Final Speakers Announced for TEDxGeorgeSchool

October 14, 2016

The TEDxGeorgeschool Committee is pleased to announce the final two speakers for the upcoming TEDx conference on Saturday, December 3, 2016. They include innovators in dance and toy design and manufacturing. Seats for TEDxGeorgeSchool are filling fast—reserve yours now.

Christine Cox is the artistic and executive director and co-founder of BalletX, a contemporary ballet company headquartered at the Wilma Theater. BalletX unites world-class choreographers with an outstanding company of professional dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Through the daring vision of its award-winning founders, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique.

Andrea Barthello is the co-founder of ThinkFun, an award-winning global company that designs and produces addictively fun games that stretch and sharpen minds. The company’s mission is to change the world through play, translating the ideas of mathematicians, engineers, and inventors into simple toys that make learning fun at any age. Rush Hour, Math Dice, Code Master, Circuit Maze, Compose Yourself, Robot Turtles, and Yoga Spinner are just a few of their top games.

These two speakers join other speakers already confirmed including:

• Dr. Sigrid Adriaenssens, a structural engineer and associate professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Princeton University, focuses on innovative areas of structural and architectural engineering concerns.
• Dr. Timothy Block is the co-founder and president of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and the Hepatitis B Foundation. He has been involved in hepatitis research for more than twenty-five years and is internationally recognized for his scholarship and scientific contributions to the field.
• Mario Capecchi ’56, is the Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics and Biology, Capecchi Lab, University of Utah, School of Medicine. Mario received the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. His talk will be about how his work with genetic manipulation is opening new possibilities in cognitive science.
• Sarah Dohle ’01 is a PhD student working on bean breeding and genetics at the University of California Davis. A member of the “bean team,” Sarah has spent numerous hours of research dedicated to finding bean varieties that are more drought tolerant, pest resistant, and highly productive.
• Alison Grantham is the Farm Sourcing Operations Manager at Blue Apron, a meal kit delivery service the sends weekly recipes and ingredients for people to cook at home. Alison is part of the team that looks at crop data to decide what to grow and when, and works closely with farmers in a crop-planning system.
• Kevin Lewis ’99 is assistant professor in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department at Johns Hopkins University. Kevin was a member of the NASA team that conducted research using the Curiosity rover, finding links between climate variability in sedimentary rocks and the forces that may be responsible for climate change.
• Joseph Ravenell ’92, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, New York University, will speak about his innovative approach to clinical practice. He is a leader in hypertension clinical care and training and has pioneered the practice of taking hypertension screening directly to the African-American community.
• Radhika Thekkath is the CEO and founder of AgiVox. AgiVox is an early-stage start-up company devoted to bringing about hands-free and eyes-free mobile access to online content. The cloud-based software is a “talking newspaper” that turns news media and online news sources into audible and interactive news providers.
• Dr. Kanani Titchen is an adolescent medicine fellow at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and co-chair of Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans (PATH). She created a series of educational videos and an interactive website to educate medical professionals about sex trafficking victims.

“We have assembled a diverse and nationally prominent panel of speakers, and their presentations will be centered upon scientific, entrepreneurial, and artistic innovation,” shared TEDxGeorgeSchool curator Ralph Lelii. “The number of available spaces for the event grows smaller every day, so we urge you to apply quickly to reserve your seat.”

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, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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 almost 30 years ago, TED (Technology, Education, Design) 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 on a diverse mix of topics. Many of these talks are then made available at no charge at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.

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