In an effort to create a community with innovation and equity, the TEDxGatewayArch chapter will present eight speakers and entertainers who will share experiences that break from conventional thought at an arts-inspired mini-conference on Thursday, Sept. 12.
“It isn’t news that St. Louis has a vibrant and dynamic community of innovators, challengers and inspiring individuals,” said Steve Sommers, executive director of TEDxGatewayArch. “We are excited to share the work of these entertainers, athletes and intellectual revolutionaries to make a difference here in our community and outward.”
The goal of every TEDx event is to push the limits on personal understanding through experiential talks. The crash course, mini-conference event will host local speakers who will share perspectives on issues that impact the St. Louis region and challenge current thought, as well as performances by three diverse entertainers to enliven the human spirit.
Speakers and entertainers will include:
Wally Siewert – The Paradox of Democracy.
Siewert speaks to the frameworks of political and moral theory to disassemble the current controversy, and explains a nonpartisan map of values and the importance of cooperation across ideologies.
Yvonne Osei Oppong Bio – When Clothing Transcends.
Bio explores beauty, colorism and political impacts of cultures and how that has affected colonialism and the celebration of difference.
Jeremiah Johnson Band performance.
An American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter, Johnson performs with Benet Schaeffer on drums, Frank Bauer on sax with backing vocals, and Tom Maloney and Tony Anthonis on bass/slide guitar, in a group whose music blends St. Louis blues with Southern rock and country.
Jean Ponzi – Earth Needs Negativity.
Ponzi’s experience in ecological teaching, storytelling and song help her to welcome fellow humans to a perspective from the earth that teaches us how things we label as negative can have surprising beauty and benefit.
Jack Grelle – “A progressive honky tonk hero, arriving at just the right time in Trump’s America.” – Rolling Stone magazine
Sarah Aman – Designing for Impact.
From experience exhibition and graphic design, Aman shares her passion for sustainable action and environmental conservation to create a better, greener future.
Thom Wall – Historian and avant-garde performer.
Author of “Juggling: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages.”
Percy Green interview.
Green has fought for racial equality his entire life, and shares that activism through the story of a lifetime devoted to social work and shattering the status quo, to be interviewed by the Rev. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the philanthropic Deaconess Foundation.
“Our goal for TEDxGatewayArch is to create a community with innovation and equity,” said Mich Hancock, co-founder and license holder of TEDxGatewayArch. “The speakers coming to our stage are going to share just that.”
The mini-conference will begin at 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12, at The Pageant. VIP Tickets for the crash course event are available individually for $75, and include early admission, preferred seating, a pre-party, catered by Pi Pizza, beverage tickets and St. Louis-made appetizers. General admission tickets are available individually for $40, or with a group of 10 or more – $35 each.
TEDxGatewayArch is a regional chapter of the TED program, a nonprofit organization devoted to spreading ideas in small digestible conference bites. The chapter focuses on topics that have an intrinsic connection to the St. Louis region, but may not be broadly known or understood by most St. Louisans. Through events, connections and newsletters, TEDxGatewayArch creates an inclusive and equitable community to help propel the St. Louis region to greater vibrancy and prosperity. For more information or to purchase tickets for the event, visit tedxgatewayarch.org.
Photos courtesy of TEDxGatewayArch
