Thought Leaders from Around the Globe to Inspire People at TEDxDU on May 13
DENVER—Under the moniker of “TEDxDU: A Celebration of DUing,” the University of Denver (“DU”) will be the first in the Rocky Mountain region to host a TEDx event, an independently organized event licensed by the internationally recognized TED. On May 13, innovators, inventors, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs will meet on campus to discuss global issues, share ideas and inspire action.
“TEDxDU will showcase our commitment to improve the human condition through the lives of our graduates and the work of our students, faculty and staff,” says DU Chancellor Robert Coombe. “It will demonstrate the ways in which the quality and focus of our intellectual enterprise are changing lives, here in Colorado and throughout the world.”
TEDxDU will be an afternoon filled with fast-paced, eclectic content, including thought-provoking talks, musical performances and intriguing demos by luminaries such as:
- Karambu Ringera, founder of International Peace Initiatives, is changing the future of women and children in Africa, one community at a time. She holds a Ph.D. from DU.
- Richard Lapchick, often called “The Racial Conscience of Sports,” is a human rights activist, an internationally-recognized expert on sports issues of diversity and ethics in sports, and a DU alumnus.
- Philip K. Howard, TED2010 speaker and founder of Common Good, is leading the drive to overhaul the U.S. legal system.
- Eva Hakansson, a hardcore “EV geek” with a green heart and passion for power and speed, built her ElectroCat electric motorcycle with no formal training. She is currently an engineering graduate student at DU.
- Philip Tedeschi and his colleagues at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at DU are pioneers of research surrounding the contribution animals make to human health and well-being.
TEDxDU will be held in the June Swaner Gates Concert Hall at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts the afternoon of May 13. Admission is free. A limited number of tickets for the general public can be reserved at the TEDxDU Web site, www.tedxdu.com, beginning April 2.
More speakers and performers can be found at www.tedxdu.com. Follow TEDxDU on Twitter for the latest speaker news at http://twitter.com/tedxdu and become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TEDxDU.
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About DU
The University of Denver is committed to improving the human condition and engaging students and faculty in tackling the major issues of our day. DU ranks among the top 100 national universities in the U.S. For additional information, go to www.du.edu/newsroom.
About TEDx
In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” TED has created TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxDU, where x = independently organized TED event. At TEDxDU, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TED.
TEDGlobal 2010, “And Now the Good News,” will be held July 13-16, 2010, in Oxford, UK. TED2011, “The Rediscovery of Wonder,” will be held February 28-March 4, 2011, in Long Beach, California, with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs, California.