Theme: Innovation

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).

The Steam Plan
617 E 3rd Street
Dayton, Ohio, 45402
United States

Andrew Cothrel

Andrew Cothrel founded Blue Marble Medical, which is dedicated to "building a healthier planet one project at a time." He also is the CEO of Xact Medical, an organization leading the way in point-of-care robotics. His career beforehand culminated in leading Roche's life science research business for North America. He has a degree in Engineering from The Ohio State University and a master's from University of Michigan, complemented with Business Education from Cranfield University and London Business School.

Beck Besecker

Beck Besecker founded Marxent; the leader in cloud-based 3D product visualization and virtual and augmented reality solutions for furniture retailers and building product manufacturers. Prior to Marxent, Beck spent 13 years building interactive marketing solutions for Fortune 500 brands. He founded Copient Technologies which enabled retailers to manage personalized promotions in-store and online. Beck then served as EVP of New Business at Catalina Marketing, the nation's largest in-store promotional network.

Charles Nick

Charles Nick, President of Third Wave Water, is passionate about entreprenuership, aviation and coffee. He has worked for organizations such as NASA, the U.S. Air Force, Virgin Galactic, and more. He created Douvalis Labs after stumbling into lean business principles. He then founded The Wright Cup to help the community discover great coffee, which led him to uncover the water issue in specialty coffee, co-founding Third Wave Water.

Charlynda Scale

Charlynda Scale is a dynamic Motivational Speaker, Brand Ambassador, Air Force Veteran, Social Media Influencer, and the founder of Mutt's Sauce, LLC. She is a Clemson University graduate, with a degree in Aerospace Science and Business Management. She also holds an MBA in Strategic Leadership. Charlynda has been featured in Forbes.com, MadameNoire.com, CBS News, Black Enterprise Magazine, and more. In 2016, she was crowned 2nd Runner Up in Ms. Veteran America.

Charlynda Scales

A dynamic motivational speaker, Brand Ambassador, Air Force Veteran, Social Media Influencer, and the founder of Mutt's Sauce, LLC. Charlynda is a Clemson University graduate, with a degree in Aerospace Science and Business Management. She also holds an MBA in Strategic Leadership. Charlynda has been featured in Forbes.com, MadameNoire.com, CBS News Black Enterprise Magazine, and more. In 2016, she was crowned 2nd runner up in Ms. Veteran America.

Greg Loughnane

Greg Loughnane is an Interdisciplinary Digital Engineer and Entrepreneur working on applying computer modeling and simulation tools to Industry 4.0 problems. As a computational mechanical-materials scientist, metal additive manufacturing expert, and machine learning enthusiast, he has managed R&D programs funded by NASA and the DoD related to the processing and characterization of high-performance metal alloys for aerospace and space applications. He is also an Adjunct Instructor for the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at the University of Dayton.

Greg Simpson

Greg Simpson brings more than 30 years of direct technology experience to his current role as the Chief Technology Officer and AI Leader for Synchrony. Greg joined Synchrony prior to their initial public offering in 2014 and spin off from General Electric, where he had been their Global Chief Technology Officer. Greg's teams are responsible for emerging technology, technology engineering and operations across all infrastructure, and data and analytics. He was named one of the 100 Premier Technology Leaders by Computerworld in 2016.

Kelly Dolan

Kelly Dolan, co-founder of Ingage Partners, found her passion as a Social Entrepreneur by using business as a force for good. She began her career in the IT consulting industry over 20 years ago. Having measured her success by traditional standards, she considered another measure of success: how can business be used as a force for good? This quest began with the launch of Ingage Partners and continues with the creation of Thrive Impact Sourcing.

Seth Hamman

Seth Hamman is passionate about shaping the growing academic discipline of cybersecurity and developing the next generation of cybersecurity talent. He is currently the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity, and an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Cedarville University. He has presented at national conferences, published several articles, and conducted multiple NSA-sponsored research projects. He holds a B.A. in Religion from Duke University, an M.S. in Computer Science from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Air Force Institute of Technology.