TEDxStroudsRun is an independently organized TED event in Athens, Ohio. The first edition of TEDxStroudsRun was held at Central Venue on September 22, 2018, and featured the following live presenters: Robin Hawk, Sawyer Filson, Michelle Wilson, Keri Imler, Janalee Stock, Chris Chmiel, delfin bautista, Bruce Dalzell, Patty Mitchell and Bryan Darst. Steve Patterson served as MC. In addition to the live presenters, the audience was treated to videos of TED talks by John Legend, Joy Sun and Zachary R. Wood.
Please enjoy the videos of the live talks at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsRNoUx8w3rNZYdV77_XLy3izHpRlVncR
Photos of the event can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/tedxstroudsrun/

Central Venue
29 E. Carpenter St.
Athens, Ohio, 45701
United States

Bruce Dalzell

Musician

Bruce Dalzell has been writing and performing original songs for 45 years. Based in Athens County, Ohio, by day he is a piano technician, tuning and repairing pianos for Ohio University and surrounding areas. He has hosted an open mic, Open Stage, at the Front Room Campus Coffee House at Ohio University for 30 years and has performed on public radio's Mountain Stage. Bruce has taught songwriting at the Chautauqua Writer's Festival for three years. He has five albums of original songs, three albums of music written for film, and produced and engineered two albums of original work for the award-winning Passionworks Studio.

Bryan Darst

Family Mentor

I grew up in Gallipolis OH. As a child I can remember my mother and I running away from my biological father in effort to escape emotional and physical abuse. Eventually my mom met my stepfather. I disrespected my mom and my stepdad and never felt like I belonged. Enter drugs and alcohol -- the solution I’d been looking for. My addiction progressed into my adulthood, and I spiraled downward. I lost everything. Who I was is not of consequence, other than to illustrate the difference between that person and who I am now. I am a father. I am a friend. My life has purpose. I work to help those like me to find a meaningful life, both personally and in my career. I have been to the lowest depths and found I had a choice. I could give way. Or I could truly live. Change is never beautiful while it’s happening. I went through some really rough times dealing with the wreckage of my past. Slowly but surely I emerged from that place. Things are not perfect, but I’m free.

Chris Chmiel

Founder of Integration Acres

Chris attended Ohio University from 1988-1992 and designed his own major called "Wholistic Transition to Sustainability". A while after graduation Chris and his partner Michelle purchased a property in this area, made gardens, planted trees and built a passive solar house with a tire foundation. They then started Integration Acres Ltd in hopes of developing a right livelihood. Integration Acres has now been making farmstead goat cheese for 11 years. Pawpaws, North America's largest native tree fruit, became a major focus. This led to the creation of the annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 1999 and a line of specialty pawpaw food products. Currently Integration Acres is the world's largest pawpaw processor. In 2012 Chris became an Athens County Commissioner and is now in his 6th year. In this roll he has focused on improving the Athens Hocking Recycling Center, helped develop the SE Ohio Public Energy Council and helped create the Athens County Land Bank.

delfin bautista

Director, OU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center

A social worker and theologian by training, delfin bautista (who prefers the lower-case spelling of their name) is passionate about engaging the intersections of religion, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and social justice as well as creating spaces where individuals and communities are both safe and challenged to wrestle through questions around identity and expression. bautista earned master’s degrees in divinity and in social work. delfin's background includes chaplaincy, HIV/AIDS case management, LGBTQ advocacy, and trauma therapy.

Janalee Stock

Community Advocate and Civic Leader

Janalee Stock retired from 38 years of nursing in 2016. She looked forward to sleeping in, long trail runs, reading fiction, and trying many new recipes. Most of that hasn’t happened. Instead she has devoted much of her time to the start up of a non-profit organization, Women for Recovery. Additionally she is a mother of 4 adult children, a grandmother of eight, a personal trainer, a political activist, and a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has been on a number of boards over time: AID Task Force, Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, and the American Cancer Society. She bides by the saying “to those who have been given much, much is expected”. She is grateful for all she has been given, especially a supportive husband, who has never questioned why she hasn’t slowed down.

Keri Imler

Changemaker

Keri is a deep-thinking woman of remarkable strength of character and resilience. She draws on her life experiences and her powers of observation to help us to see our community's challenges more clearly and to formulate potential solutions to them.

Michelle Wilson

Socially Responsible Investment Advisor

Michelle Wilson has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She founded Athens Impact Socially Responsible Investments to deliver a comprehensive wealth management experience for clients focused on ethical impact investing principals. She earned her Accredited Investment Fiduciary®certification and holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses. Michelle lives in a cabin on 30 wooded acres in Southeast Ohio. Her goal is to have a self-sustainable lifestyle by the time she retires. She enjoys spending time with her partner, Gil, and being near her children and their families. On founding a business dedicated to sustainable practices, Michelle is grateful to be doing something that matters and makes a difference in the world.

Patty Mitchell

Founder and Executive Director of Passion Works Studio

Patty Mitchell is the Founder and Executive Director of Passion Works Studio in Athens, Ohio. She has worked for more than 25 years as an artist and social innovator, specializing in collaborations between artists with and without perceived differences. Patty is also the CEO of Creative Abundance Consulting (www.creativeabundanceconsulting.com), which provides consultation to organizations dedicated to advancing community collaborative arts programming. Patty received a Distinguished Alumna Award from Ohio University’s College of Fine Art, Ohioana Citation for Art and Education, Individual Artist Award from the Ohio Arts Council, Citizen of the Year from Civitan, and The Keystone Award from Ohio University for outstanding community service. Patty Mitchell received her BFA and MFA from Ohio University and is currently a Community Fellow at Ohio University with the Barbara Geralds Storytelling Institute.

Robin Hawk

Educator

Robin Hawk is a fifth year teacher at Federal Hocking Secondary School in Stewart, Ohio. She graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education Language Arts and Social Studies and a master’s degree in Reading Education. As a adolescent aware of her adversity, both degrees were commitments to fostering change within her community. Robin is the oldest of five siblings and was raised by her mother in Chauncey, Ohio. She has been married to her highschool sweetheart, Waylon Hawk, for 8 years. Robin’s most desired role in life is mom. She spends her time outside of the classroom as a dedicated mother to her six year old son, Treyson.

Sawyer Filson

Aspiring writer; high-school student

My name is Sawyer Filson. I grew up in Coolville OH with my mom and dad. I am a student at Federal Hocking High School, and active member of both the Mock Trial team, as well as Business Professionals of America. I started writing poetry around 2014, and since then my poetry has been nationally reviewed and has even won awards.