TEDxTemecula 2018 Speaker and Performer Lineup Promises to Bring “Local Inspiration” to the Region

Eight visionaries scheduled to deliver TED-style talks on technology, entertainment, design, and more at seventh annual conference
 
TEMECULA, CA – September 4, 2018– TEDxTemeculaorganizers announced today the speaker lineup for its seventh annual event happening Saturday, September 29, 2018. The conference will be held at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater. The theme this year is “Absurdity.”

Eight speakers were selected out of a record 180 applicants hopeful to present at this year’s conference. 

“The event has grown in popularity over the past seven years,” says Jim McLaughlin, Organizer, TEDxTemecula. “We’re now attracting potential speakers from across the country. We chose these eight because they cover a wide-range of thought-provoking topics that are relevant to our audience and our region.” 
 
The talks given at the annual TEDxTemecula conference are intended to spark curiosity and challenge the audience with new perspectives and ideas. Past audience members say they have achieved their desired effect.

“I was blown away by the local inspiration here in my own community,” said one attendee from 2017.
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Another previous attendee said, “The speakers were diverse, authentic, inspiring, and worthy of attention. There’s something at TEDx for everyone.”
The 2018 speakers include:

• Eric Karlan, Co-Founder, Ivy Experience: Eric co-founded a global education company and has spent the past decade guiding students and families through the college preparation process. He has published articles on topics including sports, wildlife, Lyme disease, and the Holocaust.

 

• Gillian Larson, Speaker and Founder of Reality Rally Foundation: Gillian worked as an RN for 38 years before launching an encore career as a speaker. She founded Reality Rally to raise funds for Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center. Born and raised in South Africa, Gillian has an insatiable appetite for adventure and challenge.

 

• Isaac Rosenbaum, recent High School Graduate and Author: Isaac has organized several large events encouraging social change and human connectedness. He has authored a book about doing things outside our comfort zones.

 

• Jack Park, Computer Scientist and Co-Founder of TopicQuests:Jack has spent the last 30 years exploring applications of artificial intelligence to assisting humans in problem solving. Since 2010, he has been engaged in the evolution of a non-profit foundation to facilitate serious online conversations about matters that matter, a process called Knowledge Gardening.

 

• Jami Buchanan McNees, Author, Cancer Survivor, Cancer Resource Activist and Health Insurance Agent: Jami advocates for Healthcare reform and Cancer early detection. She considers herself to be the most fortunate woman in the world.

 

• Jarred Vermillion, President and Founder, Vermillion Life Circle Consulting: Jarred is dedicated to changing the child welfare system. He has fueled many impactful avenues by leading with his heart. He is recognized as a California Wraparound Champion, shining as a leader in innovating and modernizing California's child welfare services.

 

• Kohl Crecelius, Social Entrepreneur: Kohl has worked to highlight the forgotten individuals behind the clothing we wear, as well as raise awareness to shoppers about the impacts of their purchases. He has a vision to humanize the fashion industry to make it fairer for all involved. 

 

• Reinier Van der Lee, Founder, Vinduino:Reinier is a local vineyard owner and founder of Vinduino, a company specializing in precision irrigation for agriculture. Vinduino won the Hackaday 2015 "Best Product" prize, the IoT Award 2016 "Editors Choice”, and the City of Temecula “Innovator of the Year 2018” award. He is a named inventor in 17 issued patents.

The event will be held from 10am to 4pm, with presenters speaking for no more than 18 minutes each. A lunch is included with the ticket and provided by local E.A.T. Marketplace.  

A separate ticketed event, the Speakers Reception, will be held immediately after, featuring time to engage in conversation with speakers and enjoy local Temecula Valley wine and charcuterie provided by E.A.T. Marketplace.

“As our region continues to come into its own, we are thrilled to have this unique opportunity to devote our energies to highlighting and celebrating who we are,” says McLaughlin.

Tickets are available at www.tedxtemecula.com.

To learn more about the TEDxTemecula event, participate, and see past talks, visit http://www.tedxtemecula.com. 

 
About TEDxTemecula

Since 2012, TEDxTemecula has brought dynamic speakers and performers to an engaged audience. With fresh ideas on technology, entertainment, design, health, education, the arts and more —TEDxTemecula speakers inspire, delight, and teach us about our past, present, and future. TEDx events are independent events operated under a license from TED. Local businessman and community advocate Jim McLaughlin is the licensee for TEDxTemecula and leads a team of volunteers to produce the conference each year. All TEDxTemecula talks are videotaped and posted on YouTube for the world to view. The best talks could get elevated to TED.com. 
For further information on TEDxTemecula, visit www.tedxtemecula.com. For press inquiries, contact jim@tedxtemecula.comor call 951-225-2179.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

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, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED's annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
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TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a "wish," or idea, to create change in the world; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

​The Future of Solar Science | Caroline Kittle | TEDxTemecula

Caroline Kittle is a senior at Great Oak High School in Temecula, California. She's had the opportunity to study at Stanford this summer and thinks she may major in a medical science field when she goes to college. Active in many clubs and organizations, including the Great Oak Varsity Speech and Debate team, Caroline also serves as 3rd District Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the Youth Commission on the Riverside County Youth Advisory Council. Caroline is fascinated by science and won the Temecula Valley Science fair last year for her experimentation with dye-sensitized solar cells.

High school student Caroline Kittle talks about her work with solar science. She encoutrages other students to study science and explore ways to shape our world.

