In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

1414 East 59th Street
Chicago, Illinois, 60637
United States

Jeremy Lindenfeld

Student

Jeremy Lindenfeld is a second-year creative writing major at the University of Chicago. He has been writing music for about 6 years, but has been writing good music for about 1. He tends to lean more towards artists like Bon Iver and Novo Amor in both his consuming and producing of music. As one of the board members of the RSO The Underground Collective, Jeremy is able to work with other talented artists that help him hone his craft. Though he does not expect to make a career of it, he hopes to continue making music for the rest of his life.

Kelley Cambry

Co-creator of Paige & Paxton

Kelley Cambry is the co-creator of the Paige & Paxton Elementary STEM curriculum. Paige & Paxton is brought to life through books, classroom curriculum and pop-up experiences (make-a-thons) in major cities in the U.S. to expose educators, kids and parents to STEM education. Kelley helped lead nationally recognized STEM pipeline programs for girls and youth of color as a founder of the New York Chapter of Black Girls Code. She led the planning team for #YesWeCode youth hackathons, designed to expose middle and high school students to computer science opportunities. She resigned her Assistant VP position at JP Morgan Chase to focus on Paige & Paxton, which began to build traction by signing on major school systems, such as Chicago Public Schools. Kelley also has years of experience in financial services and digital marketing at Fortune 500 companies such as Walgreen Co., Discover Financial Services, and American Express.

Michal Dzitko

Student

Michal Dzitko is a Polish contemporary composer. Dzitko was born in Lublin, Poland, moved to Bedford, U.K. at thirteen, and then settled in the U.S. at The University of Chicago, studying Economics and Music. Dzitko comes from the classical tradition but stretches it to find its modern limits. His education in piano performance started in Poland where he studied at the National Institute of Music (PIM). He moved to Bedford, U.K. at the age of thirteen, and composed his first album - Bokeh - while attending high school there. Bokeh debuted in 2015, performed by Stephen Farr, director of music at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Bokeh is a collection of modal post-minimalist music for organ. He is the laureate of the Tagore prize in piano performance and runner-up in the Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee prize in organ composition.

Rohini Dey

Restaurateur

Rohini Dey is a leading restaurateur and the owner and founder of Vermilion. She is a proponent of Indian cuisine with a unique Latin twist, and an avid supporter of women. Before starting Vermilion—which has been named a "best new restaurant" by Travel + Leisure,USA TODAY, and Bon Appétit Magazine, among others—Rohini was a World Bank economist and a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Rohini has gained worldwide acclaim for her work and has been featured in The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal, among other leading publications. To redress the “gastro-ceiling” in her industry, she co-founded the James Beard Foundation Women in Culinary Leadership program.

Stephen Wendel

Morningstar Behavioral Scientist

Dr. Stephen Wendel is a behavioral scientist who studies financial behavior and how digital products can help individuals manage their money more effectively. He serves as Head of Behavioral Science at Morningstar, where he leads a team of behavioral scientists and practitioners to conduct original research on saving and investment behavior. Stephen has authored two books on applied behavioral science, Designing for Behavior Change and Improving Employee Benefits, and founded the non-profit Action Design Network, educating the public on how to apply behavioral research to product development with monthly events in ten cities. He has two wonderful kids, who don’t care about behavioral science at all.

Susan Finkbeiner

Entomologist & Model

Dr. Susan Finkbeiner is a research scientist at the University of Chicago in the department of Ecology and Evolution and an international runway model. A native of Rockford, Illinois, Susan received her undergraduate degree in entomology from Cornell University, and earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at UC Irvine. She has spent most of her life pursuing a career in science studying butterfly ecology and evolution, conducting field research in the tropics and Amazon rainforest. In her free time, she trades in her lab coat and muddy field boots for 6-inch heels to walk in London Fashion Week and other modeling gigs. Dealing with this “double life” as a scientist and model has helped Susan break stereotypes in both professions. Her experiences have gained her recognition by international media sources, including People Magazine, Fox News, Al Jazeera, along with recognition for her research discoveries in sources such as National Geographic, PBS Nature, BBC, and Smithsonian News.