W&M TEDx event to focus on forces changing the world
William & Mary’s fourth annual TEDx event will feature the forces that are currently changing the world.
“We really want this to be an active learning event for the community that encourages people to think outside their comfort zone and engage in the talks,” said co-organizer Caroline Wiles ’16.
The April 3 event, to be hosted at Phi Beta Kappa Hall, will begin at 11 a.m. and feature a wide variety of speakers – including several members of the W&M community – focused on topics such as business, technology and globalization.
The event’s speakers are as follows:
- John Spike: assistant director and chief curator of the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary who has curated multiple international loan exhibitions
- Chitralekha Zutshi: a professor of history at William & Mary whose research has been supported by the Library of Congress and the Endowment for the Humanities
- Erin Spencer ’14: a W&M alumna and National Geographic Explorer who recently launched the Invasive Species Initiative, a platform utilizing photography and writing to share different approaches to grassroots invasive species management
- Ajit George: director of operations for the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project who works to alleviate poverty through the provision of long-term education
- Lizzie Stark: an independent journalist and author who most recently released a book detailing the history of medicine, gene patenting and feminism’s role in shifting breast cancer treatment
- David Simnick: CEO and co-founder of SoapBox, an organization that sells personal care goods with the additional aim of providing soap and clean water to those in need
- Sabra Williams: an artist and founder of The Actors’ Gang Prison Project who works with innovating prison reform and prevention of youth incarceration
The event is an independently organized event inspired by TED, an nonprofit organization which is devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.
Organizers hope to create a more interactive experience than that of events in years past.
“This is an opportunity to get an inside look into a variety of topics from experts in the field. W&M students love to actively learn, and TEDx provides the opportunity to challenge their thinking and learn something new,” said Wiles.
Tickets are $5 for W&M students, $8 for faculty and staff, $10 for general admission and $15 for VIP seating near the stage and speakers. Tickets are available through the PBK box office and through wm.tix.com. Attendees may track the hashtag, #TEDxWM, to see information leading up to and during the event.
