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).

UARK Bowl
644 W Dickson St #110
Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
United States

Allison Thurmond Quinlan

Landscape Architect

Allison Thurmond Quinlan is a recovering architect and practicing landscape architect, dedicated to bringing thriving urban forests into walkable cities. Growing up on a 10,000 acre working cattle ranch in the tallgrass prairie of western Oklahoma inspired her to design and build dense, sustainable cities as a tool to protect our wild, un-built places. The tectonics and harsh, semi-arid landscape of the high plains still influence her work by centering on trees and rainwater -- both so sparse on the plains and in the modern city. Founder of Flintlock Architecture & Landscape LLC, Flintlock Development LLC and Planning Commissioner in Fayetteville, AR, Alli advocates for being the change you want to see in the world by designing, building, and influencing policy for the kinds of places she champions.

Angela Belford

Homeless Ambassador

From a childhood of homelessness and food insecurity to becoming a champion of community investors, Angela Belford is charting a new path for people experiencing homelessness in Northwest Arkansas. Like many of us, Angela Belford didn't start out on a straight and narrow journey to success. By the time she graduated from high school, Angela had lived with 4 families, made countless address changes, and attended over a dozen schools. She even experienced a season of homelessness after the passing of her adopted mother. Yet over time, Angela changed her trajectory in life. In addition to owning a successful Fayetteville based software development and digital marketing company, The Belford Group, Angela has passionately become our community's homelessness ambassador. She is currently the chairwoman of a local board working on a strategic plan to end homelessness in Northwest Arkansas by 2025. Her new book, Be Freaking Awesome debuts in Sept 2017 with more about her story.

Creed Tumlison

Graduate Student

Creed is a Public Policy PhD student and Doctoral Academy Fellow at the University of Arkansas. He received a BS in Business Management from Arkansas State University and an MA in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. Creed has always found himself interested, not in what people think, but why they think what they do. As such, his research focuses on understanding the decision-making processes of both policy elites and the general public across a variety of issues, specifically examining the roles that actual and self-perceived knowledge levels play in the policy-making process. His research has been presented at multiple national and international conferences. When he’s not working on research or teaching, Creed enjoys spending time with his family, particularly teaching his three children about the wonders of the wild outdoors and the proper ways of a Razorback fan.

Ilana Berman

Researcher + PhD Student

Ilana is passionate about working with under-served populations: delivering and evaluating evidence-based treatments to individuals and families affected by traumatic experiences. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Ilana earned her Bachelor’s at the University of Delaware (2011). She has worked to implement a Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program for youth and caregivers in the state of Delaware and conducted home visits to research children’s exposure to violence in Philadelphia. Now in her 4th year of the clinical psychology PhD program at the University of Arkansas, Ilana continues to work at the U of A Psychological Clinic where she has organized and co-leads trauma recovery groups. When not promoting the importance of confronting and processing trauma, she loves spending time with her pets (a cat and dog) and doing acro yoga. She is excited to share this academic information with the public who can benefit most from the results and are often the subject of research.

Jamie Smith

Writer + speaker

Jamie Smith tells people that she grew up in Kansas but became a grownup in Northwest Arkansas. A former newspaper reporter, Jamie is now a writer and workshop facilitator through her own company, Jamie’s Notebook. Jamie’s life mission is to “inspire people, especially women, towards better self-awareness and ownership of their inherent value, core beliefs, and purpose through my own personal vulnerability, storytelling, and leadership.” Jamie frequently writes and speaks about communication and leadership. As a full-time wheelchair user, Jamie often experiences common communication struggles between the world of people with disabilities and able-bodied society. She uses personal stories and humor to bridge those communication gaps and bring better awareness about life with a disability and chronic illness. Jamie lives in Elkins with her husband and their four furkids. When she’s not working or spending time with family, Jamie loves writing on her personal blog, Sunflowers & Thorns.

Jessica Hester

Placemaker

Jessica Hester is a Placemaker. Her experience as an architect allows her to shape the world we live in to elevate the quality of life for all members of the community. As an urban dweller, she is constantly questioning how people interact with their surroundings and understand the magical threshold between indoor and outdoor space. Her background in design research gives her the tools to filter product, environmental, and user research through the lens of experiential design. Founder of Verdant Studio, LLC, Architecture and Interiors, Co-founder of the Rogers Experimental House and a Rogers Public Art Commissioner, Jess is passionate about what makes a community an inviting and fun place to live, work, and play.

Laura Phillips

Activist

Political activist and co-founder of For Fayetteville, the group that campaigned to pass the city’s LGBTQ rights act in 2015, Laura Bell Phillips struggled with crippling depression and anxiety for years before finding an outlet in Diva Drag (the art of drag performed by women) in Spring 2015. She performs as Kandy Kakes Monroe in Fayetteville and Fort Smith and founded Fayetteville’s Drag Queen Story hour. A tireless advocate for social justice and the redeeming power of love, she has officiated over 100 weddings including the first same sex wedding in Arkansas and stood up for countless people with the aim of making the world a more just and compassionate place. She has been described by her friends as “Xena Warrior Princess wrapped in rainbows and glitter”. Laura will be speaking on how performing as a drag queen has helped her body image and self-confidence and has been a boost to her mental health. Bell Phillips lives in south Fayetteville with her unique family and her tiny dog.

