Theme: THINK NEXT

Our world is a constantly evolving environment, one where each moment brings new discoveries and inventions. In a time when progress happens with every click, we must rally behind ideas that will better communities worldwide. TEDxFoggyBottom 2016: Think Next will focus on the ideas that will shape our future. It will offer a glimpse into where we are now, where we are going, and the innovators who are creating what’s coming.

A day of imagination. Of ingenuity. Of next.

What started in 2011 with a few students and a big idea, TEDxFoggyBottom has quickly become one of the largest student-run TEDx events in the United States. Each year, TEDxFoggyBottom is brought to life by over 50 undergraduates at The George Washington University in Washington DC and aims to bring together some of the world’s incredible innovators, thinkers and doers to inspire and collaborate with the Foggy Bottom community. TEDxFoggyBottom attendance has more than quadrupled since its beginning, and its talks have been featured on Upworthy, as TEDx Editor's Picks, and have gathered over 3 million views on YouTube to date.

Lisner Auditorium
730 21st Street NW
Washington, District of Columbia, 20052
United States

anon.

Music Reinventors

anon. are an emerging Melbourne-based chamber music group, increasingly recognized for their innovative and design-led approach in offering modern audiences a new perspective on the concert experience. Graduates of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, co-founders Nicole Tj (piano) and Thomas Lo (violin) collaborate with top young musicians and creatives to present unique performance concepts. Together with cellist Tim Hennessy, they perform regularly around Melbourne and live-on-air on 3MBS FM. In 2015, they successfully raised $10000 through a crowdfunding campaign for their film and music collaboration, TRAILER MUSIC. Both Nicole and Thomas are also forging parallel careers alongside music - their work in business consulting and architecture respectively position them in a unique space as creative entrepreneurs. They have been invited back to speak at the University of Melbourne’s IgniteLAB. 2016 performances include White Night Melbourne, and a debut at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Alex Wirth

Civic Entrepreneur

Alex is cofounder of Quorum Analytics, an online platform that enables anyone to influence the legislative process with modern tracking, targeting, and outreach tools. He previously interned at the White House in the Office of the Chief of Staff, in Senator Jeff Bingaman’s (D-NM) office, and was a U.S. Senate Page. Alex led the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council where he conducted over 60 meetings on Capitol Hill which ultimately led to the introduction of three bipartisan resolutions supported by six U.S. Senators and eighteen Members of Congress. Alex was appointed by Secretary Clinton as the youngest member in history of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. He has spoken at the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the World Forum for Democracy. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Alex graduated from Harvard with a degree in Government and Economics.

Baakari Wilder

Tap Dancer

Baakari Wilder is a native of the DC metropolitan area. Theatre and dance became his passion at an early age. He began working professionally in theatres in the area such as Folger Theatre (The Merry Wives Of Windsor) and Ford’s Theatre (Conrack) which eventually led him to Broadway in a starring role in the musical production Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk. Recent credits include Bay Theatre’s production of Master Harold and the Boys, Unexpected Stage Company’s production of Trifles, and Spooky Action Theatre’s production of The Water Engine. Baakari has a BA in Theatre at the University of Maryland at College Park.

Bea Johnson

Zero Waste Advocate

Since 2008, Bea Johnson and her family are dedicated to living a zero waste lifestyle; they generate a mere quart size jar of waste per year. Through her blog and her book Zero Waste Home, Bea launched a global movement and continues to inspire a growing community to take a stance against needless waste with the application of the 5R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot. She shatters misconceptions, proving that zero waste can not only be "stylish," but also lead to significant health benefits, and time and money savings. Grand Prize winner of The Green Awards, she speaks at universities, corporate events and conferences internationally, and opens her home to educational tours and the media. She has appeared on TV shows and in publications around the world, from The Today Show to BBC Breakfast. With her passion and positive outlook, she has become a guru and spokesperson for the zero waste lifestyle or, as the New York Times stated, "The Priestess of Waste-Free Living."

Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo

Accessibility Advocate

Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo is the Global Disability Advisor for the World Bank Group supporting operational teams across the institution to ensure that Bank policies, programs and projects take people with disabilities into consideration. As a well-respected human rights lawyer in disability and child rights, McClain-Nhlapo has also worked at the USAID as the senior coordinator for disability and inclusive development, as a senior operations officer at the Bank to integrate disability inclusive development into operations in the East Asia Pacific and Africa regions, the Commissioner to the South African Human Rights Commission focusing on social and economic rights, disability rights and child rights, an as a project officer on child protection for UNICEF. She holds Law Degrees in international law and administration from the University of Warsaw, Poland and Cornell Law School. She is lives in Washington DC and is a dual American/ South African citizen.

