Join us on Thursday, May 31^st from 6 to 9 p.m. at RedLine Denver for TEDxMileHigh’s X-clusive Kickoff Reception, where you will get a sneak peak at a traveling exhibition organized by Art Works for Change entitled Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art. This exhibit, which brings together the work of 26 internationally known contemporary artists, is intended to inspire the belief that communities can change a culture of violence. Join TEDxMileHigh speakers, partners and producers to enjoy an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a live performance and a surprise announcement for this kick-off to the TEDxMileHigh weekend. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at http://www.tedxmilehigh2012.eventbrite.com. Space is limited.

Want more ‘x’? Cap off your TEDxMileHigh experience on Saturday, June 2^nd from 7 to 9 p.m. by attending the TEDxMileHigh Speakers Banquet at Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House. Think of this as an x-clusive opportunity to continue discussing the power of great ideas with TEDxMileHigh 2012 speakers, performers and community influencers over a delectable dining experience complemented by live entertainment. This is not a ticketed event and only available to TEDxMileHigh presenters, producers, partners and individual donors ($250 level and higher).

For a limited time, you can do both. We are pleased to be able to thank TEDxMileHigh 2012 Patrons ($250 individual donor level) with one ticket to the May 31^st X-clusive Kickoff Reception, one VIP Ticket for TEDxMileHigh 2012: Risk & Reward, and an invitation to the Speakers Banquet immediately following TEDxMileHigh 2012. Space for these opportunities is quite limited, so gain unique access to an incredible x-perience by becoming a TEDxMileHigh Patron at http://www.tedxmilehigh2012.eventbrite.com.

If you have already purchased a ticket to TEDxMileHigh 2012, but would like to upgrade to a TEDxMileHigh Patron, simply select TEDxMileHigh Patron at http://www.tedxmilehigh2012.eventbrite.com and we will cancel your original ticket purchase. Should you have questions, please contact Laura Van Ark at general@tedxmilehigh.com.

Which TEDxMileHigh presenter would you like to engage in discussion? If you had the opportunity to pose one question to a speaker of your choice, what would it be?

So we’ve already revealed the initial presenter lineup: two-time Olympian Jeremy Bloom, museum curator Adam Lerner, social activist and entrepreneur Jessica Posner, and slam poetry trio Slam Nuba. But who will join them? Glad you asked! Eight remarkable presenters have just been added to the lineup, and they are:

Natalie Baumgartner, PhD
Natalie is a clinical psychologist who has devoted her career to advising companies on human capital issues such as employee hiring, development and engagement, and helps individuals find a “fit” in the workplace. It’s this cultural fit that Natalie says “revolutionizes how we work.”

Kayvon Coffey
Kayvon, a junior at Kent Denver School, is a violin prodigy who recently won the concerto competition with the Symphony in the Valley and has been accepted into the Colorado All-State Orchestra. He has created a number of audio and video productions with StudioStars, including “The Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor.”

Christopher Davenport
Skiing Magazine calls him one of North America’s top 25 skiers. An accomplished big mountain skier, Chris became the first person to ski all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks in less than one year. Through his pursuits and adventures in the outdoors, Chris has become an expert on risk management as it relates to a wide variety of disciplines.

Timothy Marquez
As an oilman, Tim is known for turning a startup oil and gas firm into one of the largest oil and gas companies operating in California. He is also a highly regarded philanthropist who founded the Denver Scholarship Foundation as well as the Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation to advance education initiatives.

Ryan Martens
Ryan founded his fifth software startup to break the take-make-waste cycle of technology in our society. His passion for sustainability led him to launch Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado, a foundation that funds citizen entrepreneurs to help solve some of our world’s toughest challenges.

Laura Merage
Laura left her homeland of Tehran, Iran at the age of fifteen and went on to make her mark as an internationally renowned artist and photographer. Also a social entrepreneur, Laura created RedLine Denver, a polyphonic arts organization, to serve as a catalyst for educational activities and foster community connections.

Todd Neff
A former Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado, Todd is a journalist who provides a unique perspective on the clean energy landscape. He also authored From Jars to the Stars, a history of Ball Aerospace and its Deep Impact mission.

