Our 2020 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 2020 event explores timely, relevant and inspiring ideas with the power to cascade throughout the rest of the world.

Our Team

2019 Leadership

Organizer & Curator

Edith Howle
Mike Sottak Wired Island

Audience & Outreach

Barbara Kingsbury

Marketing & Branding

Erin Frisby Impact Matters

Production

Megan Deschaine

Speaker & Performer Selection

Cindy Johnson Camp Happy Days
Lisa Dabney

Speaker Coaching

Sewell Kahn Consultant
Rick Throckmorton Consultant

Sponsorship

Sally Devries
Louise Heikes

Venue

Kenda Sweet Kenda Sweet Events

Volunteers

Tom Bohl

X-Teams

Audience & Outreach

Marketing & Branding

John Lee Clair Momentum Marketing
Erin Frisby Impact Matters
Deb Giusti
Chelse Hensley Recharge Social
Media 
Cheryl Irwin
Emily Trogdon Momentum Marketing

Production

Jorge Riano Green By 3

Speaker & Performer 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

Kathleen Buckley Buckley Events
Christine Crawford
Hal Freeman
Gina Kozek
Susan Winter

Volunteers

Lissa Long Westminster Presbyterian Church
Paige Turbeville Booz Allen Hamilton

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.