BlackRockCity
x = independently organized TED event

Theme: Through the Looking Glass

This event occurred on
September 2, 2015
12:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
(UTC -7hrs)
Black Rock City, Nevada
United States

“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” ~ Lewis Carroll (1871) “Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There” (Lewis Carroll Quotes)

To peer “Through the Looking Glass” is to seek alternative perspectives, to imaginatively approach a traditional problem or line of reasoning in order to illuminate impossible solutions. This often requires a willful transformation of ourselves — a creative shape-shifting — so that we see the world with new eyes, new senses, a new consciousness. It is only in this way that a new world reveals itself — as strange, yes, but perhaps also closer to world in which we dream.

In 2015, TEDx Black Rock City was an opportunity to open and reflect ourselves in new ways, to a new world, in which we are all transformed by ideas that matter.

Playaskool
9:45 and Esplanade
Black Rock City, Nevada
United States
See more ­T­E­Dx­Black­Rock­City events

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.

Ayla Nereo

Singer/Songwriter/Permaculture Advocate

Barnaby Ferrero

Oceanic Advocate
Holding degrees in pure mathematics and in business (MBA), Barnaby has co-founded a number of companies and non-profits, including the Going Blue Foundation whose mission is to reduce all water pollution at source, "Life thrives with clean water”. He was a recent participant at the annual Singularity Summer program at NASA Ames, where 80 engineers and social entrepreneurs come together to study and implement how exponential technologies can be used to impact the lives of 1bn people.

Cello Joe

Musician

Crimson Rose

Ritual Fire Performer + Burning Man Co-founder
As a co-founder of Burning Man, the Black Rock Arts Foundation and Burning Man Project, Crimson Rose’s life passion and work have focused on the arts and artistic expression. She began participating in the Burning Man event in 1991, and developed the organization’s Art Department, including the infrastructure, financial and other support services that make possible the large-scale participatory art works that Burning Man is renowned for. With Crimson’s guidance, Burning Man serves as an inspirational limitless canvas, the works of which now find public placement in cities around the world and serve as catalytic sparks for community collaboration.

Debra Tillinger

Climatologist/Ocean Science
Debra Tillinger holds a PhD in ocean and climate physics from Columbia University. She works at the American Museum of Natural History as an educator on climate change and at Marymount Manhattan College as an adjunct professor of physics. Her recent research is based at NASA/GISS and focuses on the effects of declining sea ice on global climate. In addition to formal science education, Dr. Tillinger also presents scientific information through the arts in character as “Dr. Mermaid”.

Eamon Armstrong

Social Alchemist, Community Builder, Festival Philosopher
Social alchemist and community builder specializing in world festivals. He is the Creative Director and Social Media Manager for Fest300, the definitive guide to the world's 300 best festivals. He is a six year Burning Man veteran and co-founder of the San Francisco art collective, The Funky Ones and the Grahama's House mutant vehicle. Eamon is a passionate advocate of harm reduction and a volunteer psychedelic first aid practitioner with the Zendo Project. He is the author of a number of popular online articles about festivals and festival communities. This is his first TEDx talk and he is honored to offer some useful ideas about how to create communities.

Favianna Rodriguez

Artist, Agitator, Community Leader
Favianna Rodriguez is a transnational interdisciplinary artist and cultural organizer. Her art and collaborative projects deal with migration, global politics, economic injustice, patriarchy, and interdependence. She lectures globally on the power of art, cultural organizing and technology to inspire social change, and leads art workshops at schools around the country. Favianna’s mission is to create profound and lasting social change in the world. Rodriguez partners with social movement groups around the world to create art that’s visionary, inspirational, radical and, most importantly, transformational. Through her bold and provocative art, she has already touched the hearts and minds of millions. When she is not making art, Favianna is directing CultureStrike, an arts organization that engages artists, writers and performers in migrant rights. In 2009, she co-founded Presente.org, a national online organizing network dedicated to the political empowerment of Latino communities.

Harley K. Dubois

Festival Visionary + Founding Member Burning Man
A founding member of Black Rock City LLC, Harley K. Dubois has over 25 years of project management, art and city planning experience. As the City Manager of Black Rock City for over 15 years, Harley oversaw both the Playa Safety Council and Community Services departments, ensuring the citizens of BRC are happy and safe. Harley was a founding member of the Black Rock Arts Foundation (BRAF), where she created and chaired the Grants to Artists committee and acted as the foundation's liaison with the Burning Man Project. As Chief Transition Officer, Harley helped to complete the merging of art related programs into a unified Burning Man Arts program and the Burning Man Project. She is passionate about seeing volunteerism fully integrated into all BMP operations, and is continuing to integrate and develop BMP programs and infrastructure to support BM's role as a node for their global expansion.

Jamila Reddy

Poet
Jamila Reddy is a queer/Black/woman from the South. Each of these identities informs the other, and she likes to think, talk, and write about how this is so. Jamila is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, and facilitator of dreams. She believes deeply in the power of the imagination to manifest change. Jamila is attending California Institute of the Arts to get her MFA in Creative Writing. She’s lived in many cities- most recently Brooklyn- but is always in pursuit of magic wherever it may be. To find out more, please visit jamilareddy.com.

John Hardy

Designer, educator
Renowned jewelry designer and co-Founder of the extraordinary Green School in Bali.

Jon La Grace

Community Organizer

Lea DeFrancisci

Cognitive Behavioral Therapist
Lea DeFrancisci is a double board certified adult and child psychiatrist and Assistant Clinical Professor at New York University School of Medicine. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for better care for children at both the professional and political level. I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth College. I received my Medical Degree from New York Medical College where I was awarded the Stephen P. Jewett Memorial Award and Scholarship for Excellence in PsychiatryShe is a member of both the American Psychiatric Association (APA) National Ethics Committee. This committee reviews the conduct of their members as well as creates and evaluates APA policies on ethical issues. She published “The Impact of Trauma on Children” in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, March 2003 as well as “Mentorship in Psychiatric Residency Programs” in the Journal of Academic Psychiatry July 2009.

Matthew F. Reyes

Matt Reyes is the Space Projects and Custom Solutions manager for GoPro, fostering internal and external collaborations for partners who wish to use their products and share their exploration of space. Prior to this he was a private consultant for NASA Ames Research Center's Chief Technologist with focus on how small satellite development and advanced manufacturing initiatives will improve the nation's government & private space enterprises. He has given domestic & international lectures on the rise of the "Do-It-Yourself" space maker community. He has served as a photographer, videographer, and web caster for various NASA explorations of Mars-like deserts in 7 countries, and has experienced hundreds of microgravity-inducing parabolas on several aircraft as a mission specialist for both space-research, entertainment, and private tourism. In 2012, Matt received NASTAR Center certification as a Suborbital Research Scientist with intentions on working in space someday.

Melissa Arredondo

Dr Melissa Arredondo, CEO of ZenChem Solutions and career research scientist.

Organizing team

Klaudia
Oliver

San Miguel De Allende, Mexico
Organizer
  • Annie Coleman
    Production
  • Brigham Golden
    Speaker Coach
  • Dexx Negron.
    Sound