About TEDx, x = independently organized event

“Together” is the general theme of TEDxConejo2012, produced in association with the Conejo Valley Unified School District and the Conejo Schools Foundation. Our theme this year is a broad topic designed to explore the always fascinating, often inspiring, occasionally surprising and sometimes vexing interconnectedness of our world. As you have come to expect, we have a wide range of topics and speakers to make TEDxConejo 2012 an outstanding event. Three full sessions filled with fascinating indivduals await you. Speakers include several nationally recognized authorities including Marcia Wieder, frequent keynote speaker and founder of Dream University, musicologist extraordinaire Nic Harcourt, Zoe Weil, author and president of The Institute for Humane Education, Homeboy Industries founder Father Boyle, comedienne Wendy Liebman, medical expert Dr. Irving Loh, Lindsay Doran, an Academy Award nominated producer (“Sense and Sensibility”), prominent motion picture executive and esteemed story consultant recently profiled in the New York Times, the renowned innovator and business leader Ravi Sawheny, founder of the strategic design consultancy firm, RKS, which is based in Thousand Oaks, and author of the book Predictable Magic, and producer, engineer and recording artist Alan Parsons. Student speakers, popular on all of our previous programs, will also be featured.

In reverse alphabetical order, here are this year’s speakers:

Marcia Wieder Dream University’s CEO/Founder® Marcia Wieder is committed to helping one million dreams come true over the next year. The author of 14 books, she has appeared on Oprah, the Today and was featured in PBS-TV called Making Your Dreams Come True. As a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle column urged readers to take “The Great Dream Challenge.” She is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council with Jack Canfield and John Gray. As past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners she assisted three U.S. presidents. She serves on the advisory board for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Zoe Weil is the co-founder and President of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE). IHE works to create a
world in which we all live humanely, sustainably, and peaceably. They do this by training people to be humane educators who teach about the pressing issues of our time and inspire people to work for change while making healthy, humane, and restorative choices in their daily lives. We also work to advance the field of humane education, and to provide tools and inspiration to people everywhere so that they can live examined, meaningful lives. Zoe is also the author of six books and several articles. Zoe welcomes your own ideas and comments about humane education and MOGO (Most Good) living.

Ravi Sawhney. As the founder and CEO of RKS Design, Ravi Sawhney has spent more than 30 years at the
forefront of product and technology innovation. He has grown his industrial design consultancy into a global leader in the fields of strategy, innovation and design. While leading RKS, Sawhney has helped generate more than 150 patents and over 90 design awards on behalf of his diverse list of international clients, and his work has been featured on the cover of Business Week’s best product design issue. Sawhney invented the predictable Psycho-Aesthetics® design methodology, which Harvard Business Press adopted as a business school case study. It is a design philosophy that incorporates aspects of psychology to better understand how consumers emotionally interact with a product. He is also the co-author of the book “Predictable Magic” and is a regular columnist/ blogger for Design Reach for Fast Company, as well as a popular corporate and academic lecturer who has spoken at many prominent business schools, design schools, trade conventions and international conferences.

Alan Parsons.The producer, engineer and recording artist Alan Parsons’ latest venture is an instructional series about recording called The Art And Science Of Sound Recording. “All Our Yesterdays,” a song written especially for the series, features some of LA’s finest musicians and a rare performance by Alan on lead vocals. As soon as Alan landed a job at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London at the age of 19, it became clear that the world of sound recording was to dominate his career. He was fortunate enough to work as assistant engineer on the last two albums by The Beatles and after he qualified as a fully-fledged recording engineer, he went on to work with Paul McCartney and The Hollies among many others. But it was his contribution as engineer on Pink Floyd’s classic Dark Side OF The Moon that really got him world attention. That soon led to striking successes as a producer – notably with Pilot’s Magic, John Miles’ Highfly andMusic and Steve Harley’s (Come Up And See Me) Make Me Smile. He also produced the hugely successful Year Of The Cat album with Al Stewart and two albums with American progressive rock band Ambrosia.In 1975 he met Eric Woolfson who not only became his manager, but joined forces with Alan as a songwriting and performing partner for what became known as The Alan Parsons Project. The APP’s debut album, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe paved the way for a signing to Clive Davis’ newly launched Arista label and a string of hit albums, namely I Robot (1977), Pyramid (1978), The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980), Eye in the Sky (1982), Ammonia Avenue (1984), Vulture Culture (1985), Stereotomy (1986) and Gaudi (1987).With his long-standing previous APP collaborators, guitarist Ian Bairnson, drummer Stuart Elliott and orchestral arranger Andrew Powell, Alan dropped the “Project” identity for Alan Parsons – Try Anything Once in 1994. The partnership continued for On Air in 1996 and The Time Machine in 1999. During this time the first incarnation of “Alan Parsons Live Project” toured to sell-out audiences throughout the globe. Following Alan’s relocation to California, a new Live Project band was formed in 2003. One of the most familiar Project tracks is Sirius, perhaps best known as the Chicago Bulls theme and more recently as walk-on music for The New Orleans Saints at their triumphant Superbowl game in 2010.

