Our Purpose
The purpose of TEDxCharleston is to gather inspiring people with diverse ideas to share the many untold stories of Charleston’s thinkers, visionaries, and fascinating teachers. We provide a setting where new connections, partnerships and opportunities can be forged, where we honor the past while bringing forth something new for consideration and action.
Our Yearly Event
TEDxCharleston is an all-day immersion experience at the intersection of science, art performance and business. It is designed to enrich the Charleston, South Carolina community through presentations and entertainment that inspires, engages and transforms.
Our 2022 Theme
CASCADES embodies the spirit that triggers great force and movement within the Charleston community and beyond. The city is overflowing with energy and momentum, and Cascades illustrates that dynamic renaissance our whole area is experiencing. Our 2022 event explores timely, relevant and inspiring ideas with the power to cascade throughout our community and the rest of the world.
- Electrify ideas that inspire creativity,education and engagement within our communityand world beyond.
- Influence change that connects and understands
the many layers of Charleston’s people,history and culture for a future of good. - Encourage innovation and new perspectives in the fields of technology, art, business and health that
Our Team
2022 Leadership
Organizer & Curator
Mike Sottak Wired Island
Audience & Outreach
Barbara Kingsbury
Marketing & Branding
Mike Sottak
Production
Sandy Morckel Solutions for Greater Good
Speaker Selection
Cindy Johnson Camp Happy Days
Speaker Coaching
Sewell Kahn Consultant
Rick Throckmorton Consultant
Sponsorship
Sally Devries
Louise Heikes
Venue
Kenda Sweet Kenda Sweet Events
Volunteers
Melissa Stewart
Finance
Marsha Ray
X-Teams
Marketing & Branding
John Lee Clair Momentum Marketing
Mike Sottak Impact Matters
Deb Giusti
Chelse Hensley Recharge Social Media
Cheryl Irwin
Emily Trogdon Momentum Marketing
Production
Joel Cardwell
Celeste Middleton
Cliff Toner CyndrTec
Kristian Zivkovic
Speaker Selection
Sam Bellamy SC Mentors
Jennifer Fiorini Roper St. Francis
KaMar Galloway Google
Martin Howley Segra
Stephen Julka City of Charleston
Rosemary LaVista
Katherine Westmoreland
Speaker Coaching
Kenya Dunn T-Mobile
Jim Geffert Improve Consulting
Jermaine Husser Palmetto Goodwill
Renee Kahn Artist
Liz McCool Dale Carnegie
Bob Novick
Michael Schmidt MUSC
Sponsorship
Jenna Piper Blackbaud
Venue
Tammy Bohl
Christine Crawford
Volunteers
Brandon Dowler
Melissa Stewart
Maryanne Harbit
Counsel
Andy Gowder Austen Gowder
About TEDx
x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with the TEDActive simulcast event in nearby Whistler. The annual TEDGlobal conference will be held this October in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world get help translating their wishes into action; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self- organized TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.