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).

Loeb Playhouse
128 Memorial Mall
West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907
United States

David Mitroff

David Mitroff, Ph.D. is a business growth strategist, Keynote speaker, and author who founded Piedmont Avenue Consulting, Inc. (www.PiedmontAve.com). David and his team create brand awareness, strengthen customer loyalty and streamline business processes by leveraging new technologies. David inspires individuals and organizations to think differently through his keynote talks (www.DavidMitroff.com) on a wide range of topics including Business & Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Branding and Innovation. He has educated and spoken all over the world including Korea, China, and Turkey for organizations and companies such as Google and AT&T, and at prestigious conferences like TEDx, Restaurant Executive Summit, Eastern Food Service Conference, HardwareCon and the Association of Defense Counsel.Dr. Mitroff is also a College Instructor who teaches entrepreneurship and marketing at the University of California, Berkeley and is a Google Mentor for the Google for Startups program. He has been a featured media expert for NBC, ABC, Inc. Magazine, Washington Post, The Meeting Professional, Hospitality Technology, California Lawyer, and more.

Demar Matthews

Demar Matthews is a Los Angeles based architectural designer,theorist, and writer. He is the founder and Principal of OffTop Design. Born in Moreno Valley, CA, Demar received his Bachelor’s from HBCU Lincoln University of PA, and his Master’s of architecture at Woodbury University where he was awarded the Graduate Thesis Prize for his project Black Architecture: Unearthing the Black Aesthetic. His introduction to the field was through his article “A Black Architecture Education Experience” on archinect. Demar believes architecture and good design should not only be for the privileged. Every community deserves to be proud of the built environment around them, and the built environment around them should be based on the cultures of the people who live there; regardless of income, race, and gender.

Janet Fouts

Janet is a human potential facilitator, helping her clients improve self-awareness and be happier and more productive at home and at work through mindfulness-based emotional intelligence coaching, workshops, and retreats. After 25 years in tech, Janet celebrates the shift toward conscious and human-centric leadership in businesses of all kinds.

Peter Oladipupo

Peter Oladipupo is a Mandela Washington Fellowship alumnus and a PhD candidate in the school of chemical engineering at Purdue. Before coming to Purdue in 2017, Peter served as the managing director for STEM-Ed Africa, a company he founded in 2014 to provide high school students in Nigeria with improved learning experience in science, engineering, and math. Peter is pursuing a deliberate innovation opportunity for his PhD program and translating knowledge to action through his newly founded start-up, PyVee Inc - a materials and chemicals manufacturing company operating in Nigeria.

Rich Dionne

Rich Dionne is an associate professor of practice and faculty technical director specializing in scenery automation and show control systems at Purdue University, where he also mentors Multidisciplinary Engineering students concentrating in Theatre Engineering. Rich is the co-director of Purdue’s Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering, which connects industry leaders with scholars and practitioners and inspires pedagogical innovation at the nexus of engineering and live entertainment. Rich is the author of Project Planning for the Stage and is co-author with Michael Gillette of the eighth edition of Theatrical Design and Production. He is the Commissioner of Technical Production for USITT and an ETCP-Certified Theatre Rigger.