About TEDx, x = independently organized event
“Together” is the general theme of TEDxConejo2012. It is a broad topic designed to explore the always fascinating, often inspiring, occasionally surprising and sometimes vexing interconnectedness of our world. Speakers and presenters from the arts and sciences, business and economics, public service and philanthropy, education and learning, psychology and medicine, entertainment and technology, and others, will share ideas through signature talks delivered in 18 minutes or less. A complete speaker line-up will be posted closer to the conference date.
Below is the line-up from TEDxConejo 2011. Videos of the 2011 talks are posted on YouTube here.
- Reza Aslan, born in Iran and raised in central California, is an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions. Aslan’s first book is the international bestseller, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, which has been translated into thirteen languages, and named one of the 100 most important books of the last decade. He is also the author of How to Win a Cosmic War (published in paperback as Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in a Globalized Age), and editor of a new anthology from Norton titled Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East.
- Glenn Begley is vice-president of Hematology and Oncology Research at Amgen. The author of more than 200 scholarly papers and the recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Begley is one of the world’s leading researchers in the study of hematopoietic growth factors and his work has had significant impact in the field of bone marrow transplantation. His talk will reveal some surprising things that most people do not know about cancer.
- Steve Connell is an acclaimed actor and renowned writer/performer. Steve’s work has been hailed by critics as “Powerful Theatre”, “Hilarious”, and “Brilliant”. His spoken-word work has been featured on a wide variety of media outlets, including HBO’s Def Poetry (twice), Showtime’s Crossover, MTV’s World AIDS Festival, BET’s Lyric Café, as well as Oprah Winfrey’s celebration of Maya Angelou’s 75th birthday and Quincy Jones’ Lifetime Achievement Award celebration.
- Erin Gruwell, is an educator and president of The Freedom Writers Foundation. By fostering an educational philosophy that valued and promoted diversity, she transformed her students’ lives. With Erin’s steadfast support, her students shattered stereotypes to become critical thinkers, aspiring college students, and citizens for change. Her story is the basis for the movie, “The Freedom Writers.”
- Jessica Jackley, a speaker at TEDGlobal last summer, is a founder and CEO of ProFounder, a new crowdfunding platform providing new ways for small businesses in the U.S. to access investment funding through community involvement. Jessica is perhaps best known as the founder and CMO of Kiva.org, the world’s first peer-to-peer online microlending website.
- Brett King is a bestselling author, strategic consultant and long time senior industry analyst in the finance sector. His latest book Bank 2.0 has received widespread industry acclaim and has been a bestseller in the UK, USA, Germany, Japan and throughout Asia and is now in it’s 4th reprint.
- Gary W. Mathern, MD is a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Mattel Children’s Hospital and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA who specializes in the surgical treatment of children with uncontrolled seizures. A drastic but not uncommon treatment for stopping seizures uncontrolled by medications is to remove half of a person’s brain. His presentation will illustrate the tremendous ability of a child to compensate and develop after cerebral hemispherectomy.
- Amos Nachoum is an esteemed photographer who has spent his career with great ocean creatures. His photos and essays have appeared in hundreds of publications, including National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, and Condé Nast Traveler. He works tirelessly to bring attention to some of the most fragile regions of the underwater realm, with preservation of the environment foremost in every encounter. His commitment to wildlife led him to co-found Israel’s Marine National Park on the Red Sea.
- Terri Nunn is multi-platinum recording artist, rock star and local mom. Terri started her career as an actress and became a music icon with the new wave, techno-pop band Berlin. In 1986, Berlin topped pop radio with the #1 Oscar®-winning ballad “Take My Breath Away” from movie Top Gun. Some of her other well known songs include “No More Words”, “Metro,” and “Masquerade.” After a hiatus, Nunn recruited new musicians to resurrect Berlin in the late ’90s and has been active recording and touring since then, most recently with the release of the DVD/CD, “All The Way In.”
- Robert Radler is an accomplished filmmaker who delights in music and the people who make it. His latest projects are labors of love. In “Turn It Up!” his feature length documentary on the history of the guitar, he explores the passion that is the electric guitar and its effect on artists, everyday players, pop culture and even politics. He also is producing a documentary about the SS United States, the forgotten flagship that was once the fastest passenger ship of all time.
- Marcus Ryle is the co-founder and senior vice-president, Research and Development for Line 6, a music products company dedicated to integrating technology with music products to develop innovative solutions for musicians, where he is responsible for engineering, product development and all technology research initiatives. Marcus will be exploring the energy of Music.
- Zac and Abby Sunderland are two Thousand Oaks sailors and adventurers who both attempted solo circumnavigations of the globe. Zac completed his voyage in July 2009 to become the youngest American sailor to complete the feat. Abby Sunderland made her attempt in 2010 and became the youngest sailor to round Cape Horn before disaster struck in the Indian Ocean.
- Mark Watkins and Chuck Rogers, respectively, are the director of public works for the City of Thousand Oaks and the superintendent of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The City’s Hill Canyon Treatment Plant is a world-class facility and model for environmentally responsible management. Our city recently embarked on a plan to power municipal buildings and facilities with renewable energy, saving money and natural resources.
Student Involvement and an Added Special Bonus Session
One of the hallmarks of TEDxConejo is our relationship with the Conejo Valley Unified School District and students in our community. Our conference program this year again includes several outstanding student speakers.
