Theme: Forward

We invite you to celebrate our 10th event with us on July 25th, TEDxFargo: Forward! TEDxFargo 2019 is the final year of a trilogy that began in 2017, and we’re celebrating by crafting a day full of ideas and experiences to bring a world-class event to our community. From the stage, you'll hear more than 20 local and national thought leaders sharing ideas worth spreading to help solve challenges and create possibilities. Most talks will be 12 minutes or less, giving you the chance to try on many ideas during the day to see what sticks, what resonates, and what ideas you want to help move into action. TEDxFargo’s goal is to be the TEDx event in the world best known for going forth and activating ideas in our community – to do that, we need you to join us.

We're giving you permission to make the Fargo Civic Center and downtown Fargo your playground for the day. Inside the Fargo Civic Center, you'll find a world-class event with opportunities to experience locally roasted coffee, an infusion of arts, and speakers sharing ideas worth spreading. For lunch, local growers and chefs will delight you with a fresh, hand-crafted meal to be shared with friends old and new. After a full day of ideas and experiences, we invite you to continue exploring our community and thinking about how to move those ideas to action.

Fargo Civic Center
4817, 207 4th St N
Fargo, North Dakota, 58102
United States

Allison Barmann

Vice President of Strategy & Learning

Allison joined the Bush Foundation as the Strategy & Learning Vice President in 2013. Previously, she was a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company and directed the Itasca Project, an alliance of CEO’s and civic leaders addressing economic competitiveness in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. She also worked at a technology start-up in San Francisco and as a Plant Engineer at 3M. She earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Allison serves on the boards of Emerging Prairie and Generation Next.

Aneela Idnani

Cofounder/President of HabitAware, Mental Health Advocate

Aneela Idnani is Cofounder & President of HabitAware. For more than 20 years, Aneela hid her battle with compulsive hair pulling disorder (trichotillomania), a mental health condition. After sharing this secret, HabitAware created Keen, a smart bracelet, that uses gesture detection technology to bring awareness to hair pulling, skin picking and nail biting disorders. With awareness, people can “Retrain The Brain” to healthier coping mechanisms. Aneela is a mental health advocate, raising awareness of these very common yet unknown conditions. HabitAware is partly funded by an NIH/SBIR research grant and was named one of TIME Magazine's 2018 Best Inventions.

Annie Wood

Associate Director for Student Life, MSUM

Annie Wood is committed to doing community building work in our community and region. She is driven by the belief that people need meaningful connections to other people in order to find a sense of belonging in the world. Annie believes in lifelong learning and is passionate about providing opportunities for meaningful connections in the community. Her work as the Associate Director for Student Life at Minnesota State University Moorhead is the perfect blend of education and community building as she helps students learn through meaningful experiences on campus and in the community.

Ashley Morken

Founder/Chief Coffee Drinker, Unglued

Ashley Morken is the owner and chief coffee drinker at Unglued - a modern handmade gift shop in downtown Fargo, ND with crazy awesome events like annual adult summer camps, monthly late night craft parties, winter craft retreats, and weekly workshops for kids and adults. When she's not falling behind on emails and small business life you'll find her traveling, petting dogs, dreaming of another impossible idea, and spilling the next cup of coffee with her husband Justin.

Bloomer |

Beatboxer

"Bjorn is a Moorhead native currently living in New York. He's the 2018 American Beatbox Champion. https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/11/16/25-year-old-moorhead-native-named-2018-american-beatbox-champion/"

Craig Rupp

CEO, Sabanto

Craig has over 30 years of experience in high-volume product development, complex signal processing, technical innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership. He has worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies and have co-founded multiple startups. Craig is currently the co-founder & CEO of Sabanto. Sabanto is a farming company that uses autonomous equipment.