Martha Londagin

Small Business Banker

Martha Londagin is a small business banker with Legacy National Bank. She is a Siloam Springs High School graduate, and a licensed attorney in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Martha’s family has lived in Washington and Benton Counties, Arkansas for over 160 years. She is a former public school educator and non-profit center business consultant. Martha has been married to her husband Doug for 30 years and they own a small business together. They have one child, Carter, who is the light of their lives. She holds a Secondary Education bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and was a high school English and Communications teacher prior to graduating from the School of Law at the University of Arkansas where she earned her Juris Doctor. Martha serves at Genesis Church in South Fayetteville. She is an active volunteer with several Northwest Arkansas chambers of commerce. The passion of her life is supporting any person, cause, or group that brings joy and love to children and teens.

Munya Nyamanzi

Speaker

Munya is a passionate speaker and entrepreneur who was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in California. He is the third of five children coming from a humble background where at times the family went days without food. At the age of 10, while crossing the street he was hit by a car and spent 3 months in a coma. Diagnosed with short term memory, Munya struggled in school and many teachers never saw the potential he had and how he would ever change the world in a positive way. At a young age, even with his diagnosis he never was content with being average or being just another number in the line up. A mentor once told him, “Munya you have so much life to live and so much to give to the world, don’t let your talents waste away.” This is one of the major things that inspired him to chase exactly what he wanted and always chase what he loved.

Olivia Trimble

Sign painter + Muralist

Olivia Trimble is a sign painter and muralist in Fayetteville Arkansas who spends her days dreaming of ways to improve the urban landscape through hand painted signs and colorful works of public art. Some of her favorite pieces are positive messages, calls to action and encouragement. She received national attention after painting over a racial slur and formed the movement Repaint Hate. Olivia is one half of the creative force behind Cattywampus Co-op, an indie craft and outsider art show. She has made peace with a life of rough hands with paint under her nails.

Peter Ungar

Distinguished Professor + Director of Environmental Dynamics

Peter Ungar is a distinguished professor and director of Environmental Dynamics at the University of Arkansas. He received his PhD from Stony Brook University and taught Gross Anatomy in the medical schools at Johns Hopkins and Duke before joining the UA faculty. Ungar is known for his work on the role of diet in human evolution. He has spent thousands of hours observing wild apes and other primates in the forests of Latin America and Southeast Asia, studied fossils from Tyrannosaurus to Neandertals, and developed new techniques for teasing information about evolution and diet from tooth shape and wear. Ungar has written or coauthored more than 170 scientific works. His book, Mammal Teeth: Origin, Evolution, and Diversity, won the Association of American Publishers award for best book in the biological sciences. Ungar’s work has been featured in documentaries on various TV Networks, and he has given dozens of invited talks and keynote addresses at venues around the world.

Raj Suresh

Comedian

Raj Suresh is a stand-up comedian who tells jokes about cats, Adele, being Indian, redheads and more. He has opened for a large number of national headliners including Bert Kreischer, Kyle Kinane, and more, helped set up Northwest Arkansas’ first comedy club in decades, and established a robust comedy scene in Bentonville. This year he hopes to hang out with Coldplay (or Emma Stone), drink good craft beer (or cheap Fireball), and tell more jokes.

Robert Dayton Castleman

Artist

Dayton Castleman is an Arkansas-based artist and founder of Rogers Experimental House, a non-profit community studio and art center. A New Orleans native, Dayton received his BA in Art from Belhaven University and his MFA in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has taught as Assistant Professor of Art in sculpture at Trinity Christian College, Chicago, and as Museum Educator at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. He is currently Museum Manager at 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville. He has permanently installed large-scale site-specific artworks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Bentonville, Arkansas, and his work has been seen in exhibitions throughout the United States, in Scotland, and The Netherlands. He lives in Rogers, Arkansas with his wife, Karen, a dancer, and their three children Anastasia, Zoe, and Fletcher.

Taylor Bridges

Student

Taylor is currently a senior at the University of Arkansas working on a Bachelor’s of Psychology with a minor in Sustainability. At first, she was double majoring in Spanish and Psychology in hopes to teach those subjects. Half-way through her Spanish degree, she realized that there is a fire burning inside of her for the protection of our environment. So, she decided to drop her Spanish degree and take on a minor in sustainability. Taylor aspires to inspire the world around her to take better care of this beautiful place we call home. We have a lot at stake and Taylor truly believes that through educational awareness, we can turn this ship around! Taylor’s plan is to put forth all of her energy to create a genuinely sustainable culture and future.