Woody Roseland
A five-time cancer survivor now in remission, Woody was first diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at the age of 16. While in the hospital, he discovered a penchant for comedy and now shares his message of hope, perseverance and positivity at charity fundraisers, corporate events, school assemblies and hospital rooms.

In order to be inspired by these presenters and collaborate with fellow TEDxers at the event of the year, get your tickets before they sell out at http://www.tedxmilehigh2012.eventbrite.com.

In the meantime, we invite you to connect with the TEDxMileHigh community on Facebook and Twitter. These are the two spots where you will get insider info first and rare behind-the-scenes glimpses. We look forward to seeing you on June 2^nd!

What better way to inspire the innovators and leaders of tomorrow than connecting them to the power of ideas—for free? That’s the driving thought behind TEDxYouth@MileHigh. Students and educators from across the state are invited to the event, which will be held on Friday, June 1^st from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Colorado’s most brilliant thinkers and accomplished doers will share their big ideas on topics such as education, science, health, technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

The Youth Event is open to students aged 12 to 22 and offered at no cost. Students will hear from powerful speakers from around the state—some of whom will speak at the main TEDxMileHigh event. Youth event presenters include international social entrepreneur Bianca Griffith, five-time cancer survivor and comedian Woody Roseland, slam poetry trio Slam Nuba, and several others. Youth speakers will also take the stage to share their experiences.

The program promises to challenge audience members to think critically about their lives, communities and own leadership, and is designed to inspire the students to be more creative and innovative. The event will be a great way for students of the same school to connect around the ideas and collaborate on how they might implement them. Also, the topics discussed can serve as a way to supplement existing classroom lessons. Comparable leadership experiences to TEDxYouth@MileHigh typically cost hundreds of dollars per participant.

Schools can bring as few as 20 students and as many as 350. TEDxMileHigh recommends one to two adult chaperones for every 15 to 20 students under the age of 18. Schools are asked to coordinate the logistics of getting teacher and parent approval and arranging transportation. For those schools that need to pay for buses, TEDxMileHigh can cover some or all of these transportation costs.

In addition to hearing live speakers and recorded TED Talks on June 1^st, attendees will be able to visit the TEDxMileHigh Exhibits Lounge before and after the Youth Event, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Exhibits Lounge will showcase technology demonstrations, new products, creative works of art and other innovative projects.

A special thanks to TEDxMileHigh’s partner, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, and TEDxMileHigh volunteers and supporters for making TEDxYouth@MileHigh possible through their generous support.

If you are interested in having your school attend TEDxMileHigh’s Youth Event, click here to reserve your tickets.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Áthila Armstrong.

What topics would you like to see addressed at the Youth Event? What innovative ideas have 6-12 graders implemented in your community to create an impact?

In this TED talk, the Chairman of Ford Motor Company discusses his obsession with cars, the environment, and the future of “global gridlock.”

The talk got me thinking a lot about Denver, and the biggest frustration I have with our city: traffic. Many of us live in Colorado to be in the mountains, which means hiking in the summer, and skiing in the winter. People come to live in our state from all around the country to experience the Rocky Mountain powder in Summit County and beyond. Last winter was epic for Colorado skiers and riders, many days were full-on powder bliss in the high country, while Denver remained fairly dry. There were only a few days when I didn’t want to ride last season, all due to my fear of horrible traffic delays on I-70.

The front range of Colorado is still experiencing growth, which is leading to more traffic on the highway systems around Denver and into summit county. For years, there have been initiatives to build rail systems in the mountains (including when Denver won the 1976 bid for winter Olympics, which it subsequently turned down due to high costs), and think tanks about how we might find a solution to the problem. Yet very little has happened. Road expansions can’t keep up with the influx of cars on the road, especially during ski season. 

 

What are we doing as citizens of Denver, and lovers of the outdoors, to curb traffic gridlock in and around Denver? What needs to happen to alleviate the issue?  

Photo courtesy of Flickr user: Jared.

