Putting more diversity in stock photography
How do images in advertising – or the lack of them – influence our perceptions of diversity? In this revelatory talk, Karen Okonkwo shows us the hidden power of stock photography to shape culture. She explains why seeing people who look like us is critically important to engendering inclusivity and greater empathy in our world.
Karen is a first-generation Nigerian-American who was an avid blogger in college. She struggled to find stock photos that represented the diversity she saw in everyday life. In 2016, she co-founded TONL, a stock photography company, to provide access to beautiful, real-world images of individuals of diverse ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, body types, sexual orientations, genders, and ages. The company complements some of the images with personal narratives of the subjects. Their goal is to create a deeper understanding of the cultural context for people choosing pictures.
Karen has founded various companies and continues to support and encourage inclusive diversity through her businesses and volunteer efforts. She’s passionate about being a voice for the voiceless.
Karen Okonkwo is a Nigerian-American social entrepreneur based in Seattle. She became an avid blogger in 2013 while in college. However, she struggled to find photos that represented the existing diversity she saw in real life around her. Her experience and concern with the disparity of image diversity in the online world impassioned her to provide what the web has been missing. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Eulogies for the living
Why are eulogies only for the dying? In this funny, touching talk, Andrea Driessen argues that writing your loved ones a “grace note” – a kind of living eulogy – is a potent tool for connection now that also lessens the pain of grief and regret later. Everyone wants to https://tedxseattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumb-01-1.jpger, and Andrea’s wish is that we share what https://tedxseattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumb-01-1.jpgers most with our loved ones while they’re still alive to hear it.
Andrea is a meeting designer, author, and hospice volunteer. As founder and Chief Boredom Buster at Seattle-based No More Boring Meetings, she teams with companies, nonprofits, and trade associations to secure top-tier speakers, entertainers, and thought leaders, to create fresh meeting formats.
Andrea found her heart’s work at Providence Hospice of Seattle, where she has been volunteering since 2016. Through her interactions with people who are dying—and their loved ones who are living—she has developed a compelling, actionable practice for easing grief and boosting happiness.
She is the author of the international award-winning book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Event Planning: For Kick-Ass Gatherings that Inspire People. A regular contributor to The Meeting Professional magazine, she has also been a Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) “Best-in-Class” speaker.
Andrea Driessen is a meeting designer, author, and hospice volunteer. As founder and Chief Boredom Buster at Seattle-based No More Boring Meetings, she teams with companies, nonprofits, and trade associations to secure top-tier speakers, entertainers, and thought leaders, to create fresh meeting formats, content-driven games, and out-of-the-box engagement tools.
Driessen found her heart’s work at Providence Hospice of Seattle, where she has been volunteering since 2016. Through her interactions with people who are dying—and their loved ones who are living—she has developed a powerful, actionable practice for lessening the pain of grief and regret, boosting happiness, and shifting how we move through the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Turning adversaries into allies
Leah Garcés wants to eliminate chicken factory farming. The problem is, to make progress, she’ll have to collaborate with her adversary – the chicken farmer. In today’s polarized environment, an “us vs. them” mentality is rampant. Leah challenges that narrative reminding us that we can learn valuable lessons from unlikely allies and that bold, innovative changes to make our food system more sustainable can only happen when we work toward win-win solutions.
Leah Garces is President of the nonprofit Mercy For Animals, one of the world’s largest farmed animal rights organizations and leads a team of 130 staff globally.
“At this point in the history of human society, we’re very polarized. My theory of change is that if we’re going to move the world to a better more compassionate food system, instead of trying to beat down the enemy, we need to sit down with them and have them join us.” On any given day, whether Leah is flying to meet with business executives to discuss moving their company to more plant-based offerings or speaking at a conference about her radical theory of change, she’s ultimately advocating for a win-win between corporate ideals and improving the lives of animals. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
“All My Weight” - ”Back to Me” - ”The FOMO Song”
Singer-songwriter and activist Hollis Wong-Wear brazenly confronts contemporary issues, but she does it through surprisingly soothing vocals. Her three original songs that take aim at the political climate, screen time, overwhelm, and even FOMO – fear of missing out. Hollis is accompanied by guitar and keyboards with a little help from the audience.
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 in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These 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.
Hollis is a songwriter, musician, speaker, creative generator, and community advocate who lives between Los Angeles and Seattle. She was Grammy-nominated in 2014 for her work with Seattle’s own Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
She is a Google Next Gen Policy Leader, an alumna of the Hedgebrook Residency, and is a Humanity in Action Senior Fellow. Hollis has been appointed to several boards and commissions, including the Board of Directors for 4Culture and the Seattle Center Advisory Commission, and is currently an ad-hoc commissioner on the Seattle Music Commission.
