Maybe you’ve watched a few of the free, inspirational talks online or participated in an online international conversation. You might be among the fortunate few to have attended a major conference, as opposed to an independently organized event. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ve never even heard of TED: a nonprofit organization that began in 1984 as a four-day conference in California. Next month, Columbia joins the ranks of hundreds of cities worldwide with TEDxColumbiaSC, the first TEDx event in the Midlands.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED – which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design – created TEDx, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to experience, discuss and celebrate some of the best things about their communities. Comprised of about 25 people, TEDxColumbiaSC organizers include young professionals, marketers, freelancers, corporate executives and staff members, teachers, small business owners and more. Initial plans for the January 16 event began a year ago this month. In keeping with TED guidelines, audience members must apply to attend. The reasoning behind the short question-and-answer form is to ensure that each attendee is open, engaged, and already thinking about what they can learn, contribute and then share with others. The application process ended in October; close to 400 people will experience this inaugural event.
“Every TEDx event is a catalyst for change,” says Debi Schadel, media spokesperson and chair of the marketing committee. “When the day is done, we want you to not only share and support the people and projects you’ve just discovered but also to think about how you can make a lasting difference in our community and our world. What has surprised me is how many people in the Midlands actually know what TED is, and have enjoyed watching TED talks online. People are really excited that there’s a TEDx coming to town.”
What makes each TEDx event so powerful are the speakers and performers, carefully chosen to deliver maximum inspiration and plenty of Ideas Worth Spreading. Columbia’s nomination process yielded more than 40 nominees who were interviewed by the speaker selection committee, chaired by Katie Fox.
“About three weeks into the interview process, someone on our team remarked that we were lucky enough to attend 10 TEDxColumbiaSC events before the general audience attends the first! Although we are only able to highlight about 15 speakers and performers on January 16, we were moved, impressed, and entertained by dozens more. Every one of our speakers spends his or her day focused on activities that better the lives of those around them,” says Fox. “Their accomplishments, awards and discoveries are remarkably impressive, and yet each displays an open nature, humility and graciousness. With this line-up, we feel that we have a fantastic gift to offer the TEDxColumbiaSC audience.”
One of those speakers is Eric McClam, co-founder and manager of City Roots, an in-town sustainable farm with a steadily growing customer base in Columbia. Established in 2009, the farm’s mission is “to produce clean, healthy, sustainably grown products while enhancing and educating our community about the benefits of locally grown food, composting, vermicomposting and other environmentally friendly farming practices.”
“I’ve been watching TED talks for several years, and was honored to be selected as a speaker,” says McClam. “The TEDxColumbiaSC team has chosen an extraordinary group of people, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and learn more about what they’re doing in our community. It’s highly important to create a network of people who can continue to change things for the better, and TEDxColumbiaSC can help us do that.”
Cheri Brown Thompson, founder and president of The Healing Species, was nominated by a friend. Once a week for 12 weeks, the nonprofit brings a compassion education and violence intervention curriculum into classrooms across South Carolina and has recently expanded to three other states and New Zealand. Rescued dogs help bring to life important messages of hope, healing, kindness and respect.
“Our lessons empower students to realize that they have a voice, that they deserve to be safe, and that someone sees them and cares about what happens to them,” says Thompson. “Each week’s lesson builds upon the other. From self-awareness, students move on to learning self-reliance, work ethic, and how what happens to us in life doesn’t have to define who we are. By the last lesson, they perform a service project and bring the ‘Golden Rule’ full circle. With the help of rescued dogs, they learn that there are other choices besides joining a gang or doing drugs to feel accepted, important, and a part of something larger than themselves. We are hopeful that the TEDxColumbiaSC event will provide awareness for increased funding and support of this life-changing program.”
As for how Columbia’s business leaders can support and benefit from this event, planning committee members offer several suggestions.
“We hope to make TEDxColumbiaSC an annual event,” says Schadel. “To keep attendance costs low and to offer more scholarships, we are always looking for corporate sponsors. A TEDx event in Columbia allows those in the business community to step outside of their day-to-day and experience someone else doing amazing things. These speakers may inspire yourself or others in your organization to take new approaches to a problem, or to think of things differently. Who knows what this will spark!”
“Joining the global TED movement proves that our community is home to visionary thinkers and people who are ready to roll up their sleeves and work in partnership – across corporate, cultural, and historical boundaries – to create a region where all people can live, work, play, and prosper,” says Fox. “What company doesn’t want to offer such a community to its current and future employees?”
The Line-Up
In alphabetical order, speakers for the daylong event include:
• Jay Bender, a local attorney and professor at the University of South Carolina, serving in both the Law School and School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Jay has been a tireless advocate for First Amendment rights and has played a leading role in expanding South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act.
• Anna Bigham, founder and executive director of Hidden Wounds, a non-profit organization that provides interim and emergency counseling services to ensure the psychological health and well-being of combat veterans and their families.
• Teresa Coles, partner at Riggs Partners – a creative marketing brand consultancy – and co-founder of CreateAthon, a 24-hour creative marathon that provides
pro bono marketing services to nonprofits nationwide.
• Dr. Julius Fridriksson, director of the Aphasia Laboratory at the University of South Carolina, where he seeks to clarify the relationship between brain damage and speech/language impediments. His work has led to significant breakthroughs in helping stroke victims regain their ability to speak.
• Dr. Stuart Hamilton, founder of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center, established to provide comprehensive, high-quality, compassionate medical care in the spirit of the Good Samaritan. With minimal financial support, he has provided medical care for one-third of the poor in Lexington and Richland counties.
• Christine Johnson, executive director of SC Equality, the state’s leading GLBT advocacy organization. Before returning to S.C. to take this role, Christine served two terms as a member of the Utah House of Representatives.
• Eric McClam, co-founder and manager of City Roots, an urban farm focused on sustainable farming methods and supporting the local community.
• Cheri Brown Thompson, founder of The Healing Species, a unique educational program that uses rescued dogs to teach compassion and build character in at-risk youth.
• Dr. John Zubizaretta, professor of English and director of Honors and Faculty Development at Columbia College. In 2010, he was named U.S. Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation.
Additional musical, visual arts and other performers include Columbia Alternacirque, Jarrod Haning, Philippe Herndon, Mark Husey and the Assembly Street Singers, Shigeharu Kobayashi, Robert LeHeup and Darion McCloud.
Learn more on Facebook, Twitter or online at
www.TEDxColumbiaSC.com.