Alex Nutkiewicz is a senior at Westlake High School and an avid world traveler. She recently interned at the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei, China. She studied the structural components of the Institute’s tokamak, EAST, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, as well as the environmental and economic impacts of nuclear fusion energy. Her presentation explores nuclear fusion and its potential impact on the current energy crisis.

Dr. Irving Lohis a board certified internist and subspecialty board certified cardiac specialist with an emphasis on preventive cardiology. He founded and directs the Ventura Heart Institute, which conducts education, research and preventive cardiovascular programs. Dr. Loh is a former Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCLA School of Medi- cine and former Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC Irvine. Dr. Loh received his MD from UC San Francisco, where he also did his Internal Medicine Residency. His initial lipid research was at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in both intramural (Molecular Diseases/Lipid Metabo- lism Branch) and extramural (Cardiac Diseases Branch; Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases) divisions. He then was faculty in both Departments of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. He has been a member of Amgen’s Institutional BioSafety Committee, the State of California Department of Health Services Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Coalition, the Manuscript Review Board and Ad Hoc Editor for the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management , the Expert Panel on Outcomes Evaluation and Research for the American Heart Association, and an advisor to the Advisory Board Company/Cardiology Preeminence Roundtable based in Washington DC. Dr. Loh served as an Executive Steering Committee member of the West Lipid Association Board of Directors. He is the principal investigator for cardiovascular trials for Westlake Medical Research, consultant physician to the Ventura County Health Care Agency on cardiovascular disease management and development of clinical research programs. He is a charter member of Lipidologists of Los Angeles and a member of the Medical Advisory Board for DoximityTM. Since 1987 he has developed and continually refined an patient care electronic health record program with integrated quality of care reporting. In 1993, Dr. Loh was appointed to two White House Briefing Teams for the President’s healthcare reform proposal and served on the Executive Steering Committee of the National Health Policy Council, a bipartisan non-profit foundation chaired by Sen. Jay Rockefeller IV. He was a national surrogate speaker for the White House on health care reform. Dr. Loh has published in the medical literature, provided articles, op-eds and interviews for magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and a column (Second Opinion) for the Star newspapers. He lectures on cardiovascular risk reduction and integrated disease management strategies for the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease (heart failure, dyslipidemias, hypertension), medical information technology to optimize quality and outcome (including presentations at UC Berkeley and Harvard Schools of Public Health) and healthcare reform. He has delivered over 350 lectures, keynotes, presentations, abstracts and webcasts. He has been a principal investi- gator on over 130 clinical trials in cardiovascular therapeutics.

Wendy Liebman is a comedy star who started her career as a performer in the basement of her house at 110 Crescent Lane, Roslyn, Long Island, New York, where she and her sister and her neighborhood friend put on the play Rumpelstilskin. Wendy went to Wellesley College, majored in psychology, and then went right into therapy. Wendy has been performing stand-up comedy for about 20 years. Her latest comedy special on Showtime is now available on DVD. In 2003 she married Jeffrey C. Sherman, and became a step mom to two amazing boys.

Scott Holloway is an award-winning physics teacher at Westlake High School who passionately believes in the value of experiential, hands-on learning.