Dave Power

President + CEO, Perkins School of the Blind

For companies to stay in business, they must stay relevant -- and Dave Power has led efforts to accelerate company growth and innovation throughout his career. After studying engineering at Tufts University and earning an MBA at Stanford where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, Power drove growth at companies ranging from high tech to venture capital, as well as Perkins School for the Blind where he currently serves as president and CEO. Whether you run a start-up or a 200-year-old nonprofit, Power says, the questions necessary for impact, growth and sustainability remain the same: who is your customer, and what problem does that customer face?

David Richman

Head Men's Basketball Coach, NDSU

David Richman is entering his sixth season as the head men’s basketball coach at North Dakota State in 2019-20. He has led the Bison to two NCAA Tournament appearances in five years, including this year’s Summit League Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament victory over North Carolina Central. A Wahpeton, N.D., native, Richman has spent a total of 14 years at NDSU in various positions on the basketball coaching staff, guiding the Bison to four NCAA Tournaments in the past decade.

Douglas Hanson, AIA ASID, NCARB

President, HansonLA

Douglas Hanson is a Los Angeles based architect who has worked with some of the world’s leading architectural firms designing major cultural, commercial, and residential projects in Asia, Europe, and North America. With over three decades of professional experience, Hanson launched his eponymous firm, HansonLA, in 2010. Early in his career at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Hanson collaborated on major European projects from design through construction. In Barcelona, Hanson managed Vila Olimpica, a collaboration between SOM and Frank O. Gehry & Associates. Hanson then joined Frank O. Gehry & Associates in 1992 as a Senior Associate and Project Architect for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. In Hanson’s current role as President of HansonLA, he is the Design Principal on various residential and commercial projects and is the Master Plan Architect for City Market of Los Angeles—a 10-acre, mixed-use development in Los Angeles’s Fashion District—and for the Mail Order District.

Dr. Cory Steiner

Superintendent, Northern Cass School District #97

Dr. Cory Steiner has been the Superintendent at Northern Cass School District for the past five years. He holds a Doctorate of Education from the University of North Dakota. He is passionate about learner-centered education which supports the whole learner. He believes we are operating in a broken system and it is our moral imperative to transform education so no learners are ever left behind again.

Dr. David O'Hara

Professor of Philosophy, Classics, Environmental Studies, Augustana University

David O'Hara is Professor of Philosophy, Classics, and Environmental Studies at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he serves as Chair of the Department of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics, and as the Director of Sustainability. A native of Woodstock, New York, O'Hara studied Spanish at Middlebury College in Vermont, Great Books at St John's College in New Mexico, and Philosophy at Penn State. An environmental philosopher, he regularly teaches courses in Greece, Guatemala, Belize, and Alaska. His teaching and research are chiefly on the history of ideas, ecology, and the relationships between human cultures, fish, and forests. He and his wife Christina have three children, and they live in Sioux Falls.

Dziwe Ntaba, MD/MPH

Co-Founder & Board Member, Village Health Works (VHW)

Dziwe Ntaba, MD/MPH, is a Co-Founder & Board Member of Village Health Works (VHW), which has been expanding operations in Burundi since 2006. VHW is currently in process of constructing a 150 bed Teaching Hospital & Women’s Health Pavilion, on track to open in early 2020. During the West African Ebola Outbreak of 2014-2016, Dziwe deployed for over a year as Training Director for a multi agency program which helped develop and implement widely successful initiatives in Rapid Response Teams and Health System Reactivation. Dziwe is currently Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Erika Ebbel Angle

Co-Founder/CEO, Ixcela

Erika Ebbel Angle, Ph.D., is the CEO and Co-founder of Ixcela, a biotechnology company aimed at developing tests and interventions to improve gut microbiome efficacy and health. She is also the Executive Director and Founder of Science from Scientists, an award-winning National nonprofit focused on improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) attitudes and aptitudes for children aged 9-13. Outside of work, Erika enjoys scuba diving, skiing, and classical piano.

