TEDxCharleston Announces 2019 Presenter Lineup and Launches Ticket Sales on Feb. 12

CHARLESTON, SC – Feb. 12, 2019 – TEDxCharleston is pleased to announce its dynamic lineup of 20 speakers, artists and performers who will take the stage for the 6th annual event, “CURRENTS,” happening Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at the Charleston Music Hall. Tickets are on sale Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 and can be purchased at tedxcharleston.org. Tickets usually sell out in a matter of hours, so mark your calendars and set your alarm!

TEDxCharleston is an all-day immersion experience that is designed to enrich the Charleston community with presentations and entertainment from people right here in the Lowcountry. This year’s theme, CURRENTS, sets the tone for talks and performances that examine powerful, persistent and often unperceived forces that enhance our world and inspire transformation — and the action we might take from them.

TEDxCharleston welcomes 2017 TEDxCharleston speaker, Brian Sullivan, back to its stage as this year’s event emcee. The clinical psychologist and tech entrepreneur uses his talents and insatiable curiosity for how people think and behave to better understand how technology can bring us together.

TEDxCharleston is also pleased to announce this year’s stage design artist, Mary Edna Fraser. From outer space to the deep blue sea, this artist’s creative perspective captures the complex, wondrous patterns of land and water from high above.

“Our mission is to tap Charleston’s vibrant community for its influential ideas and life-changing experiences, and to provide idea makers a platform to share their ideas with Charleston and the worldwide TEDx network,” says Edith Howle, curator of TEDxCharleston. “This year’s group brings new challenging and electrifying ideas to the table. To top it off, we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Brian Sullivan back to the stage as our emcee, as he will guide the audience and presenters through the day with his insight, humor and excitement in sharing the TEDxCharleston experience.”

TEDxCharleston idea makers will inspire new waves, identify trends rising to the surface, and challenge the currents of our evolving community. Here is a snapshot of what to expect from this year’s lineup:

LB Adams
What words do women use to describe themselves? This founder and CEO of a soft skills training company says it’s time we break the patterns of language to reshape the narrative.

Tony Bartelme
From plankton to CO2, this three-time Pulitzer prize-finalist reporter reveals some of the biggest climate change stories hiding in plain sight.

Stephanie Boye
Sexuality today is drastically different from when parents were teenagers. This sexual assault counselor declares a new reality for the mental and emotional wellbeing of adolescents.

Jay DeMarco
To combat the opioid epidemic, this orthopedic surgeon believes it’s time we focus on the prescribers of the problem: the doctors themselves.

Ryan Fiorini
Contact sports are in jeopardy unless we better detect concussions. This biotech entrepreneur says there’s a faster, objective solution that will benefit the health and safety of all athletes.

Stephen Frederico
Can we treat cancer without side effects? With the use of nanoparticles, this researcher and college student supports chemotherapy treatments that still allow patients to live a full, optimistic life.

Annaliesa Gowe
From ballet to contemporary, dance inherently flows from one movement to another as in this dancer’s connected performance.

Melissa Maddox-Evans
How do we right a wrong, let alone an atrocity? This lawyer and affordable housing champion says we must first acknowledge with an apology to lead us toward a path of change.

Robbie Madison and Kanika Moore
This duo’s natural chemistry and love for jazz, gospel and soul enliven and remind audiences of the music meant to be shared and enjoyed together.

Keith McElveen
With his patented innovations, this champion and leader in the space of audio engineering is helping to restore and enhance the human senses.

Kylon Middleton
How can we improve relations between citizens and the police force? This educator uses lessons in injustice to facilitate difficult, yet collaborative, conversations with the community.

Jacobo Mintzer
The intersection of art and science is closer than ever, so let the music play on. This researcher explores how music stimulates the brain and opens doors for new medical treatments.

Melissa Moore
Nationwide, up to 40 percent of youth who experience homelessness identify as LGBT. To bring an end to this staggering statistic, this advocate proposes a different support structure.

Small Opera
With their intimate cast and modern interpretations of classics, this opera group can be found popping up on a moment’s notice in the most unlikely of spaces to bring fun and drama to the Lowcountry.

Donna Roberts
As long-duration human missions to Mars and other celestial spots become closer to reality, this NASA-funded neuroscientist is setting her sights on discovering how space impacts the human brain.

David Turner
What you don’t know might kill you, which is why this research scientist and professor is determined to make AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) a household name.

More information about ticket sales and the 2019 event is available at tedxcharleston.org, along with all videos of past TEDxCharleston talks and performances.