Theme: At the Crossroads of Connection

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).

Everett Performing Arts Center
2710 Wetmore Ave
Everett, Washington, 98201
United States

Andrew McMasters

Co-founder Jet City Improv

Andrew McMasters is an actor, director, teacher, entrepreneur and keynote speaker, as well as Artistic Director and co-founder of Jet City Improv. Originally from Philadelphia, he received his undergraduate degree in theater from Temple University and relocated to Seattle in 1990. He attended the University of Washington to receive his MFA in Drama as well as a Certificate in Arts Administration. He is actively involved in community building in the performing arts, and serves as board co-chair of his local business improvement area. In addition to running a non-profit organization, Andrew is an internationally renowned speaker and trainer, providing experiential learning sessions for organizations in team communications, leadership development and innovation. www.ImprovMindset.com

Chris Bliss

Humorist

Chris Bliss is a world-renowned variety artist, headline comedian, and Bill of Rights proponent. In his entertainment careers, he’s been a Tonight Show regular, where Jay Leno called him "one of the brightest comedians around,” and also toured with superstars from Eric Clapton to Michael Jackson. Chris was also one of the first viral stars of the YouTube era, when his "Amazing Juggling Finale“ exploded across the internet, garnering 100,000,000 downloads. Chris is also the founder and Executive Director of MyBillofRights.org, The Bill Of Rights Monument Project, whose mission is the creation of a national network of landmark monuments celebrating the Bill of Rights in civic spaces across America, beginning with all 50 State Capitols. MyBillofRights.org dedicated America’s first monument of the Bill of Rights at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix, and is currently active in three more states. This is Chris’s third TED talk. His first, “Comedy Is Translation,” has been seen by 600,000 vi

Chris Rebholz

Psychologist

Chris Rebholz is a licensed psychologist with particular interests in forensic psychology, corporate consulting, and high-functioning adults with developmental disabilities. Prior to earning her doctorate, she earned her bachelor's in electrical engineering from Brown University and worked in the computer industry for over fifteen years. She has dealt with stress by meditating for over twenty years.

Cristina Cortez

Poet

Cristina Cortez was born premature and later diagnosed with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. Being a person who happens to have a disability, she has sidestepped difficulties and lives life to the fullest. In May 2015, she graduated from Hofstra University with a double-major in English Creative Writing & History with a minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Summa Cum Laude and Highest Honors with Distinction. She also is a member of Alpha Delta Pi, Honors Society for students with disabilities, Phi Alpha Theta, History Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta, English Honors Society, and Phi Beta Kappa, Liberal Arts Honors Society (the nation’s oldest liberal arts and sciences honors society) in recognition for her high-quality performance and pursuit of the study of English and History. She pursues a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics at University of Washington Bothell. Cristina Cortez is a writer and speaker and believes that we all can make our mark on the world, and li

Darren Maclean

Speaker, Author, Pastor

Darren Maclean is a passionate thinker, intellectual, and humorist with a unique perspective on trending ideas. His hard-hitting keynotes are hugely informative and get audiences thinking, laughing (and sometimes crying) their way to change. A historian by training who graduated from Edinburgh University, Darren is a funny and well-informed speaker who founded an alternative church in Toronto, Canada. He is well known for his innovative approach in communicating to people who feel excluded from traditional forms of religion. He is also the headline writer for one of America’s top 100 Internet companies, which regularly generates 250 million views a month.

Debbie Lacy

Certified Life Coach

Debbie Lacy is a certified lifecoach, author, and facilitator. Debbie has a Master of Social Work degree and a background in psychology research, clinical social work, nonprofit management, and community organizing. Debbie is the author of Ready, Set, Manifest!™: A Handbook for the In-Betweens and Leaps in Life. As part of that work, she teaches online courses for people facing challenging transitions and important life decisions. Debbie is actively involved in community-based work. She is the Co-Founder and Director of the Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition, which supports communities in East King County to be more equitable and inclusive. Debbie also serves on the Board for the Eastside Timebank, a barter economy where neighbors help each other by exchanging skills and services. She and her husband live in Kirkland, Washington with their son and two dogs.