Eunice Kayitare

Student, Concordia College

Eunice Kayitare is a Sophomore from Rwanda at Concordia College, with major in Neuroscience and minor in International Affairs. She uses her Rwandan background and culture to tell a story through dance, poetry and singing. Her passion mostly lies in the love for the Afro contemporary dance infused with several traditional African dances. In her 2018 Tedx Talk in Maastricht- the Netherlands, Eunice spoke about her belief in the power of diversity and, the exploration of the beauty of how dance can tell more than mere words.

Heather Watson

Lead of Behavioral Research and Consulting, Center for Generational Kinetics

Heather Watson leads behavioral research and consulting at the Center for Generational Kinetics. As an expert in emerging Gen Z behaviors and behavioral economics, Heather is the go-to brand strategist for Fortune 500 companies wanting to attract and engage this generation, especially in the area of digital experiences and habit formation. The Center for Generational Kinetics is the premier Gen Z and Millennial research and thought leadership firm. The Center solves diverse generational challenges for clients—from uncovering unique solutions and emerging trends to repositioning established companies to win in crowded markets. Our clients include the biggest brands and companies in the world across every major industry.

Jean Zimmerman

Executive Director, Offut Family Foundation

Jean Zimmerman serves as Executive Director for the Offutt Family Foundation, providing leadership and management of the foundation's strategic plan and partnership activities and serving as it's spokesperson and ambassador. She brought to this role decades of experience leading medium and large corporations in attracting, maintaining, and motivating teams in support of desired organizational cultures. No matter the role, her passion is assisting people in uncovering and expanding upon their potential and life's purpose.

John Lettieri

President/CEO, Economic Innovation Group (EIG)

ohn's career in public policy has included time in both the public and private sectors working with a diverse set of policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and global business leaders. Prior to EIG, John was the Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for a leading business association, the Organization for International Investment (OFII), where he led the organization's state and federal policy work on such issues as tax reform, trade, investment promotion, and manufacturing. Before joining OFII, John was Director of Public and Government Affairs for a global aerospace manufacturer. He previously served as a foreign policy aide to former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel, who was then a senior member of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kent Pekel

President/CEO, Search Institute

Kent Pekel is an educational leader who has worked at the school, district, state, federal, and university levels. Throughout his diverse career, he has sought to bridge research, practice, and policy to help young people from marginalized communities learn and thrive.

Lonnie Dupre

American Contemporary Arctic Explorer

Lonnie was born in 1961 and raised on a Minnesota country farm. He is descended on his mother’s side from Jacques Cartier, the French explorer and founder of Quebec. Lonnie currently lives in Grand Marais, Minnesota enjoying woodworking and back country skiing in the Boundary Waters Wilderness of the Minnesota/Canadian border area. Accomplishments: Dupre completed the first west to east, 3,000 mile winter crossing of Canada’s famed Northwest Passage by dog team Achieved the first circumnavigation of Greenland, a 6,500 mile, all non-motorized journey by kayak and dog team Lonnie has pulled sleds on skis from Canada to the North Pole twice. Dupre accomplished the first solo winter ascent of Alaska’s Mount Denali (20,340ft.) in January Alpine Ascent of Kyajo Ri (20,295 ft) in Nepal First Ascent of Jeannette Peak (10,135 ft) in British Columbia, Can. First Winter Ascent of Mount Wood (15,901 ft) Yukon, Can.

Mark Coppin

Owner, Prairie Assistive Technology

(Joint Talk with Sady Paulson) Coppin is the owner of Prairie Assistive Technology where he provides consultative services in the area of assistive technologies. He has 34 years of experience in the assistive technology field and is a certified Assistive Technology Professional through RESNA. Coppin presents locally, nationally and internationally on accessibility and assistive technologies. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and in 2013 he was one of 10 educators recognized by the White House and President Obama as a Champion of Change. He has twice presented at the United Nations on accessibility.