Christie Vilsack

Global Educator

Christie Vilsack joined the U.S. Agency for International Development as the Senior Advisor for International Education in March 2013 where she works with education sector partners and education leaders worldwide in support of USAID’s Education Strategy goals to improve children’s reading skills, strengthen workforce development, and provide equitable access to education in crisis and conflict settings, as well as to build understanding of and support for international education solutions. For 25 years, she taught secondary and college English and journalism. Her experience inside the classroom led to a focus on education as Iowa’s First Lady, as a candidate for Congress and now as the global spokesperson for USAID Education. Christie is a graduate of Kirkland College in Clinton, New York. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from The University of Iowa. She and husband Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have enjoyed a lifetime of public service together.

Gabriel Horchler

Librarian

Born on July 27, 1944 in Hungary, he and his family lived in Austria as “displaced persons” from 1945 until 1950, when they emigrated to the United States. He has a BA in Economics from LaSalle University, MA in Economics from Penn State University, MS in Library Services from Columbia University. He served in the military from 1968-1970, including a tour of duty in Vietnam as an infantryman. Except for two years in the military and two years as a UN volunteer in Niger, his entire career has been at the Library of Congress as a cataloger. After 47 years of government service, he retired in February, 2016 as the head of the Law Cataloging Section.

Harrison Jones

Narrative Photographer

Harrison Jones is an 18-year-old freelance photojournalist from Hanover, Pennsylvania. He is currently attending GWU as a freshman photojournalism major. He works on assignment for The Evening Sun and the York Daily Record newspapers as a freelance photojournalist and is also employed by the George Washington University's Division of External Relations as a photographer covering student life and the Washington D.C. area... Harrison's work has been featured by ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, the Today show, Good Morning America, ABC 7 - WJLA, NBC News, USA Today, and many more outlets.

Hugh Gusterson

Nuclear Anthropologist

Dr. Gusterson’s research focuses on the interdisciplinary study of the conditions under which particular bodies of knowledge are formed and deployed, with special attention to the science of war, the military, and nuclear weapons. His research addresses the problem of how to understand knowledge as a cultural formation, and how to analyze the historical and structural transformations of science and technology. He asks questions such as: How do cultures of science initiate and shape participants? How can we critically assess universalist claims about scientific and military “truths?” How do scientists justify their complicity with the projects of nation-states?

Ivan and Torrae Owen

Inventor Duo

Torrae and Ivan Owen are a father/daughter duo from Washington State with a shared interest in art, design and music. In January of 2013, Ivan co-created the first 3D printed partial hand prosthesis, and was later involved as a team of designers in the further development of open-source 3D printable hand prosthetics. When developing the first prototype, Torrae acted as a guinea pig for her dad and helped to test some elements of the design. She later became more involved by learning to assemble the hands, and then teaching families of device users how to do so as well. Ivan's favorite art forms include metalworking, 3D design, music and animation. Torrae's favorite art forms include drawing, playing piano, singing and martial arts. Torrae wants to continue to learn and apply knowledge in ways that can benefit others, and Ivan looks forward to helping her to do precisely that.

Jim Collins

Architect

Jim is a national practice leader in complex buildings for science, engineering and technology. Since joining Payette in 1979, Jim has applied the best principles in design to create environments that respond to the changing nature of scientific inquiry. His quest to advance the collaborative dialogue between designers and users is marked by a concomitant shift in both the way science is taught in academic settings, and applied in the laboratory. His leadership has set new standards in both architectural practice and research settings. As President of the firm, Jim defined Payette’s exemplary model of practice, which balance technical pragmatism with creative design vision. His body of work is singularly focused on the advancement of the architectural profession as a vital partner in defining new ways to support scientific advancement. Jim was elevated to FAIA in 2009 in recognition of his achievements in design.

Kim Dvorchak

Juvenile Defender

Kim Dvorchak is the executive director of the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting justice for all children through excellence in juvenile defense. NJDC works to ensure all children prosecuted in juvenile court are represented by an attorney specialized in the practice of juvenile defense In her career as a juvenile defender, Ms. Dvorchak represented youth in juvenile court, criminal court, and appellate court, worked in two public defender systems, and was the founding and executive director of the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center (CJDC). Ms. Dvorchak was a contributing author of NJDC’s report Colorado: an Assessment of Access to Counsel and Quality of Representation in Juvenile Delinquency Court, and CJDC reports Kids Without Counsel, and Re-Directing Justice. Kim Dvorchak received her Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law, and Bachelor of Arts as a Women’s Studies Major from the University of Colorado

Matt Lampert

Marine Corps Capt.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Captain Matt Lampert enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school in 1998. Since then, he has served in a variety of infantry and special operations billets within the military mostly in the Pacific and Middle East regions. He is a 2006 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a B.S. in history. Matt’s wife, Camille, is also a Naval Academy graduate and Marine officer currently serving as a utility and attack helicopter Test Pilot in southern Maryland. They enjoy camping, kayaking and taking care of their horse. Matt is currently working toward completion of a graduate degree in leadership, education and development from the George Washington University while serving as an instructor and company officer at the Naval Academy.