With her roots in spoken word and slam poetry through the nationally recognized Youth Speaks program, Hollis is passionate about how creativity and the arts fuel and shape civic discourse. She has been a featured speaker at conferences, conventions, and speaker series, sharing her spoken word poetry and her candid insights on her experience as an independent artist and engaged activist. She has performed and spoken for an array of organizations and schools, including KEXP, WrapWomen, Planned Parenthood, University of Washington, YWCA, and the Eileen Fisher Leadership Institute. Hollis has spoken at TEDxUofW, and has presented alongside such luminaries as Gloria Steinem, Kimberle Crenshaw, and Eve Ensler. She was named the recipient of Seattle University’s 2016 Outstanding Recent Alumna Award.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Hollis Wong – Wear is a songwriter, musician, speaker, creative generator and community advocate who lives between Los Angeles and Seattle. She was Grammy nominated in 2014 for her work with Seattle’s own Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
She is a Google Next Gen Policy Leader, an alumna of the Hedgebrook Residency, and is a Humanity in Action Senior Fellow. Hollis has been appointed to several boards and commissions, including the Board of Directors for 4Culture and the Seattle Center Advisory Commission, and is currently an ad-hoc commissioner on the Seattle Music Commission. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
What I learned from playing the cello
Playing the cello taught Gretchen Yanover how to deal with anxiety. She believes that years of leaning the instrument against her heart created an opening to give big emotions a path out. Now, she hopes her music brings that sense of opening to others. Gretchen’s first piece is the evocative solo Heart and Sky. Then dancer Noelle Price helps weave a lyrical story in Willow Waltzes On.
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 in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These 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.
Gretchen began playing cello in Seattle Public Schools and later earned a BA in Music Performance and a teaching certificate at the University of Washington. She earned a position in NW Sinfonietta Orchestra on the same day she taught her first string orchestra class. Embracing an interwoven path of teaching and performing, Gretchen enthusiastically guided students on stringed instruments in public and private school classrooms.
In addition to acoustic work, she performs solo with her electric cello. Gretchen’s music has been featured in films, dance performances, and podcasts. It’s also often used in meditative and healing settings. She continues to play classical music as a member of Northwest Sinfonietta, the region’s premier chamber orchestra. Gretchen also does studio recording work with her acoustic cello. She has released three solo CDs to date.
Gretchen is joined on stage by dancer Noelle Price. Noelle has performed with Karin Stevens Dance Company and in the 2018 premiere of Beautiful Carcass. She self-produced an evening-length work titled “An Ode to Marlin” and wrote and performed her first one-woman play Death and Other Rude things. Her work Remember Me Young received a Seattle Dance Crush Award for its commitment to advocacy.
Locally grown cellist Gretchen Yanover began playing cello in Seattle Public Schools. She earned a BA in Music Performance and her Washington Teaching Certificate from UW. Gretchen won a position in NW Sinfonietta Orchestra on the same day she taught her first string orchestra classes. Embracing an interwoven path of teaching and performing, Ms Yanover enthusiastically guided students on string instruments in public and private school classrooms
Gretchen performs solo with her electric cello, in addition to her acoustic work. Her music has been featured in contexts ranging from film to dance to podcast soundtracks. Her music is also enjoyed in meditative and healing settings. She continues to play classical music as a member of Northwest Sinfonietta, the region’s premier chamber orchestra. Gretchen also does studio recording work with her acoustic cello, in addition to her own continued solo composing and performing. She has released three solo CDs to date. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Why education needs hip hop
For educator James Miles, hip hop is more than a style of music – it’s a global youth culture. He believes we need to meet students where they are by inviting that culture into the classroom. When we do, James reveals this fun and infectious approach to teaching helps kids reconnect with the joy of learning, become more engaged, and even perform better on standardized tests.
James is the executive director of the Seattle-based Arts Corps. He works to revolutionize arts education by igniting the creative power of young people through culturally engaging learning experiences. Each year, more than 2,500 K-12 students in the Seattle area experience the transformative power of creativity and gain a deepened belief in their capacity to learn, take risks, persist, and achieve.
James started his career in the arts as a TV and Theater actor, but soon found himself turning down acting roles to take on teaching opportunities with young people. He has become passionate about portraying culture through art and education. He feels that it’s only through challenging students to be the best they can be that one can truly ignite the creative power of young people.
He’s also the former Director of Education at Urban Arts Partnership in New York City. He’s led workshops for multiple celebrated theater programs and taught theater and education as an adjunct professor at NYU. He serves on the board of directors for the Association of Teaching Artists and the Teaching Artist Journal. A graduate of Morehouse College with an MFA from Brandeis University, Miles has spoken on arts, technology and education, and provided professional educational development around the world.