Julianna Hever MS, RD, CPT, also known as the Plant-Based Dietitian, is a passionate advocate of the miracles associated with following a whole food, plant-based diet-the established effects of which provide positive healthful benefits. Julieanna is the author of the best-selling book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition, and the nutrition columnist for VegNews Magazine. She is the co-author of the new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking, which she wrote with Chef Beverly Lynn Bennett. Julieanna counsels a variety of clients throughout the world from her Los Angeles, California-based private practice including elite athletes, adults, and children with various nutritional and/or medical concerns. Julieanna was recently featured on The Dr. Oz Show and Reluctantly Healthy, co-stars on The Chef and The Dietitian, on numerous radio shows, and has lectured extensively internationally. She is published in prominent journals, magazines, blogs, and newsletters. As co-producer and star of the “infotainment” documentary To Your Health, Julieanna interviewed a host of the plant-based world’s most respected doctors and researchers to bring this important information to film and television audiences. Her work as the Executive Director of EarthSave, International, has also provided an opportunity for Julieanna to bring whole food, plant-based nutrition to the forefront of efforts to improve the current global health crisis.

Joel Harris has been traveling throughout the world to observe solar eclipses since 1973 — that’s more than 38 years of eclipse chasing. Joel’s first eclipse was as an integral part of a scientific investigation team sponsored by Harvard Observatory — through the auspices of Educational Expeditions International (now Earthwatch Institute), and led by Dr. Donald Menzel (noted U.S. solar astronomer at Harvard Observatory) and Dr. Harold “Hal” Edgerton, famed inventor of the photographic strobe lamp.

Nic Harcourt, regarded as the ultimate “tastemaker” in music, is the former host of KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and the syndicated public radio show show Sounds Eclectic. After 10 years as KCRW Music Director, Nic stepped down in 2008 to pursue other opportunities. Harcourt’s current radio home is a weekly show on Saturday afternoons at 88.5 KCSN. He also currently serves as the host of the award winning Guitar Center Sessions on DirecTV’s 101 and n3D channels and works in Television and Film as a consultant and music supervisor. Nic was appointed in March of 2011 as MTV’s first Music Supervisor in residence and also serves as a Chief Creative Consultant for the newly announced Hype Music: a first-of-its kind hybrid music production and licensing partnership from MTV and Extreme Music that is fueled by the very best new and emerging independent talent.
Many artists, including Adele, Coldplay and Norah Jones, have credited Harcourt for putting them on the map and helping them achieve stardom. He’s also helped launch the careers of Phoenix, Dido, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, KT Tunstall, Ting Tings, Sigur Ros, Damien, Rice, Interpol, and countless others. He has been described by music writer Mark Weingarten as “the most influential DJ in America.”
From 1998-2008 Harcourt raised the bar at KCRW by introducing events such as station-sponsored KCRW and KCRW.com Presents concerts. Under Nic’s stewardship KCRW was the first radio station to stream live video sessions and broadcast from remote locations like SXSW, CMJ and the Latin Alternative Music Conference. Nic has also produced the Sounds Eclectic CD compilation series and authored a book Music Lust, a collection of “recommended listening for every mood, moment and reason.”
His TV credits include, 90210, The Inbetweeners, I Jut Want My Pants Back, Queer as Folk, Life as We Know It, In Justice, What about Brian, and Love Monkey (for which he was also a co-producer), as well as advertising campaigns for Mitsubishi Motors, Apple’s iPod Victoria’s Secret and KIA. His movie credits include. Charlie St. Cloud, He’s Just Not That Into You, Pride and Glory, Igby Goes Down, Gone Baby Gone, and Dukes of Hazzard

Jacqueline Hadden is an experienced CEO, VP, business owner, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and has spent 25 years changing the way corporate America functions. Making a difference through culture transformation has always been her gift, but her passion is making a difference in this world. Jacqueline considers herself a philanthropreneur. She believes that through contribution and alignment with a cause will not only help countless people in need, it will increase brand loyalty, revenue, and steer our economy into a thriving state of being. She is writing a book called ”Irreversible Good”, illuminating leaders and corporations making an impactful difference in the world through contribution. She adores her husband and two children, books that inspire growth, documentaries with soul, and the great outdoors.