You, our fans, asked for the chance to get up close and personal with past speakers and TEDxMileHigh is making it happen. In a few weeks, we will launch a series of Coffee & Cocktail Chats (TEDxMHChats) where you and a few dozen people can catch up with and pose questions to your favorite speakers from TEDxMileHigh 2011 and TEDxMileHighSalon. Attendance is limited at each venue so admission will be on a first-come-first-served basis. The tradeoff? These events are free! The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, April 25^th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
D’Vine Wine, 1660 Champa Street (accommodates 35 people)
Guest speaker: Shannon Galpin, Founder of Mountain2Mountain
Last appearance: TEDxMileHighSalon

Topic: Shannon will talk with you about how “The Power of Voice” can incite positive change. She has spent years in Afghanistan, providing a voice to women and children who are oppressed and found that using an individual’s story to highlight a greater problem gets people to listen and to understand. “Voice” changes lives, communities and countries from within, she says, and Shannon would like to hear your thoughts on the subject and take your questions.

Friday, May 4^th from Noon to 1 p.m.
Tattered Cover, 1628 16^th Street (accommodates 75 people)
Guest speaker: Robyn O’Brien, Author of “The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It”
Last appearance: TEDxMileHigh 2011

Topic: Dubbed as the Erin Brockovich of the American food system, Robyn asks, “Do you know what you are eating” in her talk: “Patriotism on a Plate”. Robyn will talk about her latest research on the health of our food system and take your questions on the topic. She is also founder of AllergyKids Foundation and asks that you bring gently used kids’ clothes, blankets or sheets to her event, which her Foundation will in turn donate to a women and children’s shelter.

Wednesday, May 9^th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Mile High Spirits, 2920 Larimer Street (accommodates 75 people)
Guest speaker: Jeff Olson, former Olympian and Founder of Well Nourished Worldwide
Last appearance: TEDxMileHigh 2011

Topic: What could a successful 2022 Olympics bid mean for the health and well being of our community and the world? Jeff will expand upon his last talk “An Olympic Why”, explain why you should get involved in bringing the Games to Denver and how you can do just that. The timing of this chat is just right given that Denver’s 2022 Exploratory Committee will deliver its report to Mayor Michael Hancock and Governor John Hickenlooper for consideration this spring.

Wednesday, May 16^th from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
S.A.M.E. Café, 2023 East Colfax Avenue (accommodates 40 people)
Guest speaker: Libby Birky, Founder of S.A.M.E. Café
Last appearance: TEDxMileHigh 2011 and TEDxMileHighSalon

Topic: Creator of the pay-what-you-can restaurant concept, Libby creates community in an unusual way. She offers healthy, organic meals and “Dignity, Community and a Side of Veggies” to all who walk through the S.A.M.E. Café door, regardless of their ability to pay. According to Libby, positive change in the community begins with you and me, so she would like to talk with you about how just one person can create ripples that affect hundreds or even thousands of people.

Did we mention that you get free admission to these chats? It doesn’t get much better than that! And why wait to start the conversation when we can do so now. Post any questions that you have for the speakers on our Facebook page, on Twitter using the hashtag #TEDxMHChats, or in the comments section of this blog. We’ll make sure that the speakers address each and every one during their chats and online. So even if you are unable to attend the chats, you can still be a part of the conversation.

We look forward to your questions and to seeing you over the coming weeks.

Image courtesy of Flickr user tonx.

This year’s presenters include a two-time Olympian, VH1’s “top world-changer under 25,” the Chief Animator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and three masters of slam. To go along with this year’s theme of “Risk & Reward,” the speakers will talk about risks they took and how it helped them think differently, venture into new territory and take action in our community and around the world. More speakers will be added in the coming weeks. Checkout the initial list of presenters and then join us at TEDxMileHigh 2012!

