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).

VIRTUAL
301 N 12th Street
Lincoln, Nebraska, 68508
United States

Ann Hunter-Pirtle

Ann is a Lincoln native and enjoys traveling, cooking, and playing the guitar badly. She has spent 20 years observing American politics, beginning at age 14 with the 2000 presidential election. She holds a BA in Political Science and French and an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After spending 5 years in Washington, DC, working on environmental policy at the White House and as a speechwriter to the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, she returned to Lincoln in the summer of 2016. Here, she founded Stand For School - a nonprofit dedicated to advancing public education in Nebraska. In this role, she is a close observer of the Nebraska Legislature.

Garrett Hope

An award-winning composer of film and concert music, Dr. Garrett Hope engages with performers and audiences to tell stories and create life-changing experiences. He loves working with educational ensembles and especially values his work with students. Garrett holds degrees from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Northern Colorado, and Colorado Christian University. He is a native of Colorado but currently lives in Nebraska with his wife and daughter.

Jessica Charlsen

Jessica is a longtime marketing professional with experience in both the corporate and marketing agency worlds. A cross-functional team leader with a focus on strategic growth initiatives and partnerships. She is also a busy mom of three young children. As Jessica grew in her career, the professional demands were in constant conflict with what she wanted in her personal life. Jessica realized the potential to transform the way we live and work through job sharing (and co-founded Job Share Connect) as a compelling solution for employees, businesses, and society as a whole.

Jill Cockson

Jill Cockson has been a bartender and hospitality professional for 23 years, and was the brand developer and co-creator of The Other Room - Nebraska's only James Beard-nominated cocktail program. Now she lives in Kansas City, where she owns and operates Swordfish Tom's - a cocktail bar in the Crossroads Arts District - and she is in the process of opening another two new concept bars in the KC area. Jill's passion for developing well-curated, hospitality-driven spaces is fueled by a larger passion for redefining opportunities for entrepreneurship in the hospitality industry.

Matthew Mullen

Dr. Matthew Mullen is a human rights and peace practitioner who specializes in navigating oppression and marginalization. Recently returning to his hometown of Lincoln after living in Thailand for over a decade, Mullen has conducted fieldwork in military-ruled Myanmar, North Korea, Ethiopia, and many other contexts. He is the author of Pathways that Changed Myanmar (2016, Zed Books) and led community engagement efforts on a Small-holder Farmer Centric Investigation of the Ethiopian Dairy Sector for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He currently directs Article 30, an organization that works to confront harmful business-related activities.