Theme: Xpanding Horizons

TEDxSanLuisObispo aims to unite our community by offering a platform for change-makers from around the globe to share their ideas, inspirations, and motivations while inspiring others to be catalysts for change. The TEDxSanLuisObispo conference provides attendees an incredible opportunity to become fully immersed in an experience designed to educate, foster new ideas, and fuel the pursuit of knowledge and new ideas in our everyday lives. The 2020 TEDxSanLuisObispo theme is: Xpanding Horizons.

Too often in life we become accustomed to our everyday habits and routines. We forget the importance of expanding our minds and broadening our perspectives. Each day we encounter people who have the ability to teach us something new and exciting - we simply need to be willing to take it all in. Once we open our minds to the information and expand our horizons, the possibilities of what we can become are endless.

Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, California, 93407
United States

Courtney Rein

Courtney Rein is an educator. Her students have often been her greatest teachers: from young people to students-in-custody. She seeks to democratize the classroom, and to expand its boundaries to include the wisdom that lives at the margins.

Dave Prakash

Dave Prakash is currently working on designing AI-based technology for healthcare. Dave was originally a physician but joined the US Air Force to serve as a bomber pilot. He eventually served as both operational test pilot and flight surgeon. He left the military in 2017 after 13 years of service. Dave spent the next two years studying at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and Public Policy program before working on his current project. Dave will be speaking about the valuable but often maligned role that uncertainty plays in our lives.

David Bartolomucci

David Bartolomucci grew up with a pretty comfortable life. With free flights all over the world from his flight attendant mother and unlimited access to gourmet Italian food from his restaurant owner father, David had little to no worries in life and no motivation to push the envelope forward. That all changed; however, when a life-changing experience during his teenage years altered his perspective and brought on a new willingness to live life with purpose. Armed with this new passion for purpose, David followed the typical advice given to people his age: go to college and get an education. He started at Cal Poly as a D1 athlete majoring in finance with a minor in theatre, but, despite his collegiate success, was still searching for ways to effect meaningful change in his life and the lives of others. After receiving a business proposal from his father and twin-looking brother, he began dedicating time to working on a startup in which found precisely what he was searching for. He soon realized that a traditional college experience alone might not be enough for people in pursuit of purpose.

James King

James King is a writer. Some of his influences are James Baldwin, Angela Davis, his hometown of Ferguson, MO, and that all oppression must be eradicated. He writes to introduce marginalized perspectives, and he writes to feel whole.

Katie Patrick

Hello! I'm Katie. I'm an environmental engineer and software designer. I design "Fitbit for the planet" apps that help social impact entrepreneurs and sustainability professionals implement powerful data, game design and behavior-change techniques that create real and measurable change. My approach is designed to sharply tap into your audience's motivational core. I can help you use these principles to unleash your greatest innovations, inspiration and creativity, so you can experience the joy of implementing a project that really does change the world. I'm the founder of Urban Canopy in San Francisco — a startup that is creating high definition thermal maps of urban heat islands to empower people to create more urban greening and cooling projects.

Misa Chien

Misa Chien is a model and serial entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. While attending Harvard Business school in 2019, Misa began to develop and build her speaking career. In her talks, Misa's topics focus on vulnerable experiences within her entrepreneurial and her personal life, to help inspire, motivate, and connect with others.

Olivia Lubarsky

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Olivia Lubarsky is a senior on the NCAA Division 1 gymnastics team at Towson University. Olivia is currently completing her degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies, and a minor in Psychology. While at Towson, she founded the Own Your Roar initiative, which has received national attention and serves as a model for other institutions. Own Your Roar unites mental health and athletics, further utilizing sport as the platform to start the conversation. Mental illness is a hidden epidemic that is elevated in the realm of athletics. Own Your Roar aims to eradicate the disconnect between how mental illness and physical injury are portrayed and perceived. While striving to enact reform, Olivia shares that a healthy lifestyle values and validates mental health and physical health equally.

Rich Ferguson

Rich Ferguson is an award winning magician and mentalist who is appearing today to reveal his most powerful secrets. It's not what you think. Chances are, you might know Rich from Youtube or popular shows such as Ellen, The Tonight Show or The Today Show, but what you do not know is Rich didn't know how to read until he was 11 years old. Now how can read people like a book. Today he will share his insights and secrets to reading human behavior which you can use for sales, hiring, negotiations and life.

Robert Crockett

Robert Crockett received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in Materials Science and Engineering. He holds an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Dr. Crockett is a specialist in technology development and commercialization of advanced materials and manufacturing processes. Prior to joining Cal Poly, he was founder and President of Xeragen, Inc., a San Luis Obispo-based biotechnology startup company. He has also served as an Assistant Professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering and was employed by McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company, where he was a lead engineer and Principal Investigator on projects to develop technology evolution plans for the Space Station.

Zahnae Aquino

Zahnae Aquino is a current 4th year Computer Science major minoring in Psychology from the wonderful land of Seattle, Washington. She’s hyper-involved on Cal Poly’s campus; at any given time you can find her giving tours to prospective students, acting on stage, partaking in leg day at the gym, leading diversity and inclusion efforts, or being part of her sorority. Additionally, she currently works at the California Cybersecurity Institute as the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Software lead, where she dedicates her time to developing a virtual reality simulation to help train law enforcement. She thrives with the intention to be an example for women of color and survivors, and hopes to show people what it looks like to be in tune with their power.