of climate change. As a current student of the secondary education system, Bandile offers a unique perspective on today's world from the eyes of a millennial.

Bill Ptacek

Revolutionizing Community Breathing new life into how Calgarians access knowledge, information, culture, and stories, Bill Ptacek, CEO of the Calgary Public Library, is revolutionizing a beloved 104-year old institution to create the best public library in the world…one community library at a time. As the 240,000 sq. ft. New Central Library transforms downtown Calgary, the Library system is revolutionizing community building for the entire city, making the Library relevant in the lives of all Calgarians. Learn more and take part at www.calgarylibrary.ca

Dr. Beverly A. Sandalack

City Maker and Landscape Architect A renowned landscape architect, planner, and expert on the built environment, Dr. Sandalack’s career has focused on practical ways to create great cities. A professor in the Faculty of Environmental Design, and a believer in using good urban design to create an even better Calgary, Dr. Sandalack is the Associate Dean for the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary and the Director of the Award-winning Interdisciplinary Urban Lab. Follow her on Twitter @urbanlabyyc

Dr. Christian Jacob

Digital Biologist and Bio-Informatics Explorer Imagine the most complex system in the world... now multiply it by a factor of 10. This is the world that Dr. Christian Jacob lives in every day. Modelling organic systems with game-based engines, he operates one of the most cutting edge labs in Calgary (if not North America) on Bio Informatics. A prolific academician and incredible communicator, Dr. Jacob is working on the very edge of what is possible with digital technology. He is a Professor who works jointly with the Cumming School of Medicine as well as the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Mary Anne Moser

Making Science Personal What do you say about someone who succeeds in making an entire city fall in love with science? Experimental Science Communicator! Beakerhead’s co-founder and president connects hundreds of thousands of Calgarians with cutting-edge scientific insights and spreads grins and inspiration to a new generation of scientists and engineers each year. See more about Mary Anne and her work at www.beakerhead.com

Dr. Peter Brown

Tree Farmer and Philosopher A tree farmer, steward, professor, author and a philosopher. Dr. Brown’s entire career has concentrated on the practical uses of philosophy to think critically about the goals of society. Since the 1980s this work has centered on the thought systems that legitimate and facilitate the accelerating decline in life’s prospects. A distinguished academic with his hands firmly grounded in the soil, he is grappling with how we can extricate ourselves from the project of Earth domination. He is currently a professor at McGill University where he directs the Economics for the Anthropocene project (E4A). The E4A project aims to educate up to 60 PhDs in the field of ecological economics; to take seriously the re-imagining of the “human” required by contemporary science; and the establishment of a mutually enhancing human/Earth relationship.

Dr.Karim Gillani

Sufi Musician and Ethnomusicologist Blending ancient and modern instruments, cultures and poetry, Dr. Gillani takes audiences that have included heads of state all the way to students on breathtaking journeys to connect with music that moves the soul. Listeners are often moved to tears with his performances, through the sheer breathtaking beauty. With his commanding stage presence and charisma, he leads a Sufi Ensemble that will create revolutions and evolutions in all those who listen. When not performing, Dr. Gillani is an instructor and ethnomusicologist at the University of Alberta. Find out more about him at http://www.karimsangeet.ca/

Kassy Harbottle

Participant Talk 180 Kassy Harbottle is an engineer with over five years of experience in the energy industry. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in Geological Engineering, she currently is a graduate student studying for her M.Sc. in Sustainable Energy Development with the University of Calgary. Kassy is passionate about the prospects of better using geothermal energy, and she is an active member of the burgeoning Canadian geothermal industry.

Kyle Shewfelt

There aren’t many people in the world after whom a move in gymnastics is named, nor are there many people who moved the hearts and minds of millions of people across Canada in a sporting moment that will reverberate through the ages. Kyle Shewfelt literally revolved his way to become an Olympic Champion, winning the first ever Gold Medal in gymnastics for Canada. Kyle is the owner and president of Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics, a place dedicated to growing the love of movement in all its tumbling glory. Follow Kyle on Twitter @kyleshew

Rudy Karsan

Rudy is passionate about creating jobs that matter. He revolutionized the global human resource space over 25 years through the KENEXA organization. He grew it to become one of the world’s most significant HR firms valued at over a billion dollars, and IBM recently acquired KENEXA in a record deal. He has gone on to found Karlani Capital, an operating fund that aims to “enable the growth and success of ideas that are original, interesting and potentially useful to people.” Actuary, NYTimes bestselling author, family man, uber entrepreneur. Follow him on Twitter @RudyKarsan

Salimah Kassam

Participant Talk 180 Salimah Kassam is a social profit maker and systems thinker who focuses on how we can create abundance. Salimah has years of experience as a social policy maker, including working on Calgary's poverty reduction plan.

Shellyza Murji

Existential Bollywood Dancer and Therapist “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass...it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” This quote by Vivian Greene has shaped Shellyza’s perspective on life and quite literally influenced her dance career. The medium of dance has allowed Shellyza to experience freedom, growth and joy. The Founder and CEO of Soul Feet Dance Productions has a Masters in Social work with a special interest in dance therapy. Murji has pioneered a dance practice that is inclusive of all abilities and fosters discovery; focusing on personal expression that explores vulnerability, courage and joy. Born an amputee, missing her right arm below the elbow, Shellyza has used dance to embrace life. “Let the rhythm of your soul guide your feet to trace their destiny and create your legacy” is the Motto for Soul Feet Dance Productions. Follow her on Twitter @soulfeetdance ​