TED Returns to Bend

Second Annual TEDx Bend scheduled for April 6
Tickets available online, first speakers confirmed.

In April 2012, Central Oregonians packed the Summit High School auditorium to soak in the region’s first TEDx conference. Tickets sold out weeks in advance, inspiring the addition of a live video broadcast to accommodate the overflow of TED enthusiasts eager to be part of the local movement. As a result of the positive response, planning for TEDx Bend 2013 began shortly after. The 2013 TEDx Bend event is scheduled for April 6 at 1pm in the Summit High School auditorium. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased through tedxbend.com.

“There is no question that TEDx Bend is here for the long haul,” said Jim Schell. “This is something our community values and appreciates. We plan to build upon it each year, bringing new inspiration, creative ideas and greater opportunities for action and connections.”

The theme for TEDx Bend 2013 is Leaps and Boundaries. The 12 guest presenters will illuminate a chosen change-of-course, their motivation to “leap” and the costs, sacrifices and gains that came with it. Each speaker will deliver a short talk, demonstration or performance designed to inspire, provide actionable ideas and spark deep conversations and connections among communities, individuals and organizations.

The first seven speakers have been confirmed including:

Kelley Kalafatich, adventure guide, explorer, and filmmaker who paved the way for women to become guides in the adventure travel industry.

Patrick Renvoise, chief neuromarketing officer of SalesBrain and co-author of Neuromarketing: Understanding the Buy Button Inside Your Customer’s Brain.

Eric Simpkins, leader of professionals and enthusiasts that seek to give Oregon a once-in-a-century chance to lead a new industry built upon civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Joe Abraham, founder/CEO of bosiDNA.com, and author of Entrepreneurial DNA: The Breakthrough Discovery That Aligns Your Business to Your Unique Strengths (McGraw Hill 2011).

Russell Redenbaugh, former commissioner on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, partner and chief investment officer for a $6 billion investment firm and Jujitsu world champion.
Chad Russell, Bend native and Marine who has served three tours in Iraq holding a variety of positions, including working as a sniper.
Portland Cello Project, a group that has built a reputation mixing genres and blurring musical lines and perceptions wherever they go.

*Additional speaker information and updates are available on www.tedxbend.com/speakers.

Leaps and Boundaries is made possible by generous sponsorships from local businesses and organizations that support community building and partnership. Sponsors include: Bend Broadband, OSU Cascades and The Old Mill District.

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization that began in 1984 as a conference to promote “thought- provoking ideas that are worth spreading.” The event originated to bring together people interested in technology, entertainment and design (TED). Soon after, the concept expanded to reach broader audiences and evolved into three annual events with two conferences taking place in California (Long Beach and Palm Springs) and a third in Edinburgh, UK. Today, in addition to the annual conferences, TED inspires independently planned and coordinated TEDx events in communities around the world.

Another major component of the TED movement is an award-winning TEDtalks video site that features more than 900 of the most engaging TED talks and performances from TED and TEDx events all over the world. Additional talks are added to the video site each week with subtitles in various languages.