Melissa Hunfalvay

Scientist Athlete

Dr. Melissa Hunfalvay is a former professional athlete, coach, and scientist. Originally from Australia, Melissa came to the United States, played college tennis and then played on the professional tennis circuit. She was the youngest female coach in NCAA1 history and was part of a team ranked number one in the world for coaching staff. After completing her doctorate in kinesiology (sport science and psychology) from the University of Virginia, Melissa consulted for over a decade, using eye tracking technology and building technological solutions for athletes, military personnel, clinicians and others for the purposes of assessing and improving performance.

Mike Markham

Ring Announcer

Mike Markham is one of the world's premier ring announcers and has announced MMA, boxing and kickboxing events across the United States and around the world. His voice has echoed through venues from Miami to Moscow and in many places between and beyond. Mike has worked with over 50 event promoters, franchises and institutions across the globe to passionately enhance the presentation sporting events through his signature sound. A proud native of New Orleans, Louisiana and resident of Charlotte, North Carolina Mike enjoys spending time with his wife Ginger and son Jack when he's not engrossed in the adventures, challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship and life in the sports industry.

Narine Sarvazyan

Medical Innovator

Narine Sarvazyan is a professor of cardiovascular physiology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association. She received a number of prestigious awards, including the Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association and the Distinguished Teacher Award from the GW School of Medicine. Her research aims to better understand the mechanisms behind cardiac arrhythmias and new imaging techniques to treat them. Other directions include the development of stem cell sources with improved immunological compatibility and creation of rhythmically contracting cuffs of heart muscle cells that surround vessels of choice to help propel biological fluids.

Niloofar Razi Howe

Cybersecurity Expert

Niloofar Razi Howe has been Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President at RSA since November 2015. Ms. Howe leads the overall RSA corporate strategy, corporate development, and planning. She also serves as an Operating Partner at Paladin Capital Group. She has more than 25 years of experience working and investing in the technology industry, with a particular focus on the security industry over the past decade. Previously she served as the Chief Strategy Officer of Endgame, Inc., Managing Director and led the investment teams at Paladin Capital Group, an entrepreneur and operator at Principal at Zone Ventures, a consultant with McKinsey & Co., and as a lawyer with O'Melveny & Myers. Her non-profit work includes serving on the Board of Sibley Memorial Hospital, Vice Chair of Sibley Memorial Hospital Foundation, as well as on the board of IREX. Previously, she served on the Board and as Board Chair of Global Rights.

Pages Matam

Storyteller

Pages Matam is a multidimensional national touring artist & educator from Cameroon, Central Africa but currently residing in Washington D.C. Metro area. He is the current Director of Poetry Events for Busboys and Poets. A Callaloo Fellow, he is a Write Bloody author of The Heart of a Comet (2014), which won Best New Book 2014 from Beltway Poetry Quaterly, was a Teaching for Change bestseller, and received an honorable mention from the 2015 San Francisco Book Festival. A 2014 national poetry slam champion, he has passions in the field of education, violence and abuse trauma work, immigration reform and youth advocacy.

Pindar Van Arman

Robot Artist

Pindar Van Arman is a painter and software developer. His formal studies include a degree in Art History from Ohio Wesleyan and a Masters from the Corcoran College of Art and Design. He first learned about robotics as a competitor in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge where his team attempted to program a self driving car to race across 132 miles of off-road terrain. Interested by the experience, he set out to build a machine that created fine art with a brush on canvas. In the decade since, he has completed five painting machines, each using a brush and each employing increasingly sophisticated AI. His work has been in multiple exhibitions and won multiple awards, including being Shortlisted in The Barbican’s International Dev-Art Competition. Pindar’s fifth and most recent robot, bitPaintr, utilizes his artistic direction, audience interaction, and multiple layers of AI to paint portraits better than he can.

Thomas Martin

Aerialist

Thomas Martin is a freelance circus artist working and training in the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore area. Specializing in aerial fabric and aerial chains, he is currently a resident performer at SAX Lounge in Washington, D.C. His background in film and visual art from Towson University has influence on his performances, allowing him to express himself physically and intellectually through circus. Finding a connection between the visual aesthetic, physical impressiveness, and conceptual ideas is his mission. A multidisciplinary approach to performance combines various forms of art together to create something memorable.