TEDxCharleston Announces Speaker and Performer Line Up for 2016 Conference

Tickets on Sale Now for October 19 “Tipping Point” Event

CHARLESTON, SC – August 23, 2016 –TEDxCharleston organizers announced today the presenter line up for the event scheduled for Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at Charleston Music Hall, 37 John Street. Tickets for the event are on sale now at www.tedxcharleston.org. Up to 800 tickets, sold for $65 each, will be sold on a first come first serve basis. Tickets for the 2015 event sold out in less than 12 hours.

With a theme of Tipping Point, speakers were chosen to explore the concept that tipping points are happening in our community and globally and how those ideas can ultimately create larger change. Derreck Kayongo, founder of the Global Soap Project, a 2011 CNN Hero and current CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, will emcee the event. He was a featured speaker at TEDxCharleston 2014.

Speakers and performers for the 2016 event include:

Don Alderman: An investment and wealth manager by day and Costa Rican farmer by vacation, this inveterate traveler believes responsible tourism can improve lives and reduce suffering in destination communities.
Jack Alterman: With refined aperture and clear focus, this Charleston native has been documenting his community for decades, using his lens to capture the dynamics of rootedness, change and gentrification.
Marcus Amaker and Quentin Baxter: Percussion and poetry find harmony in the genre-bending geniuses of these two multi-faceted artists.
Featured artist Becca Barnet: From intricate drawings to delicate sculptures, Becca explores why humans try to hold on to the fleeting corporeal.
Gino Castillo with Abdiel Iriarte: Mixing the rhythms of Cuba with the global reach of jazz, these musicians bring it home.
Lia Colabello: A wave-rider turned sports management professional and environmental advocate, this lover of all things aquatic and beach-related understands the danger of our polluted oceans and is looking to shift the tide.
Lefford Fate: From Command Chief of the nation’s premier F-16 fighter wing to the wings of overcrowded prison system, this mental health and military professional has some thoughts about how prison can better serve the mentally ill.
Jason Groce: Brace yourself for this improvisational and sketch comedian disguised as a graphic designer and aspiring techie.
Kate Jerome: Thinking vertically comes naturally to this publishing exec and children’s book author, especially when it comes to aging and longevity.
John LaCour: Tech CEO or spy-in- chief? No matter – this seasoned IT pro knows the tipping point of cybersecurity, or insecurity.
Phil Manning: Going paleo is du rigor for this fossil fan, college professor and Fellow of the Explorer’s Club, who works to ensure scientific communication stays hip and relevant.
Joseph McGill Jr.: This history and preservation guru knows good ideas come in the dead of night, especially when sleeping in former slave dwellings.
Kat Morgan: Advocate, welcomer, organizer, change-agent—this human services and nonprofit veteran thinks it’s time we had a little chat.
Eric Morris: From Afghanistan to the Digital Coast, this sensitive guy (aka Remote Sensing Specialist) sees the rising tide of sea level change, and thinks you should have a look.
Anuradha Murali with Mrudani School of Performing Arts: Champions of the classical arts of India will bring music, movement, cultural insight and award-winning choreography.
Satish Nadig: Cross an improvisational comedian with a transplant surgeon and you get someone who believes nanoparticles are integral to the American Dream.
Jackson Silverman: Sixth grade soccer goalie extraordinaire, this young man proves that the adjective “young” is irrelevant when it comes to serving others.
Jennie Stephens: This Walterboro native has banked nearly a quarter of a century as a nonprofit leader, and has a few ideas about tipping the resource scale for the underserved.
Mary Beth Westmoreland: This global technology strategist envisions a philanthropic ecosystem empowered by good hearts and enriched by good tech.

“Author Malcom Gladwell has defined the ‘tipping point’ as ‘that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.’ These speakers and performers are going to dig into that idea. We all look forward to their talks and performances and leaving the event motivated,” said Edith Howle, curator of TEDxCharleston.

Videos of the speakers and performances of previous TEDxCharleston events are available for viewing at www.tedxcharleston.org.

For more information, to schedule an interview, or for high-resolution images, please contact Kira Perdue at pr@tedxcharleston.org.