Emma goes to TEDxNashville

Kelley and Christy share their TEDxNashville experience

Emma’s feeling the love for TEDx this month. Gina Nykerk and Annie Parsons attended TEDxMileHigh on April 7, and two days later, a group of folks from our Nashville office went to TEDxNashville (take a look at our pictures from the event on Facebook).

Kelley Kirker and Christy Montoya, two of Emma’s design coordinators, share their TEDx experience here.

by Kelley Kirker

New to the world of TED, I didn’t know what to expect from a day of “ideas worth sharing.” I was curious enough to invest a Saturday, and I’m so glad I did. I left inspired and utterly motivated.

Nashville’s theme was “A Sense of Wonder,” and as I listened to each speaker, it wasn’t long before I started to ponder how I could play a role in changing the world. I may not be a philanthropic photographer or children’s songwriter, and I probably don’t have a future in rocket technology, but my mind was alive with wonder.

The final two presenters of the day, Ashley Judd and Jimmy Wayne, went beyond wonder and absolutely moved me. Ashley shared experiences from her travels and introduced us to the lives of people this world has forgotten: women and children who live in some of the worst conditions imaginable. She shared her commitment to honor and remember them.

Then, Jimmy took the stage. Since he’s a musician, it didn’t seem strange for him to step up to the microphone with a guitar strapped on. But I was in no way prepared for the weight of his message and the poignant song he shared. Jimmy spoke quietly as he told his personal experience with abandonment, incarceration, foster home survival and hope. Ultimately, Jimmy’s story took something previously global (read: a world away) and made it local. It’s not a heartache nine time zones away — there are children right here in Nashville who need to experience safety and love. It is surprising and wonderful to connect so profoundly with a story.

Now I know TED. It’s about knowledge and inspiration that resonates and spreads. Thanks to the folks at TED, the local planners and the speakers for a life-changing Saturday.

by Christy Montoya

Months before TEDxNashville arrived, I was invited to join the marketing committee coordinating the exposure and communication of the 2011 event. I had become intrigued by TED over the previous year and was quick to join the team for Nashville’s 2nd annual conference focused on Technology, Entertainment and Design. Taking a step behind the scenes allowed me to see the creativity and determination of those in my community, all committed to facilitating a space and time for ideas to be shared, for energizing dialogue to take place and for inspiration to jumpstart a thousand more fantastic dreams and goals.

The conference flew by with each speaker approaching the stage for a few minutes to share his or her story. I was struck by the simple idea that a portrait could allow someone to see his or her value, that a poetic anthem might preserve the dignity of otherwise forgotten sisters, that the plight of homeless children would cause a man to walk 1,700 miles across the country in order to spread awareness about their experiences.

I’m proud that Emma supported this event, that so many of my colleagues attended and that I had a behind-the-scenes look at the people who make TED successful. (Check out TED’s initiatives if you’re interested in getting involved.)

Even now, I find myself reflecting on the stories and ideas shared a few weekends ago, and I sense a renewed passion for the causes I care about. What idea are you putting motion to? How might your passions make the world a better place?

You say TEDx, I say amazing

Denver does the first TEDxMileHigh

by Gina Nykerk, Business Development, Denver | April 11th, 2011 | No Comments »

Just when we thought Denver couldn’t get any better, Annie Parsons and I had the privilege of attending TEDxMileHigh, the first public TEDx event in Denver.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to ideas worth spreading that started as a four-day conference 26 years ago. TEDx is one of its many initiatives: a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. (Read more on their website.)

“Inspired Citizenship” was the theme of the TEDxMileHigh evening, and I am truly inspired by the citizens and natives of this state. Annie and I live in the company of big thinkers and even bigger doers. Doers like Casey Sheahan, the CEO & President of Patagonia (be still, my outdoor enthusiast heart). Casey spoke about Patagonia’s incredibly successful 1% For The Planet initiative, and their new mission to create every product out of recyclable materials and also make every product recyclable.

Big thinker and doer (and recently elected Colorado Governor), John Hickenlooper, spoke about his gubernatorial campaign and how he was able to win on a positive platform. He also challenged us to volunteer in our schools. He believes that the change needed in our education system — especially given the budget crisis — is going to have to come one resident at a time. Listening to his call-to-action made me proud of Emma’s Donors Choose efforts, but it also made me want to find a way to volunteer at the elementary school two blocks from my house.

From Robyn O’Brien, author of The Unhealthy Truth, to Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers Without Borders, to Libby Birky, co-founder of SAME Café, the list of people who inspired me goes on and on. Among all the inspiration, the one idea that I walked away with, hope not to forget, and believe will inspire me to action is: ”People forget that what’s in it for us is that we’re all in this together.”

Indeed, we are. How can we make a difference in our communities? I’d love to hear how you’re giving back and if you have any inspiring stories to share.