Theme: It's About Time

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).

Buell Theatre
1350 Curtis Street
Denver, Colorado, 80202
United States

Amal Kassir

Poet + Activist

Amal, a young Muslim-American and native Coloradan, found a platform for her voice growing up working in her family's restaurant. She has been writing poetry since she was a child and has performed in eight countries, sharing her verse everywhere from youth prisons to orphanages to refugee camps.

Assetou Xango

Performance Poet

Assetou Xango is a poet, community activist, documentary filmmaker, teacher, and mentor born and raised in Denver. She founded poetry venues in Denver and San Francisco, and, as a member of Deadly Pens and SpeakOut, Assetou has performed her worldwide and was featured on HBO.

Betsy Cairo

Gender Equalist

A professor at University of Northern Colorado, Dr. Cairo founded CryoGam in 1990. Her experiences in the field and in the classroom have fueled her passion and helped hone her vision for educating Colorado’s youth, its educators, and its communities about reproductive health.

Carrie Roy

Data Artist

Carrie grew up on a cattle ranch in southeast North Dakota and received her BA from Harvard in Visual and Environmental Studies. Carrie forges art that bridges the capabilities of computers and the creative touch of humans. Her humanities research explores turning complex works of human expression into numbers.

Christen Reighter

Women’s Rights Leader

Christen's writing focuses on issues of social justice, fueled by her interest in sex-positivity, LGBTQI rights, and confronting racism, women’s issues, and mental health issues in America. Christen is also a spoken word artist, having performed in many venues and competitions across the country.

Danielle Bilot

Natural Designer

Danielle studied landscape design at the University of Oregon and is a champion for native pollinator species. She worked on the White House Pollinator Action Plan and continues to give presentations at professional conferences around the U.S. She is passionate about teaching people how to create native bee habitats.

Erica Stone

Intellectual Access Advocate

Erica M. Stone is a doctoral student in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program at Texas Tech University. Her research centers on the flow of information, social media’s role in identity development, and the intellectual’s role in history and popular culture. She envisions a world where the ivory towers of academia open their walls to the public.

Jordan Wirfs-Brock

Energy Storyteller

A passionate storyteller who loves finding elegant ways of communicating complex issues, Jordan finds narratives where others might see only chaos. A reporter for Inside Energy, Jordan has covered everything from gas leaks to garbage to dairy farming over the course of her career. She spends her free time brewing beer and running ultramarathons.

Loretta Notareschi

Composer

Loretta is an award-winning composer whose music celebrates the human condition. Her 2016 EP with The Playground Ensemble, String Quartet OCD, is used to educate maternal mental health experts. Loretta is an associate professor of music at Regis University and a summer faculty member of The Walden School.

Meghan Sobel

Human Rights Advocate

Meghan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Regis University, where she teaches classes on international communication, public relations, and human rights. Meghan's research focuses on the role of mass media in combating human rights abuses and humanitarian crises. She is also a certified cake decorator.

Teva Sienicki

Impact Pioneer

Teva is passionate about building equity and closing the achievement gap for low-income kids. She transformed Growing Home, which began as a small shelter, into an anti-poverty organization that serves over 4,600 families annually. Winner of the Livingston Fellowship, her approach emphasizes innovation, analysis, and teamwork.