Jeremy Bloom

This three-time World Champion, two-time Olympian and eleven-time World Cup gold medalist in freestyle skiing has taken up a new cause in recent years: granting lifelong wishes to low-income senior citizens. Jeremy’s Wish of a Lifetime foundation grants about 120 wishes each year from skydiving to playing in a jazz band to publishing a children’s book. Last year, Jeremy co-founded Integrate.com, an online performance marketing company that was named the “Best New Company” at the 2011 American Business Awards in New York City, and this year received the award of “Fastest Growing Company” by the 2012 Business Excellence Awards. Jeremy is also recognized as a “Forbes 30 Under 30: Technology” up and comer.

Adam Lerner

As Director and Chief Animator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver), Adam is harnessing and advancing a broad, new understanding of art that is connected to the creativity that runs throughout society. This unique approach to museum programming is reshaping the traditional role of the art museum. Creating a strong, singular voice for his museum, Adam has created exhibitions, education and marketing that have been replicated at museums throughout the country. Developing many of these ideas at the Lab at Belmar (which merged with MCA Denver in 2009), he has also lent expertise to the Denver Art Museum and the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, and he served as a fellow at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Jessica Posner

While studying abroad in Nairobi, Kenya, Jessica saw firsthand the devastating effects of extreme poverty and gender inequality. This experience served as the spark that led her to co-found Shining Hope For Communities. Jessica created the non-profit to provide the first free school for girls in Kiberia, Africa’s largest slum, as well as a community health clinic, clean toilet and water initiative, youth and community education, and economic development initiatives. A nationally recognized social entrepreneur and activist, Jessica earned the 2010 Do Something Award, and was named “America’s top world-changer under 25” by VH1. She also won the prestigious Echoing Green Fellowship, which provides seed funding for social entrepreneurs and has been featured by CNN, NBC Nightly News, and The New York Times.

Slam Nuba

Back by popular demand are award-winning slam poets Ken Arkind, Bobby Lefebre and Theo Wilson (aka Lucifury). Members of the critically acclaimed slam team, Slam Nuba, Ken, Bobby and Theo use language and voice like no other to bring attention to social issues and causes. Ken is a National Poetry Slam Champion, Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam Champion, and has been featured in documentaries “SPIT!” and “Slamplanet”. Bobby is a two-time Grand Slam Champion, a National Poetry Slam finalist, an Individual World Poetry Slam finalist, and has been a member of three national poetry slam teams. A relative unknown at the time, Lucifury shook up the slam poetry world by taking 5^th in the International World Poetry Slam in 2009, and with Slam Nuba, has seen the finals stage at the National Poetry Slam.

More presenters will be announced in the weeks come. Any guesses on who the others speakers might be? Who are you most excited to see of the speakers who have been announced?

Remember, you can only see these awesome speakers if you purchase a ticket to TEDxMileHigh 2012, so get yours today!

Sir Ken Robinson’s 2006 TED talk has been popping up on my Facebook feed about once a week for five years. It’s called “Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity” and has been viewed 9,696,582 times. You’ve probably seen it. I’ve seen it twice.

“It’s education that’s meant to take us into a future that we can’t grasp,” Sir Robinson says. “All kids have tremendous talents and we squander them, pretty ruthlessly. My contention is that creativity is as important as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.”

Both times I watched the video, I dismissed Robinson’s point because after spending seven years working in education reform, I know how far behind U.S. students are academically. I don’t mean to dismiss creativity, but shouldn’t we nail reading, writing, science, math and history first — and worry about creativity later? After all, 90% of U.S. students (including myself) never even get to calculus in high school. Even our “best and brightest” are dead last (and second-to-dead-last) in math and physics compared to other developed countries.

Then, last week I flew to New York to see a solo show that my college friend Max had created. It was jaw-dropping. He’s since been asked to do other shows in New Orleans and Amsterdam. He is starting to gain traction in the kind of career we tell most kids they’ll probably never have. Statistically true but dream-killing all the same. Max had been a very good artist when I met him at 17, and has become astoundingly good in the 15 years since then. I asked him if he’d been born with talent.

“All kids are born artists,” he told me. “They usually just stop when they realize that what they’re drawing doesn’t actually look like the object in front of them. I was lucky that my dad encouraged me to keep drawing and helped me. Then I was able to go to a (private) arts high school. By the time I got to college, I’d already been drawing and painting for 14 years.” It occurred to me that it was a very unique set of circumstances that had allowed Max to follow his dream, that he’d had the kind of opportunities most of us didn’t. It occurred to me that it wasn’t fair.