Lindsay Doran has worked in the movie business for more than 30 years as a studio executive and as a producer. She has served as the President and COO of United Artists Pictures, and as the President of Sydney Pollack’s Mirage Productions. She currently divides her time between her producing duties and her work as “The Script Whisperer™” — anonymous consultation on high priority script development. Lindsay’s first film credit was as Executive in Charge of Production on the mock-documentary “This is Spinal Tap.” She later became the Executive Producer on two films directed by Sydney Pollack, “The Firm” and “Sabrina.” As a Producer, her credits include “Dead Again,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Nanny McPhee,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” and “Nanny McPhee Returns” (aka “Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang”). As an executive, Lindsay supervised dozens of films including “Pretty in Pink,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Planes Trains and Automobiles,” “The Naked Gun,” “Ghost,” “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “The World is Not Enough” and “Tomorrow Never Dies.” She is the winner of numerous awards including the Golden Globe and the British Academy Award, both for “Sense and Sensibility.” Lindsay tries to be guided by the Three Rules of Drama, found in an ancient text, as the basis for what motion picture entertainment ought to be: #1 It must be arresting and amusing to the drunk. #2 It must address the question, “How should we live?” #3 It must address the question, “How does the universe work?”

Bibi Caspari has a background in the performing arts (mime, dance and acting) and in personal development. She developed material and performed for 10 years with her own company, Caspari and Company Mime Dance Theatre. She has worked in various capacities in theater and film production, including producing her own projects. As an educator, she taught mime, movement, acting and audition technique. She has served as a consultant in the personal development field, teaching presentation and communication skills to professionals and other business people. Based on her involvement in a think tank, studying the limitations and problems in traditional forms of education, entrepreneur and producer Bibi Caspari founded Forward Step (www.forwardstep.org), a non-profit organization working to make personal development accessible to all. Her own experience of the transformational power and benefits of personal development and participatory learning inspired her to create Forward Step’s COMPASS program, an innovative life skills training for at-risk youth and adults. This unique program has been used at diverse sites including high schools, employment development centers, correctional and recovery facilities. Ms. Caspari has the honor of being a recipient of the David Chow Humanitarian Award. In addition to her work with Forward Step, Ms. Caspari has a private practice as a life coach (www.BibiCaspari.com). With an associate, Carolyn Berry, she created and facilitates a two day workshop series called Healing the Healers, to support those in the healing professions and other care-takers to shift from stress and burn out to self-care and wellness.

Jane Carlson is both a co-organizer of TEDxConejo and the School to Career Advisor at Thousand Oaks High School. Jane discovered some interesting connections with the results from a 23 and me DNA test.

Jean M. Campbell, LCSW, CET III, TEP, has utilized action methods in clinical, business and medical settings since 1993. She has worked in the substance abuse and mental health field for more than 18 years, in a variety of clinical settings, including as Director of the Family Program at Inter-Care, Ltd. in New York City, and as Clinical Director of Clearview Treatment Programs in Los Angeles. As a result of her own personal journey, Jean has brought both bodywork and spirituality into her work with others, allowing them to heal on all levels. In so doing, she facilitates her student’s and trainee’s discovery and nurturing of the presence of Spirit and intuition into their lives.
Prior to her clinical experience, Jean worked in business for 11 years and was Director of Operations for a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical advertising and marketing firm. She served 2 terms as Treasurer of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP), and is President Emeritus of the Women’s Association for Addiction Treatment (WAAT). Jean has worked in business and corporate settings and has trained clinicians on a national and international level. As Director of the Action Institute of California, she uses action methods in businesses, agencies, clinics, schools and hospitals to facilitate staff trainings, team building, strategic planning, crisis management and role training seminars.
She is certified as a Trainer, Educator and Practitioner by the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy, is a Masters Level Certified Experiential Therapist, an EMDR practitioner, a Level II Reiki practitioner, a Fellow of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, and a Practitioner and Trainer of Psychodramatic Bodywork®. In addition, Jean is an Instructor in the UCLA Extension Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, a former Faculty Member at Ryokan College in Los Angeles, California, a Program Faculty Member of the I*CARE (Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Enhancement) Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and a Psychodrama Trainer at Onsite in Cumberland Furnace, TN.