Marshall Johnson

Executive Director, Audubon Dakota and Vice-President, National Audubon Society

Marshall Johnson is the Executive Director of Audubon Dakota and the Vice-President of the National Audubon Society. For the past decade, his team has built rural and urban community-focused habitat and ecosystem programs. His work in the Dakotas brings farmers and ranchers together with grasslands, herds, and birds into win-win alignment. Audubon's radical, market-based Conservation Ranching Program now enrolls more than 2,000,000 acres across 60 ranches. Under his leadership, Audubon Dakota’s Urban Woods and Prairie Initiative manages the largest urban conservation program in the Northern Great Plains. Marshall was selected from TEDxFargo Open Mic

Melissa Bradley

Co-Founder/Managing Director of Sidecar Social Finance and Founder/Curator of Venture DC/Project 500

Melissa L. Bradley is a tri-sector leader with more than 20 years of entrepreneurship, investment and leadership experience. She is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sidecar Social Finance, a social impact agency that provides impact investing advisory and capital services to individuals, institutions, and social enterprises. She is also Founder and Curator of Venture DC/Project 500, a DC-based project that seeks to create equity and opportunity in entrepreneurship through the training and visibility of diverse entrepreneurs aimed at bridging the literal and figurative innovation divide in the city.

Michael Bloom

Police Officer, Fargo Police Department

Officer Bloom began rapping in uniform in 2016 as a way to connect with youth in the community. Music, mainly hip-hop, has allowed Officer Bloom to have greater relationships with students in Fargo, and has been a great tool to engage and inspire more students. Officer Bloom believes music is the greatest form of communication to inspire youth with a positive message.

Michelle Kommer

Commerce Commissioner, State of North Dakota

Michelle Kommer serves the citizens of the State of North Dakota as the Commerce Commissioner. Prior to being appointed by Governor Doug Burgum to serve in his cabinet in 2016, Michelle worked for more than 20 years in the private sector as a senior executive leading human resource, operational and legal functions in the financial services, health insurance and energy/manufacturing industries. She is a licensed attorney and self-professed process geek, always seeking to understand “how things work”. Throughout her career, Michelle has observed the oftentimes complicated interactions among females in the workplace. In her various roles as boss, coworker, and employee, she began to study these relationships with great curiosity. This casual pastime turned into more formal research, which led to discoveries that Michelle passionately believes can lead to healthy, supportive, authentic and wildly rewarding female relationships.

Randy Thomas

Film & TV Industry

America’s premiere female live voice announcer Randy Thomas made history as the first woman to announce ABC News Nightline, The Academy Awards©,The Emmy Awards©, The Kennedy Center Honors, The Rock & Rock Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and The AFI Awards©, to name a few. As the tenth-time announcer of The Oscars©, and twentieth-time Tony© announcer, Thomas has been winning accolades and opening doors for female voice artists for over 20 years in addition to experience as a radio personality in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, & Miami.

Sady Paulson

Independent Videographer, National Speaker on Accessibility

(Giving Talk with Mark Coppin) Sady Paulson has cerebral palsy and uses Apple’s accessibility tech like Switch Control to interact with her computers, iPhone and iPad. She is an Independent Videographer and national speaker on the power of accessibility. She is also an Apple Distinguished Educator. She was featured in, and edited, the 2016 commercial launching the re-designed Apple accessibility website.

Susan Hyatt

Master Certified Life and Business Coach

Susan Hyatt is a master certified life and business coach who has helped thousands of women to transform their bodies and lives. Susan is the author of two books, Create Your Own Luck and BARE. Her work has been featured in places like O: The Oprah Magazine, Woman’s World, Cosmopolitan,and The Huffington Post. She’s the creator of The BARE Process, a trademarked system for upgrading your mental and physical health, building more energy and confidence, and creating the life that you want.

William Moyers

Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

As the public advocate for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, William C. Moyers carries the messages about addiction and recovery to audiences across the nation and around the world. He uses his own personal story to highlight the power to overcome adversity and turn it into the opportunity to help others do the same. He has shared his journey on Oprah and Larry King Live and is the author of Broken, My Story of Addiction and Recovery, a New York Times best-selling memoir. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.