Theme: Little People's Big World

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).

385 Winnetka Avenue
Winnetka, Illinois, 60093
United States

Celeste Napier

Dr. Celeste Napier is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Rush University and director of the Research and Recovery Center for Compulsive Behaviors and Addiction.

Daniella Cohen

Daniella Cohen is a girl who loves to make new friends. In fifth grade, she started a pen pal connection with a school in Bangalore, India and learned the importance of friendship through her pen pal, Suma. Daniella’s passion for friendship and cultural understanding led her to co-found G.I.V.E. G.I.V.E is a project with the goals of promoting empathy and enhancing education. The project has sent thousands of letters and flip flops, signed with messages of hope, from schools across the US to schools in India, Uganda and Rwanda. With recent funding G.I.V.E has been able to install internet and send laptops to some of their partner schools. Daniella has received numerous awards and has been invited to speak at several universities, youth conferences and to the White House to meet President Obama. She is a Junior at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Il. and is on the Girls Varsity Golf Team, Math team and Mock Trial Team. She also loves to figure skate.

Gracee Wallach

Gracee Wallach loves more than anything to bring important topics to light. She works avidly in Chicago’s social justice scene and will be talking about white privilege.

Jack Levin

Jack Levin is a senior at New Trier High School whose noticed that many students fail to realise the enormous gap between the rich and the poor. He believes that this issue has become a lot more about income, and for his generation, will become one of the most defining issues of our time.

Jean Fan

Jean Fan is the editor at UnCollege, the youngest member of Leverage Research, and a freshman at Stanford University, where she matriculated after taking a gap year.

Kate Bellanca

ate Bellanca has dedicated her career to working directly with districts, schools, families, and other helping professionals to assist them in affecting change in students learning. Today, Kate is Chief Executive Officer at the International Renewal Institute, Chief Executive Officer of International Renewal Press in Chicago and is Managing Editor for the Partnership for 21st Century Blog in Washington DC. Kate is in charge of the development and distribution of Illinois state-wide practical Graduate Level Courses, Continual Professional Development Programs, and national School Reform models based on the “Feuerstein Method”. She prides herself on the development of the latest educational research-based ideas, concepts, and tools necessary to address effective instruction and immediate classroom application.