Suzanne Bryant is a former journalist from NYC. She attended NYU for journalism and worked for Producer George Crile at 60 Minutes II. While living in NYC she took up a daily yoga practice to deal with her anxiety a bi product or so she thought of living amongst metropolis.This daily practice of yoga would be the beginning of a journey. Although she had been practicing yoga, taking her first class in 1991, it was her daily experience of yoga in 1998 that would be the beginning of a transformation. After noticing the powerful effects of calming her mind, clarity about her life began to reveal itself. She enrolled in a 500 hour teacher training with Alan Finger of Ishta Yoga in NYC in 2000 while still working in journalism. After living in NY, Suzanne moved back to California and went to school for a Masters in Spiritual Psychology and Nutrition. She has a private wellness practice with clients in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles working in many modalities to transform lives and help people connect to their health and happiness. With her passion and knowledge of yoga Suzanne also teaches yoga privately and to groups and is excited to launch yoga and wellness retreats worldwide, helping one soul at a time to tranforrm the world into a more happy place. Suzanne has recently released a Feature Documentary called YOGA IS ( www.yogais.com ) which takes the viewer on a their own journey to find true happiness.The film features travels to India and across the US to interview many of the most prominent yoga Teachers in the west as well as some high profile celebrities Russell Simmons and Christy Turlington Burns, musician Michael Franti and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman in search of what YOGA IS and all the questions we have about life such as love, truth, happiness, purpose, dark and light, transformation and more!

Gabriella Brignardello – Gabiella Brignardello is a senior at La Reina High School and is the founder of Mi Casa de Angeles, which she established in 2009 for the purpose of raising funds to build schools and support a higher quality of education in impoverished areas throughout Peru. The inspiration for creating this non-profit organization came to Gabriella at a very early age while visiting Peru and witnessing the hardships that many destitute children faced on a daily basis. She immediately realized that she wanted to make a change in these children’s lives.

Fr. Greg Boyle best known as Fr. Greg by all who meet him — has been an advocate for at-risk and gang-involved youth in Los Angeles, and around the world, for over 25 years. Born in Los Angeles as one of eight siblings, Fr. Greg entered the order of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was ordained a priest in 1984. He received his BA from Gonzaga University, and Master’s degrees from Loyola Marymount University, the Weston School of Theology, and the Jesuit School of Theology. Before founding Homeboy Industries, Father Greg taught at Loyola High School and worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was appointed as Pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1986 where he served through 1992. Following this, Fr. Greg spent time as Chaplain of the Islas Marias Penal Colony in Mexico and Folsom Prison, before returning to Los Angeles and Dolores Mission. Homeboy Industries traces its roots to “Jobs For A Future” (JFF), a program created in 1988 by Fr. Greg at Dolores Mission parish. In an effort to address the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, Fr. Greg and the community developed positive alternatives, including establishing an elementary school, a day care program and finding legitimate employment for young people. JFF’s success demonstrated that many gang members are eager to leave the dangerous and destructive life on the ‘streets.’ In 1992, as a response to the civil unrest in Los Angeles, Fr. Greg launched the first business: Homeboy Bakery, with a mission to create an environment that provided training, work experience, and above all, the opportunity for rival gang members to work side by side. The success of the Bakery created the groundwork for additional businesses, thus prompting JFF to become an independent non-profit organization, Homeboy Industries, in 2001. Today Homeboy Industries’ nonprofit economic development enterprises include Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise, and Homegirl Café. Fr. Greg is also a consultant to youth service and governmental agencies, policy-makers and employers. Fr. Boyle serves as a member of the National Gang Center Advisory Board (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention). He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law and Policy in Los Angeles. Fr. Greg has received numerous accolades and recognitions on behalf of Homeboy and for his work with former gang members. For a list of the awards and honorary degrees that Fr. Greg has received, please Click Here. Father Greg’s first book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, was released on March 9, 2010, which received the 2010 SCIBA (Southern California Indie Booksellers Association) Non-Fiction Book Award and was named as one of the Best Books of 2010 by Publishers Weekly.