James Miles is the executive director of Seattle-based Arts Corps. He works to revolutionize arts education by igniting the creative power of young people through culturally engaging learning experiences. Each year, more than 2,500 K-12 students in South Seattle and South King County experience the transformative power of creativity and gain a deepened belief in their own capacity to learn, take risks, persist and achieve. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Can we cure HIV with an injection?
HIV was thought to be incurable, but after undergoing risky stem cell transplant surgeries, several patients no longer exhibit the deadly virus. Scientist Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem takes that idea a step further and shares his pioneering research using new gene-editing techniques. His bold vision may one day allow patients anywhere in the world to receive a single injection to stop HIV and other deadly diseases in their tracks.
Special thanks to core the TEDxSeattle organizing team, 100+ volunteers, and our generous partners – without you, this experience would not be possible. Find out more about our talks, speakers, entertainers, activities, and year-round events at TEDxSeattle.com.
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 in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These 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.
Hans-Peter, the Director of the Stem Cell and Gene Therapy program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is known as a pioneer in the development of new gene-editing technologies. Through his work as an oncologist providing bone marrow transplants to leukemia patients, Dr. Kiem learned it’s possible to modify genes in blood marrow stem cells and convey those genetic changes to a patient.
Hans-Peter and his team hope to achieve cures for diseases like HIV, cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other blood disorders with this ability to repair or modify genes by editing stem cells to carry healthier or disease-resistant versions of genes before transplant. He is currently pioneering “in vivo” and “ex vivo” approaches to make gene therapy and gene editing more broadly available and accessible to those living with HIV, especially in resource-limited settings.
He received his M.D. and Ph.D., at the University of Ulm in Germany. Hans-Peter came to the United States in 1988 and completed research at Stanford University. He received a degree in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University before an oncology fellowship at the University of Washington led to his work with the Fred Hutch.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, the Director of the Stem Cell and Gene Therapy program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is known as a pioneer in the development of new gene-editing technologies. Through his work as an oncologist providing bone marrow transplants to leukemia patients, Dr. Kiem learned it’s possible to modify genes in blood marrow stem cells and convey those genetic changes to a patient.
Dr. Kiem and his team hope to achieve cures for diseases like HIV, cancer, sickle cell anemia and other blood disorders with this ability to repair or modify genes by editing stem cells to carry healthier or disease-resistant versions of genes prior to transplant. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Finding balance in bipolar
Ellen Forney is a passionate storyteller and artist who turned her bipolar diagnosis into a platform of hope for anyone struggling with mental health issues. In this moving and generous talk, Ellen uses both words and pictures — her own comics —to share the story of how she maintained her creativity while managing her illness and shares the system she developed for achieving balance and keeping it.
Special thanks to core the TEDxSeattle organizing team, 100+ volunteers, and our generous partners – without you, this experience would not be possible. Find out more about our talks, speakers, entertainers, activities, and year-round events at TEDxSeattle.com.
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 in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These 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.
Ellen is an artist, teacher, and mental health advocate. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, the story of her diagnosis and struggle with bipolar disorder, and Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice from My Bipolar Life, a guide to maintaining mental health. Rock Steady was featured in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)’s “Best of Graphic Medicine 2018”, and the book’s self-care framework is widely used by therapists and clinicians. Ellen also curated the National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibition on Graphic Medicine, a new genre of comics about health.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Ellen Forney is a cartoonist, teacher, and mental health advocate. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, the story of her diagnosis and struggle with bipolar disorder, and Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life, a guide to maintaining mental health. Marbles has been printed in seven foreign editions and translated into six different languages and was selected as the Common Read for the University of Washington’s Health Sciences schools in 2018. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Can beauty save our planet?
Chris Jordan is all in on beauty. After photographing sea birds dying by the dozens from consuming bits of plastic, Chris had a revelation: It was time to refocus in his lens on the awesome beauty of the planet. Now, he searches out natural places that can inspire us to treasure and protect them from the devastating effects of pollution and climate change.
Special thanks to core the TEDxSeattle organizing team, 100+ volunteers, and our generous partners – without you, this experience would not be possible. Find out more about our talks, speakers, entertainers, activities, and year-round events at TEDxSeattle.com.
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 in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These 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.
Chris is an internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker whose works are exhibited and published worldwide. His work walks the fine line between beauty and despair while exploring the dark undercurrents of our consumer culture’s focus on disposable goods and mass consumption. Chris’s first foray into the subject was the project Intolerable Beauty, which demonstrated the enormous amount of waste in various areas throughout Seattle. His next project, Running the Numbers, used innovative perspectives to illustrate the vast magnitude of our mass consumption.