Maybe Sir Robinson has a point.

In a strange coincidence, the day after I returned from New York, I got a call from Van Schoales, the Executive Director of A+ Denver. A+ is an education advocacy group chaired by Federico Pena. Traditionally, the group has focused on academic achievement.

“I’d like to look at arts programs in Denver,” Van said. “Do you have time to help? No one has done this in a serious way. How many kids at Julliard and Rhode Island School of Design are coming from Denver? Let’s find out what opportunities (like Denver School of the Arts) are out there, who is getting in, and where those kids are going next? Are there places in Denver where students are learning to play in mariachi bands and create great short films? Where are they? How do people learn about them?”

And so, over the next two months Van and I are going to talk with experts, visit schools, look at other cities, and read up on the literature. We want to continue this conversation where Sir Robinson left off: How can we give kids opportunities to live their dreams if those dreams are off the beaten path? 

A combination of those factors led environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude to develop a controversial plan, dubbed “Over the River,” that would temporarily suspend nearly six miles of silvery, luminous fabric panels high above the Arkansas River along a 42-mile stretch of the river between Salida and Cañon City in south-central Colorado. After years of research (begun in 1985), the duo decided upon the section of the Arkansas due to its high banks, which would allow recreational rafters to enjoy the art as they passed through the stretch and rode through the bubbling waters. The art installation itself is only slated to last for two weeks in August of 2015, and there has been an enormous amount of pressure on both sides to allow, and disallow, the Arkansas River project.

The proponents are from many sectors, including Governor Hickenlooper, and have argued that there will be tourist-generated revenue (344,000 expected to view), a focus on Colorado as an artistic hub, and the project will create hundreds of temporary jobs. Opponents argue that the project will visually reduce the landscape, cause major delays on highways, and damage the river eco-system.

Christo is determined to finish the project that was his late wife’s dream, and is contributing 100% of the associated costs of the project, funding coming primarily through the sale of his original works of art. According to the website, there is no public subsidy or taxpayer fees involved because he himself has never asked for money to view his projects.

The issue brings to mind a fascinating TEDTalk on moving sculpture, from American artist Jent Echelman, entitled: “Taking Imagination Seriously.”

Photo credit: Wolfgang Volz, photograph of a 1992 drawing from Christo Over the River, Project for the Arkansas River, Colorado

What are your thoughts and comments on the art installation? Is it good for Colorado?


You may not need all of these to take a risk—but they sure help.

This June, we’ll be engaging in some risky business at TEDxMileHigh 2012 under the theme of “Risk & Reward” (#TEDxMH12). For the second time, the event will bring together innovative Coloradans who will give the “talk of their lives” on the power of technology, design, education, social enterprise, and more.

What’s that you say? You don’t think listening to the power of ideas is risky behavior?

Well, you won’t exactly be jumping from a plane or running a brothel out of your suburban Chicago home while your parents are out of town, but you will taking a few risks when you purchase a ticket to TEDxMileHigh.

Risk #1 Disrupting the Status Quo
We all want to see change in the world and we know that means going against the grain and making tough, unpopular decisions. At TEDxMileHigh you’ll hear all the thinkers, doers, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, humanitarians, and other speakers talk about taking that risk, whether it worked and ideas on how to take your next risk.

Risk #2 Inspiration
The risk in becoming inspired is embracing all ideas because actively seeking inspiration can be a challenge. You have to allow yourself to hear new ideas and introduce thoughts that challenge the concepts you hold true. So, by risking that what you hold to be true could be wrong, you are risking becoming inspired.

Risk #3 Change Your Life (or Someone Else’s)
Besides hearing engaging speakers talk about innovative ideas, networking is what TEDx is all about. If like attracts like, you can be sure that your fellow TEDites are passionately committed to enacting creative solutions to the world’s problems. At TEDxMileHigh 2012, you run the risk of meeting someone who will change your life with their idea—or maybe your idea will help change someone else’s life.