Jim Henderson

Executive Producer/Jim Henderson Presents

Jim is a speaker, author and producer. He has written 8 books. His most subversive act to date was buying an Atheists soul on eBay. On the heels of that project he hired another Atheist (Matt Casper) to attend church services with him and write reviews. They recount their experiences in their best seller Jim and Casper Go To Church Jim’s company Jim Henderson Presents produces live shows for meaning makers. Jim also coaches and consults aspiring writers, artists and idea entrepreneurs. Jim adopted the title Spiritual Anthropologist so that people would talk with him about how they do or don’t use spirituality to navigate life. Jim holds a Doctorate in Transformational Leadership and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fox News and on This American Life with Ira Glass.

Julie Madhusoodanan

Software Design & Development

Julie has a Bachelors and Masters degree in Computer Science and has been in the tech industry for almost 20 years in various roles and organizations ranging from developer jobs in startups that were successful in delivering financial and education software packages, to being a tech consultant at Ernst& Young, to 17+ years at Microsoft in groups like Office, Windows and Windows Services in Engineering, PM and Technical management roles. In her current job, her team is responsible for maintaining the security and brand loyalty of 1.5+ billion customers across all in-market Windows products. She has a natural gravitation towards logic and thrives in the intersection of technology and delighted customers. Julie hails from India and grew up learning to speak 5+ languages, Carnatic music , playing national level tennis and enjoying spicy food. She has a 5 year old son who has been her greatest source of joy and learning to date. Amongst other things, she is also focused on learning more abo

Linh Thai

District Representative

Linh is a refugee from Vietnam and a naturalized citizen. After graduating from the University of Washington with a major in Political Science and a minor in International Relations, Linh continued his passion for public service as an officer in the US Army, which took him to many corners of the world including Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Upon leaving the service and making Seattle home, Linh pursued advanced studies in the Master in Leadership Development & System Change at the Leadership Institute of Seattle. Linh’s passionate and extensive experience in community organizing, leadership development, and cultural awareness/Diversity training led him to his current position as the District Representative for US Congressman Adam Smith, conducting outreach in the 9th Congressional District, as the lead staff on Foreign Affairs, NGO’s, Military, Veterans affairs, Progressives, Faith organizations, Law Enforcement, and Philanthropy.

Mavis Tsai

Clinical Psychologist and Research Scientist

Mavis Tsai, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist/research scientist and Associate Director of University of Washington’s Center for Science of Social Connection. She has gained a world-wide following as the co-creator of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), a contextual behavioral and relational therapy that harnesses the power of the therapeutic relationship to transform clients’ lives. She is the co-author/editor of five text books on FAP (some of which have been translated into Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese and Italian) and over 60 articles and book chapters. She received Washington State Psychological Association’s 2014 Distinguished Psychologist Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to knowledge in clinical psychology. Her most recent and passionate work is in training volunteers in five continents to launch Live with Awareness, Courage and Love Meetups, which address the need for people to connect more authentically with themselves and with others, and to spread the

Pat Hughes

Owner, Trillium Leadership Consulting

Pat is an enthusiastic facilitator and leadership educator who helps individuals, organizations and communities increase their leadership capacity. Driven to understand "how the world works," (and physics was out) Pat studied economics and international relations in college, travelled the world, then obtained a master's in Organization Systems Renewal. The owner of Trillium Leadership Consulting in Seattle, Pat provides customized services for reaching human potential, improving team leadership and managing organizational change. Also a Senior Partner at the Center for Ethical Leadership, Pat authored the Center’s best-selling books Gracious Space: A Practical Guide for Working Better Together, and Courageous Collaboration with Gracious Space: From Small Openings to Profound Transformation. She previously directed the Leadership Institute in Redmond, Wash., (now Leadership Eastside). Pat likes to dream big, work collaboratively, have fun, learn lots and be outdoors as much as possibl

Phil Klein

Community Knowledge Works

Phil is obsessed with making experiences as good as they can possibly be, in the workplace and in communities where values and shared purpose are held together and lead to action. He works collaboratively with organizations to develop strategies, practices, programs, and events that catalyze and activate high quality, purposeful community engagement. He has worked with Snohomish County Arts Commission, Sno-Isle Libraries, UW, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and he was the Community Experience Producer for TED2014. He has also been an active member of the TEDx organizer community, co-founding TEDxRainier (now TEDxSeattle) in 2010. He is Founder of Community Knowledge Works and loves to have great conversations while learning together.