​Why the world needs you to celebrate your rhythm | Dionne Thomas | TEDxTemecula

When you allow yourself to move through the world courageously unguarded, in the full expression of who you truly are, the world responds positively. Dionne Thomas knows that dancing in public is an easy way to fast-track your way to that self-acceptance. She shares why rediscovering how to move in your own rhythm is not just good for you, but good for society.

Dionne Thomas turned her lifelong love of dance into a career after a sleepless night in 2008 lead her to a Zumba® infomercial. Having previously used exercise as medicine, she immediately fell in love with the program and wanted to share it. Now, as an avid dance fitness instructor of various formats, her passion is to guide people to love themselves and move confidently through the world. 

After leading thousands of people in dance, Thomas realized dance is our natural instinct. Through public dance experiences, we give ourselves permission and freedom to be who we truly are. She encourages us to awaken our inner dancer and discover how our lives and communities can be transformed. ​

​How to demonstrate college and career readiness | Guy Romero | TEDxTemecula

Guy Romero is the current Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the Murrieta Valley Unified School District where he as served since 1981. During his time, he was responsible for building the educational program and transforming a small K-8 School District of 350 students into a well respected high performing Preschool -- Adult Education School District serving over 23,000 students. Schools in the Murrieta Unified School District rank among the top 5% in the nation as reported by the U.S News and World Report (2012) and all District schools K-12 score over 800 on the Academic Performance index.  Guy has been a school principal for grades K-8, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Director of Assessment and Academic Projects and previous to his 23 years in District administration he taught in grades 5-9 in mathematics, science, and physical education. Guy also taught kindergarten for one year. Guy has coached High School football, wrestling, and track and field at through the high school level. He was selected as the Riverside County Administrator of the year in 2009, has taught as an adjunct instructor at the college and university level and is a licensed Franklin Covey Leadership Facilitator.  

Conversations in education are focused on college/career readiness and the metrics to measure readiness. What is the real proof you are college/career ready?

​Light Pollution | John Garrett | TEDxTemecula

John Garrett uses his skills as a graphic artist and photographer and his wry sense of humor to teach local schoolchildren and community groups about astronomy. As vice president of the Temecula Valley Astronomers, he gives presentations in Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, and Menifee. His topics range from atmospheric optics to light pollution, climate, common observing, archeoastronomy, and exoplanets. A regular presenter at the Julian Starfest, John appreciates the Temecula Valley's proximity to the Palomar Observatory and works with the International Dark-Sky Association to help keep our traditionally rural skies dark enough for star gazing.

If you can have the nighttime lighting you need for safety and security, and can still see the stars, would you take both? We can have a dark sky and a well lit ground by fixing design flaws that make many lights a nuisance, a glare hazard, and a waste of energy.

​The greatest risk of all is not taking one | Cecilia Abadie | TEDxTemecula

Cecilia Abadie is a Google Glass Explorer and Pioneer and a passionate evangelizer about everything digital. She spreads the word about wearable devices and the many ways they can change our world. As the founder and CTO of Byte an Atom, she is part of a global development team that researches and develops wearable and mobile applications to deliver experiences that innovate and disrupt the personal and the enterprise realms. 

Cecilia was born in Argentina and raised in Uruguay, which is where she got her Master Degree on Information Systems and where she began her career as an international software consultant and developer. Being scared has been a surviving strategy for millions of years, but everything is changing very rapidly as we become hyper connected and we develop a whole new layer of our brains: our new digital brain. Cecilia Abadie takes us in a journey through her latest adventure taking risks in social media as she shared her experience of getting a ticket for driving with Google Glass. 

What’s next in service for the hospitality industry, a culture of care | Jan Smith | TEDxTemecula

Jan M. Smith, Founder and President of Inland Management Group, provides organizations and individual clients with invaluable outsourced Human  Resource professional advice in the areas of Human Resource Management, Hospitality Operations, Training & Development, Employee Relations, and Recruitment.  Jan is an energetic facilitator, speaker, and trainer for national and international corporate and non-profit organizations and has shared her passion for service excellence through her support of the Tourism/Hospitality/Service industries in Temecula, California for the past 15 years.  She is on the Board of Directors for the Temecula Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau. Her non-profit initiative, Begin Again Career Transition Services (BACTS) program, has provided outplacement/career transition services to hundreds of local unemployed residents of the Inland Empire. 

Did you ever wonder why some service workers over or under perform? Jan Smith shares the relevancy of how a Culture of Care can positively affect both the employee and the customer in the service and hospitality environment

The next stage in sales, marketing & communication | Wes Schaeffer | TEDxTemecula

Wes Schaeffer is an author, speaker, consultant, and owner of The Sales Whisperer, a sales training and marketing firm. A graduate of both the United States Air Force Academy and Texas A&M, Wes says he is bi-lingual in "Geek" and "Bubba," but hailing from the South, he prefers Bubba. A resident of the Temecula Valley since 2004, Wes personifies his motto of "Life's too short for follow-up calls" by mastering the delicate ​

Changing culture, making history | Jonathon Mills | TEDxTemeculaWhat is the Internet of Things? And why should you care? | Benson Hougland | TEDxTemecula

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. There’s a new buzz phrase in tech circles these days: The Internet of Things. And it’s promising to be bigger than the Internet and the World Wide Web ever was. But what is it? And how will it impact our everyday lives? Will it help me? Should I be worried?