Theme: Luminary

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).

Mershon Auditorium
1871 North High St
Columbus, Ohio, 43210
United States

Ahmad Al-Jallad

Philologist, Epigraphist, Historian of Language

Ahmad Al-Jallad is a professor of ancient languages and cultures of Arabia and the Near East. He deciphers archaic texts to better understand a lost world.

Angus Fletcher

Professor, Story Scientist

Narrative scientist Dr. Angus Fletcher researches how storythinking drives our power to heal ourselves at Ohio State's Project Narrative, the world's leading academic think-tank for the study of story.

Anisa Kline

Bahá’í geographer, food justice scholar, applied agricultural researcher

A geographer and Latin Americanist, Anisa Kline studies agricultural guestworkers, their employers, and the communities that host them. She is currently working with Dr. Margaret Jodlowski in OSU’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Developments Economics on a series of papers about agricultural labor and policy.

Carmen Swain

Professor, Researcher, Mentor

Carmen first became passionate about exercise while playing multiple sports in high school and college, and she soon discovered she wanted to study exercise physiology to learn more about human performance. Her teaching and research examine exercise in a variety of populations and situations, and she now teaches with a focus towards using movement as a lifestyle medicine to promote health and wellbeing, including lessons from research that can promote personalized behavior change for all people to be more active in our modern world.

Dave Malkoff

CBS News National Correspondent

Dave Malkoff is a National Correspondent with CBS News who reports for CBS Mornings & The CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell and all other platforms on CBS News & Stations nationwide. He's previously worked for other networks and television stations including WBNS-TV here in Columbus while studying Political Science at The Ohio State University.

Kaylie Glenn

Dementia-care advocate, Aspiring Changemaker

Kaylie Glenn, B.S. Neuroscience, is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University. Kaylie’s journey with using music to help those living with dementia began at a young age, with her creating The Day By Day Project, 501(c)3 nonprofit, at the age of 14. She is the inventor of the Memory Disco™, a multi-sensory group music experience designed to meet the needs of those living with dementia.

Kerry-Ann Mitchell

Neuroplastic Surgeon, Mother, Scientist

Kerry-Ann Mitchell, MD PHD is a surgeon-scientist in the Department of Plastic & Reconstructive at The Ohio State University, specializing in face and skull surgery with research focused on nanotechnologies to improve healing after brain surgery. An immigrant from Jamaica, Dr. Mitchell aims to improve quality of life for patients, and reduce disparities in patient outcomes through Neuroplastic Surgery.

Sarah Iles Johnston

Scholar of Religion and Myth; Storyteller

Sarah Iles Johnston is fascinated by the question of how people come to believe what they believe about gods, ghosts and other inhabitants of the unseen realm. Her recent work has focused on how stories—myths, sacred tales, novels, TV programs and films—can influence those beliefs and she loves to exemplify this by telling stories as part of her teaching.

Tameka Baba

Landscape Designer and Social Visionary

Tameka Baba is an educator and designer in landscape architecture at Ohio State. Her work aims to unveil the potential of seemingly invisible spaces within the urban environment, re-imaged as vibrant social hubs of respite servicing body and mind.