These risks may seem small to you (especially if you regularly find yourself jumping out of planes or have Rebecca De Mornay circa 1983 in your house), but even the smallest rock creates ripples and changes the water.

So, are you ready to get risky? Then purchase your tickets today an a and join us on June 2^nd at TEDxMileHigh 2012.

What risks have you have taken to cause positive change? What was the result?

So exactly how can we begin to manifest real change? It depends on whom you ask.

Should you consult Cesar Gonzalez, he’ll tell you that to achieve excellence and affect change, you should surround yourself with people who treat you like a Messiah. People who show you love and respect, expect the best from you and focus on your strengths. After all, what others think does matter. He believes that our performance is directly shaped by the high expectations of those around us. The great byproduct of this concept is that we amass a collection of unique, talented individuals, that when combined, can create impact in the world.

Leveraging the power of voice is what Shannon Galpin says can incite positive change. She has spent years in Afghanistan, providing a voice to women and children who are oppressed. Consider the sheer volume of stories about atrocities and brutalities that occur in conflict zones. It has caused many of us to become desensitized and apathetic. But Shannon has found that using an individual’s story to highlight a greater problem gets people to listen and to understand. “Voice” changes lives, communities and countries from within. Her advice, “Look outside yourself and into your community and look to where you can perhaps speak for children, abused women, refugees, the homeless, because you see them—us—as catalysts for a better world.”

Michael Huemer uses a political context to address change—or rather what holds us back from seeking change. He uses the concept of political irrationality versus political rationality to demonstrate his point. The assertion is that political rationality is costly since you don’t get to believe whatever you want to believe. If commit to rationality, then you put your belief system at risk. Because most of us are willing to accept risk only if the expected reward exceeds it, we will not become rational about political issues. According to Michael, “the worst social problem that we face is the problem of human irrationality because this is the problem that prevents us from solving the other problems.” After all, if you are going to solve a problem, you have to have accurate beliefs about it. This entails a continual pursuit for knowledge and a resolve to remain open-minded even when our belief system is being challenged.

Rather than using politics, Todd Siler uses art and science to paint a vivid image of how we can save the world. As expressed by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, Todd points out that, “there is an art in science and a science in art and the two are not enemies, rather they are different aspects of the whole.” The takeaway is that we need the whole. We need to open our minds, challenge our curiosity and transform our ideas in order to transcend our compartmentalized way of viewing the world. He challenges each of us to identify an urgent problem in the world and how we would solve it. Then communicate your idea through art to make an impact.

“Skipping stones” is the key to creating a ripple effect, according to Libby Birky, who believes that change begins with you and me—with us. It simply takes one person to take one action to create ripples that affect hundreds or even thousands of people. She uses the example of a woman who encouraged her officemates to volunteer at Libby’s nonprofit, SAME Café. This woman sent one email inviting people to donate their time at the restaurant. That one email resulted in 150 hours of volunteerism and 300 organic meals served. So take that next step, skip your stone and watch the ripple effect.

Last but not least, Allen Lim delivered his own words of wisdom: “Just try.” After decades of coaching the best cyclists in the world, Allen took a risk, making a radical shift from the known to the unknown. He walked away from his sports psychologist job to launch a sports drink company. This wasn’t the path he intended to travel, and along the way he questioned everything—including his identity. “If you strip away all the crap about who you are supposed to be… who you want people to think you are, if you stop betting on false currency, the identity, the status and the appearance that you think fits the bill, then you really have nothing to lose… because no one can ever take away from you who you have always been and who you will always be—and that is perfect.” Go ahead, trust yourself and take the first step into the unknown.

All of the changemakers mentioned above share one common ideal: Change does not happen by playing it safe. Change is about community, raising our expectations of ourselves and of those around us, and making connections. Some ideas have to be experienced and some experiences are magical. With that in mind, we’ll end with a bit of magic—check out Theo Wilson’s performance, Woman: An Ode to the Feminine.

What role does risk play in your life? What encourages or prevents you from taking risks and why?