Romi Boucher

Owner, Genesis Work, Inc. – An Organizational Change & Leadership Development Consultancy

Romi Boucher, an Institute for Innovation Fellow at Fielding Graduate University, has worked over 30 years in various ways to assist people evolve and transform the human side of organizational life. She helps people focus and develop their abilities to create, collaborate, and realize the possibilities they want for themselves and their organizations. Respectful of the whole person and focused on human as well as organizational development, she uses a communication approach that helps people produce desired extraordinary results both at work and at home, and the capacity to lead beyond circumstances that is sustainable over time. She works now as an organizational culture and strategic change consultant & coach to develop leadership throughout organizations - to Fortune 100 organizations, governmental agencies, and professional firms in financial, engineering, and customer service sectors. Her passion for creative collaboration and breakthrough comes alive with her family and friends.

Shelly Anne Rosen

Mom, Photographer & Owner, Intore Expeditions

A native of Seattle, Shelly feels lucky to have been a full-time, at home mom to twin boys. Her choice allowed her to be room mom, photographer, chauffeur, cook, soccer coach, party planner, educator, student, and homework helper. ​ In 2005, her role as homework helper led her to discover Rwanda and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Seeing a parallel to the Holocaust, she took an unexpected deep dive to know more. She returned to school to complete her BA in Social Justice, and in 2012 she earned her Master’s in Communication from Antioch University, Seattle. ​ Over the last decade Shelly has been an avid student and photographer; she pulled her kids from Seattle Public Schools and enrolled them in a Rwandan school; with her new husband Paul she designed and opened Intore Expeditions & Business Tours, a tour company; and she has been a devoted volunteer with Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity.

Sonya Lea

Writer & Writing Mentor

Sonya Lea writes on memory and identity. Her memoir, Wondering Who You Are, about what happened after her husband lost the memory of his life, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Wondering has won awards and garnered praise in a number of publications including Oprah Magazine, People, and the BBC, who named it a “top ten book.” Her essays have appeared in Salon, The Southern Review, Brevity, Guernica, Cold Mountain Review, The Prentice Hall College Reader, Good Housekeeping, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus and The Butter. Lea teaches writing at Hugo House in Seattle, and to women veterans through the Red Badge Project. She speaks at conferences, universities and festivals. Her short film, Every Beautiful Thing, won two awards for direction, and several awards for score. She has also written screenplays. Originally from Kentucky, she lives in Seattle and the Canadian Rockies.

Steve Thomas

Nonprofit Innovation

Steve has a passion for solving tough problems, helping organizations fulfill their dreams and delivering authentic leadership (he struggles with the word “leadership” but it works to describe what he does). He is the CEO and Founding Partner of Oneicity a fast-growing boutique advertising agency serving faith-based nonprofits. Steve has served as the CEO/Executive Director of a nonprofit for 5 years, so understands first-hand the responsibility of generating income, charting the course for an organization and the realities of leading. In addition, he has also had the opportunity to work as a consultant with a wide range of nonprofits from start-ups to some of the largest national organizations. He lives with his wife and business partner, Kris on Bainbridge Island.

Warren Etheredge

Storyfinder

Warren Etheredge is a Storyfinder™. He has conducted over 3,000 interviews. He is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool (www.thefilmschool.com), helping filmmakers translate their stories for screens big and small, and The Red Badge Project (http://theredbadgeproject.org/), helping combat veterans work through PTSD and other issues by teaching them the art of storytelling. He hosts The High Bar (thehighbar.tv), his Emmy®-nominated television series devoted to “raising the bar,” Scene! & Heard for GreatMovieScenes. org and hosted Reel NW (kcts9.org/reel-nw) on KCTS. He served as the Chief Storytelling Officer for Enthrall Sports. He is the founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com), a published author, staged playwright, successful producer, veteran festival curator and much sought-after public speaker.