Chris’s largest project to date is a series of photographs, Midway: Message from the Gyre, and the companion film, Albatross. The project was inspired by a stunning environmental tragedy that’s taking place on a tiny atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. He and his team photographed and filmed thousands of young albatrosses that lay dead on the ground, their stomachs filled with plastic, underscoring the destructive power of our culture of consumption, and our damaged relationship with the living world.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx Chris Jordan is an internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker whose works are exhibited and published worldwide. His work walks the fine line between beauty and despair while exploring the dark undercurrents of our consumer culture’s focus on disposability and mass consumption. Jordan’s first foray into the subject was a project Intolerable Beauty which featured the enormous amount of waste in various areas throughout Seattle. This led to Running the Numbers that used innovative perspectives to demonstrate the enormous magnitude of our mass consumption. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
What Humans Can Learn from The Wisdom of Salmon
What can salmon teach us about sustainability in a complex environment? Marine biologist Alexandra Morton shares startling new research that lets us decode the information stored in a salmon’s immune system. The data reveals where we’re harming the fish, the ocean, and ourselves – ultimately revealing lessons for how humans can thrive on this planet without destroying it.
Special thanks to core the TEDxSeattle organizing team, 100+ volunteers, and our generous partners – without you, this experience would not be possible. Find out more about our talks, speakers, entertainers, activities, and year-round events at TEDxSeattle.com.
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 in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These 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.
Alexandra is known for her 30-year study of wild killer whales in the Broughton Archipelago in British Columbia. She began her work as a volunteer in the Human/Dolphin Society in 1977, where she cataloged 2,000 audio recordings of bottlenose dolphins. In 1980, Alexandra shifted her studies to wild killer whales. Her work took her to the coast of British Columbia, where she witnessed the impacts of salmon farming. First, the whales she was studying left, then the salmon populations crashed, and the community around the region began to lose its livelihoods. This chain of events inspires Morton’s research and advocacy to this day.
In 1981, Alexandra founded Raincoast Research Society, a science-based association committed to researching the devastating impacts of Atlantic salmon farming on British Columbia’s wild salmon stocks. Partnering with scientists around the world, her organization produced some of the first studies on salmon farm impacts in British Columbia and continues to break new ground in this field.
In 2010, Alexandra won the Women of Discovery Sea Award, in recognition of her achievements in science and exploration.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Alexandra Morton went into the wilderness of the BC coast in 1980 to conduct a long-term study on communication in wild orca. When salmon farms moved into the Broughton Archipelago, she began documenting their devastating impact. First, the whales she was studying left, then the salmon populations crashed. In an effort to protect this remote ecosystem, Morton built a research station, published in leading scientific journals and stood with local First Nations as an activist. Today, Morton sees what happened to her home in the context of the challenges humanity faces today and she finds salmon hold the wisdom we need. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Why You Should Talk Regularly with Strangers
Since 2006, Traca Savadogo has met an average of three new people every day and heard their stories, resulting in 90 conversations a month. Sharing regularly on social medial and in speaking engagements, Traca discusses what drove her to launch her “Curiosity Conversations” and how her interactions often develop into surprising insights, unexpected opportunities, and treasured friendships. She recalls numerous examples of life-changing conversations that began with just one curious moment. Traca wants to show us that amazing stories are happening all around us and that we just need to “show up and get curious” She leaves us with a list of tips for what it takes to delve into a Curiosity Conversation and a reminder that in a world when many of us stay buried in our phones, human connection is truly what we crave. Traca Savadogo is a professional social butterfly. She has a passion for driving big ideas and conversation, and her approach is simple: ask questions, be curious. Savadogo is constantly looking for beautiful moments with strangers. She’ll ask people, ”What’s your story?” or “How do you want to be remembered?” and watch their narratives unfold.
Originally from the Midwest, where having conversations with strangers is commonplace and part of the fabric of society, Savadogo strives to give individuals actionable steps they can use to start having interactions of their own. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
The Future of Pain Relief
Using virtual reality (VR) to treat pain has delivered exciting results, thanks to research conducted by Dr. Sam Sharar. A professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington, Sam explains how “pain is all in our heads”: our physical, cognitive, and emotional reactions in the brain combine to tell us we are experiencing pain. The reality of pain is entirely variable, unpredictable, and different for each person, making it hard to manage. Hearing the success of VR in other fields, Sam is now exploring the impact of applying VR to burn patients in an effort to alleviate the excruciating pain of their necessary treatments. The results of his studies are compelling. Getting relief from pain could come from leveraging the brain’s ability to leave the reality of pain for another reality that encourages healing—a promising concept across the field of medicine. Sam Sharar, MD, refers to himself as “an academic anesthesiologist.” He is a board-certified anesthesiologist and cares for seriously injured children and adults at Harborview Medical Center. He is also a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at The University of Washington. Dr. Sharar teaches and advises medical students as a College Faculty Mentor and is Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Development of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. Additionally, he is the Associate Medical Director for King County Medic 1, where he provides training to paramedics. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx