Valparaiso University to Host TEDxValparaisoUniversity on Feb. 24th

TEDxValparaisoUniversity’s inaugural community-inspired event comes to Valparaiso University on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 4–9 p.m. at the Center for the Arts. The locally organized event is themed “The power of &.”

The first TEDxValparaisoUniversity event is a student-driven initiative designed to explore the power of & and its capacity to bring together a diversity of people, cultures and concepts to create real-world change. Presentations will explore how through the power of & we are able to bridge, extend, develop and enhance our community, both locally and globally.

TEDxValparaisoUniversity will feature 10 diverse speakers, including a Valpo student, as well as faculty and community members, each bringing their unique perspective to the theme — the power of &.

Scheduled speakers and their topics are:

  • Tom Cedel, Ph.D., distinguished visiting professor of leadership at Valparaiso University, “The Power of & — Why Should We Care”
  • Karen Freeman-Wilson, J.D., mayor of the city of Gary, Ind., “How Public Servants Can Re-Engage the Public”
  • Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., president of Valparaiso University, “Lead & Serve”
  • Anton Lewis, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting at Valparaiso University, “From Britain With Love. The Positive Power of Difference in Different Places.”
  • Mac McElhaney, pastor and product specialist for Kendall Electric, “The Power of EQ & IC”
  • Robert Ordway, M.S., owner of Rusted Oak, a men’s clothing store in Valparaiso, “Voicing Our Vote: Why Millennials Matter in Elections”
  • Elyse Smith ’17, meteorology major at Valparaiso University, “Dancers Are Athletes Too”
  • Nathan Young, founder and chief analyst of Turnkey Concepts, “Fundamentals & Innovations”
  • Amanda Zelechoski, J.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Valparaiso University, “And, Not Or”
  • Steve Zelechoski, J.D., training and coaching executive, “1 Is the Loneliest Number”

Admission to TEDxValparisoUniversity is free, but pre-registration is required. Tickets are available to students, faculty, and staff, with a portion open to the general public. Event registration begins Monday, Feb. 1, at 8 a.m. Ticket availability is limited and attendees will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who wish to attend should register at 8 a.m. on tedxvalparaisouniversity.com.

For the latest information on TEDxValparaisoUniversity, please visit tedxvalparaisouniversity.com.

Follow the event on social media via Twitter and Facebook.

Contact: Eric Kurbyun, TEDxValparaisoUniversity Marketing Chair, 847.525.2747, eric.kurbyun@valpo.edu or Kristen Knoerzer at kristen.knoerzer@valpo.edu or 219.464.6270

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

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, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a “wish,” or idea, to create change in the world; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED or Instagram at https://instagram.com/ted.

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