TEDxJacksonville 2014

What: Lecture series
WHEN: Saturday, Oct 25 (10am-8pm)
Location: WJCT Studios, 1 Festival Dr.
Contact: www.tedxjacksonville.com

This year’s TEDxJacksonville’s theme explores (un)knowing and the “vastness of potential through conscious questioning of what we think we know.” If you’re interested in learning from your past and moving on, this year’s TEDx is for you.

The 2014 TEDxJacksonville TED Talks include a wide array of local and international speakers who will fall into one of four quadrants of the event: (un)restricted, (un)charted, (un)bound and (un)rest.

This year’s topics are:

Warren Anderson (Jacksonville, environmental lawyer) – “Belonging to the Universe”
Cullen Hoback (LA, documentary filmmaker and director) – “We Don’t Have a Privacy Problem”
Chip Southworth (Jacksonville, artist) – “Art, A Powerful Conduit for Change”
Ted Powell (Jacksonville, nonprofit consultant and leadership coach) – “When Your Mind Works Against You”
Ali Butcher (Vancouver, geographer, historian, and city enthusiast) – “Re-imagining Urban Space: Sustainability and Creativity in the City”
Ed McMahon (Washington D.C., senior fellow, Urban Land Institute) – “Where Am I? The Power of Uniqueness”
Judi Herring (Jacksonville, urologist) – “Gender Bound: Lessons from the World Between”
Spring Behrouz (neuroscientist, One Spark winner, founder of Neuro Initiative) – “The Dynamic Future of Neuroscience”
Sara Gaver (Jacksonville, UNF math major) – “Beyond Face Value: Unraveling Perceptions to Look Past Physical Disabilities”
Herb Donaldson (Wakulla, playwright, freelance writer) – “How to Survive an Execution”
Michael Smith (Jacksonville, counselor, philosopher, senior pastor at the Church of Jacksonville) – “Black Murder is Normal”
Aman Mojadidi (Paris, Afghani artist and TED Fellow) – “Swimmin’ with Existential Gators, Gone with the Wind, and the Geography of Self”

Of course, the musical talent is carefully vetted, as well, for each is sewn into the day’s fabric of experience. This year, stage performers include JJ Grey, Mama Blue, Joe Schuck of Antique Animals, and the John Carver Band.

To hold it all together, the voices that bring each part of the stage performance online and on time are two of Jacksonville’s most talented leaders – emcee, poet-performance artist, and award-winning NPR host of “State of the Reunion” Al Letson, who will be joined by the Director of The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Hope McMath.

“We will be exploring potential areas out there and assessing what we know versus what we assume,” says Sabeen Perwaiz Syad, operational leader.

This year’s effort will be presented to 325 curated guests who have filled out the online form, which asks for their reasons to be seated in the audience. Once accepted, the participant pays $100 for his or her ticket online-–and the result is a day unlike any spent anywhere. A cornucopia of fine food will be provided by Conscious Eats, Biscotti’s, and Black Sheep. They will be joined by Bold Bean. All food served will be sourced locally from Riverside Arts Market and the Jacksonville Farmer’s Market.

The After Glow Party, featuring an open bar and plenty of hors d’oeuvres will follow underneath the Pavilion Tent at Metro Park.

“We will delve into what open-mindedness means, and see if we are willing to discard beliefs and say ‘I’m wrong,’ then embrace change,” states Doug Coleman, founder of TEDxJacksonville.

“TedxJacksonville has grown in terms of credibility and awareness in the community, and our financial support has increased. Our partners support our mission and community impact, and they like the fact that we bring forth ideas that inspire, inform, and help to make positive changes in Jacksonville. I feel humbled by these people. And, that’s why we are especially thankful for our principal sponsors, Baptist Health and Jacksonville University, and our major in-kind sponsors WJCT and Sight & Sound.”

Interested? Go to www.tedxjacksonville.com.