Theme: Time to Reboot

TEDxChilliwack is a not-for-profit, annual one-day event held in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Come hear live speakers share innovative and optimistic ideas with a community of open and curious minds searching for ways to make a difference.

G. W. Graham Theatre
45955 Thomas Road
Chilliwack, British Columbia, V2R 0B5
Canada

Brenda Dyck

Guerrilla Gardener

Brenda Dyck is a self-styled guerrilla gardener who hopes that her wit, sense of humor and passion will inspire you to make the world a greener, happier and more creative place.

Brett Piperni

Martial Arts Champion

Brett dedicated over 20 years of martial arts training towards his Olympic goal, halted by physical and mental pain which haunted him for years followed by a career and dream ending disease. With no cure and specialists explaining his dreams are over as a professional competitor. Brett fought for his life plagued with depression and darkness. However, it took only one moment of mindfulness to change his life forever. Gaining many skills throughout his journey of, meditation, patience, empathy, and resilience. His mindfulness and power of self-belief transformed him into an intelligent relentless fighter which he practices daily and passes onto the world daily.

Cara Halber

Health & Life Coach

Cara Halber believes in a world where being radiantly healthy is normal. Where you wake up with joy, energy and look into your closest with happiness instead of dread. Cara's unique background of cell biology, pastry and holistic nutrition allows her infuse practical tools with soulful guidance. She has worked with hundreds of people one on one and in retreats taking them through a process of self-discovery in order to unlock their best selves.

Christopher Bush

Agricultural Technology Innovator and Inventor

Chris Bush is an entrepreneur... or more rightly said, and entre-manure! In 2008 he built the first of its kind facility in Abbotsford that cooks manure from a lot of farm animals, and supplies the natural gas that comes into your homes and businesses in the area. He sometimes says he's "Saving the world, one steaming pile at a time"! He has lead tours across Sweden to learn, taught how to do food systems in the Middle East, and scoured the planet for the best solutions to the global grand challenges of humanity, food, energy, water and education. Most recently he began work with a world leading think tank called XPRIZE, to design competitions so we can all work together to solve these threats. Today he will present on The Great Reboot for Agriculture.

Cliff Prang

Comedian and Actor

Cliff Prang is living his dream of being a professional actor and comedian and amateur stay at home dad. Today he is here to share his own story of overcoming obstacles through shifting perspectives and objectives.

Dan Pontefract

Author and Speaker

Dan Pontefract is the author of The Purpose Effect: Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role and Your Organization as well as Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization. A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at multiple TED events and also writes for Forbes, Harvard Business Review and The Huffington Post. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria.

David Jimmie

First Nations Chief

David is the President of the Sto:lo Nation Chief’s Council, President of the Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe and also serves on a number of Boards locally and nationally. David is a strong believer in building relationships and networks between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal community for the greater good.

David Leger

Clean Energy Inventor

Raised in Chilliwack, David Leger developed an admiration for the beauty of the mountains, rivers and tall trees only to become frustrated over the significant air pollution problem that seemed to have no end in sight. An inventor and entrepreneur at heart, he decided to take on this problem by forming a company set on developing a zero emission technology that could compete economically with the internal combustion engine. Having been successful in developing a game-changing fuel cell technology, Loop Energy is now working with some of the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturers in the world to replace their dirty diesel powertrains with a cost-competitive zero emission solution.

Debbie Calicetto

Dance Artistic Director

Debbie Calicetto began her dance training at the age of three. She was a gifted ballerina who has gone on to become the director of a performing arts dance school for the past 30 years and just recently won “teacher of the year”. But as with most artists the struggle towards success was greater than she anticipated. At the age of 14 she received a letter in the mail with the dreaded red corner, which to the rest of us means, "You Failed!". Ballet may have taught her the technical applications to her movements but her unconditional passion for dance taught her about life.

Don Nixdorf

Medical Technology Researcher

Dr. Don Nixdorf, vice president Farabloc Development Corporation. Conducting research on amputee phantom limb pain, wound management and chronic pain. Innovation and research from a BC led company provides opportunity to advance understanding of environment and it's impact on health.

Dr. Alison Vaughan, PhD

Agricultural Researcher and Innovator

Dr. Alison Vaughan is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow, BSc., MSc., PhD and is originally from the Isle of Skye in Scotland, Dr. Ali’s experiences with animals have taken her all over the world including Australia, Spain, Mongolia, and now finally Canada. Ali holds a science degree (BSc hons) in Applied Animal Behaviour Science from the University of Lincoln in the UK.

Jacqueline Windh

Freelance Writer and Photographer

Jacqueline Windh is a PhD scientist, a best-selling author and photographer, and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She lives in Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island. Jacqueline has written for magazines and newspapers published around the world, ranging from The Guardian newspaper, to the Vancouver Sun, to Runner’s World and Outpost Magazine. She is a former wilderness guide, and an adventurer and explorer. She's trekked and kayaked on six continents, she's been to Egypt with National Geographic, and she comes to us recently returned from a scientific expedition to one of the most remote places in the world: the windswept fiords of southern Patagonia.

Lee Davies

Computer Geek

Lee not only knows where the digital bodies are buried but helped dig some of the graves. From the days of running a dial-up BBS, yes that's before the Internet existed, to helping install our current digital infrastructure.

Lori Paul & Spiderlodge

Spiderlodge is a Chilliwack-based acoustic roots rock trio made up of Fraser Valley Music Award winner Rick Genge, vocalist Lori Paul and percussionist Clay Thornton. Multi-instrumentalist Rick Genge has produced seven albums out of the home studio he shares with wife Lori Paul, wordsmith and lead vocalist for the band. Clay began his career in rhythm as a tap-dancing toddler at his Grandmother’s academy, the Fleita Tutte School of Dance. Clay and Lori formed their first professional band here in Chilliwack in 1980.

Mehrnaz Bassiri

Learning and Progress Specialist

Six years ago, Mehrnaz Bassiri made the riskiest - and most rewarding - decision of her professional life: she traded a career in Biotech for K-12 Educational Development. The critical thinking skills and resilience she honed as part of her STEM background helped with the transition, and now she’s a writer, speaker, Learning and Progress Specialist, and the founder of MyGradeBooster. She is the recipient of the 2014 Youth Award sponsored by Futurpreneur Canada. Mehrnaz and her team use school subjects as a tool to teach students the key skills they need for their post-secondary education and future careers. Her dedicated mentorship helps students learn the importance of perseverance, overcoming failures and learning from mistakes. Mehrnaz has a Master of Science from the University of British Columbia and is featured in Global News radio, Huffington Post, Addicted2Success, and the DailyZen.

Parliament of Owls

A stunning supergroup featuring Andrew Christopher, Brendan Woodroff, Dylan Weightman and Jamie Rowe.

Sid Anandkumar

Registered Physical Therapist

Sudarshan ‘Sid’ Anandkumar works as a clinical physiotherapist at the CBI health centre in Garrison, Chilliwack. After passing his master’s program with a gold medal and distinction, he migrated to Canada in 2014. He is a certified orthopaedics and manual physical therapist and a Pinc cancer rehab therapist, with a keen interest in finding solutions for musculoskeletal pain. Sid has been voted as Chilliwack’s top physical therapist. He is also active in academic research work and has published many articles in international peer reviewed journals (indexed in Medline).

William Klaassen

Counsellor, Consultant, Coach

William havs always been extremely passionate about language. His second degree was a major in English, and then when he went on to complete his Masters in Counselling, it was not a surprise to find that the model he ended up with an affinity for was Non Violent Communication (NVC).