The city of San Antonio will be hosting TEDxSanAntonio at the Charlie McCombs Empire Theater Nov. 9, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The theme for this event is “re:frame,” where speakers from all over the country will take turns speaking on topics such as psychology, blogging, environmental conservation, music and more.
The TEDxSanAntonio website (tedxsanantonio.com) explains, “TED means Technology, Entertainment, Design with one mission in mind – Spreading Ideas.” Unlike the global outreach associated with TED events, TEDx specializes in local communities. This enables communities to provide their members with an opportunity to promote dialogue and stimulate conversations locally.
TEDxSanAntonio has produced 151 talk videos that have collectively acquired over two million views on the TEDxTalks channel. San Antonio has hosted TEDx since 2009 and will be celebrating their 9th conference experience this weekend. The event is hosting the following 10 speakers:
Kierra Alderman, CEO of BOL Empowerment, author and minister, will be discussing female leadership within the ministry. Her talk will focus on large-scale gender inequality in the church.
“If our goal is to reframe our thought process on gender equality in relationships, education and employment opportunities, we must be willing to identify and be willing to call out gender inequality in the church and explore the ways in which such inequality contributes to societal gender bias,” Alderman said.
Graham Conway, principal engineer at Southwest Research Institute, aims to address the contradiction of battery-operated vehicles. Conway plans to highlight the negative implications of rushing battery-powered vehicles onto the market. By challenging the idea that battery-operated vehicles are environmentally friendly, Conway will discuss the use of fossil fuels and the CO2 emissions associated with the production of the vehicles’ battery packs.
Dan Cooper, creator of the leadership development program at Southwest Research Institute, will provide tips and tricks that individuals may use if they become creatively stuck. Cooper will provide new techniques, based on modern research, that may be implemented to overcome creative blocks.
Elizabeth Crawford, chief executive officer at Sendero Wealth Management and Sendero Family Enterprise, will be speaking about children’s financial literacy.
“Nearly half of American parents would rather talk with kids about the birds and the bees than about dollars and cents. And while sex talk can be shocking to adults and kids alike, talking about money is often just as shocking,” Crawford said.
Hector Garcia, psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center, has published many works on the research of PTSD in combat veterans and will be discussing the gender of war. Garcia takes a look at the commonalities associated with the origins of conflict and concludes that wars are “almost exclusively started and prosecuted by men.”
Jenny Lawson, writer and blogger, known as The Bloggess, is most recognized for various writings on her struggles with mental illness. She will examine the importance of sharing mental health stories.
“Despite centuries of scientific studies and progress, mental health remains a topic that many still find uncomfortable to discuss. Nevertheless, it’s only through sharing our stories and struggles that we can break the stigma and find progress,” Lawson said.
John Myers, a postdoctoral researcher at Baylor College of Medicine, is working to understand how brain cells work together on abstract mental representations. Myers will discuss how the brain’s rhythms are crucial to cell communication. Neuroscientists have discovered that brain cells respond in sync and rhythm with one another to sensory information. This has led Myers to research the implications of the brain’s patterns becoming out of sync.
Allison Schrager, an economist and journalist at Quartz, will be addressing risk management in the real world. Schrager will convey the differences between risk management and risk avoidance. Schrager uses her research from a trip to a Nevada brothel to better understand negotiation skills. Because the possibility of failure still applies to risk management, risk avoidance tends to be the go-to option.
Alex Bailey, executive director and founder of Black Outside Inc., is speaking about the topic of recoloring the outdoors. The lack of diversity in outdoor space has drawn Bailey to engage with communities of color to promote spending more time in nature. With concerns related to safety, representation, access and relevancy, the African American community’s participation in outdoor activities is at the forefront of Bailey’s talk.
DJ Boskind, also known as Question, will be performing freestyle. Question was the first hip-hop artist from San Antonio to sign a major record deal with Epic/Sony records. He has since opened his own managing company, ARTOFFICIAL, and continues to help other artists explore their musical aspirations. Question has partnered with Davies Entertainment to open a recording facility called the BOOMBOX.
