TEDxFa
rgo 2024
If
July 25, 2024
Fargo Civic Center
1,254 Attendees
Fargo Civic Center
Imagine being transported to a space that feels both strange and familiar—a dreamscape where reality and imagination intertwine.
In 2024, we dared you to journey into the enigmatic terrain of the unknown at TEDxFargo 2024, where “If” beckons the curious, the daring, and the dreamers. In a departure from the conventional, we invited you to step beyond the boundaries of the expected and encouraged you to embrace the ethereal, the in-between, and the uncharted.
TEDxFargo focuses on engaging attendees in a world-class experience by showcasing the best of our community. In 2024, we consciously chose the path less traveled and invited you to embrace the ethereal, the in-between, and the uncharted.
VIEW THE SPEAKERS
Dr. William Aderholdt
Three words to describe William's TEDxFargo talk: AI, Agriculture, Innovation
Dr. William Aderholdt is the Executive Director of Grand Farm, a non-profit organization energizing and guiding an innovation ecosystem to solve challenges in agriculture. William joined Grand Farm in 2019 as it was getting started, and was the first hire of the initiative. He helped develop and establish the strategic vision and programs that he now has the opportunity to lead through the immense effort of an extremely talented team. Grand Farm, providing a fresh approach to innovation ecosystems, has been the lead, co-lead, and a consortium member on many of the economic resiliency federal programs established in response to COVID-19 – including NSF Engine Type II, EDA Good Jobs Challenge, and EDA Tech Hubs. It has a nearly 600-acre Innovation Campus in Casselton, North Dakota, where the initiative is headquartered, and teams starting in Georgia and Montana.
Gabe Brown
Three words to describe Gabe's TEDxFargo talk: Hope, Life, Regeneration
Gabe Brown is a pioneer of the soil-health movement and has been named one of the twenty-five most influential agricultural leaders in the United States. Brown, his wife, Shelly, and son, Paul, own Brown’s Ranch, a holistic, diversified 5,000-acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, North Dakota. The Browns integrate their grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include cash crops and multi-species cover crops along with all-natural, grass-finished beef and lamb, pastured pork, and laying hens. The Brown family has received a Growing Green Award from the Natural Resources Defense Council, an Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the USA Zero-Till Farmer of the Year Award.
Jana Bruhschwein
Three words to describe Jana's TEDxFargo talk: Early Childhood Education
Jana Bruhschwein has over 30 years experience in education as a public school teacher, head start director, and preschool director. Jana saw the great need for quality early childhood care in the Fargo-Moorhead community. She is the visionary behind Peace Academy and believes all children deserve to be seen, heard, and loved.
Joe Burgum
Three words to describe Joe's TEDxFargo talk: Community, Belonging, Placemaking
Joe Burgum is a community builder who is committed to making Fargo one of the greatest cities on Earth.
Joe is co-founder of Folkways, a community organization creating experiences to connect people and enhance their quality of life. At Folkways, Joe uses immersive experiences to solve problems like workforce retention, economic vitality, and communal belonging. One of these experiences, the Red River Market has grown to over 90 vendors attracting over 8,500 people to downtown Fargo every Saturday.
Evelyn Chambers
Three words to describe Evelyn's TEDxFargo talk: Generational, Future-Focused, Confident
High school is an exciting time that presents many new opportunities, and Evelyn is going through this process whilst watching the incredible evolution of Artificial Intelligence in real time. She is a three-time sweepstake science fair winner, has a passion for performing, and plays violin in the FM Area Youth Symphony. With an entrepreneurial drive and unwavering determination, she eagerly embraces the dynamic shifts shaping our world.
Catherine Curry-Williams
Three words to describe Catherine's TEDxFargo talk: From Pain to Passion
Catherine’s journey has been marked by numerous honors and awards, reflecting her impactful contributions. Notably, she was chosen as one of L’Oreal Paris’ “Women of Worth.” She received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Women’s Empowerment Network Award in 2022. She has been recognized as one of the “Women of the Year” for the state of California in 2018. Honored with the BRA Visionary Woman of the Year award in 2022. Her achievements have been acknowledged by esteemed institutions such as the March of Dimes, Good Housekeeping magazine, KCET-TV, The Today Show, and LA Lifestyle magazine, to name a few. Additionally, Catherine was featured in an article in Canvas Rebel in 2023 and Bold Journey in 2024.
Robert Daugherty
Three words to describe Robert's TEDxFargo talk: Women's, Sports, Investing
Over a 35-year career, Mr. Daugherty has been an investor, board member and advisor across a wide range of asset classes and geographies. As a professor of finance, he has also served as an administrator including as Dean of the Forbes School of Business & Technology and as the CEO of the Jack Welch Management Institute. He started his career at J.P. Morgan where he completed the Morgan Finance Program. He held positions of increasing responsibility at Merrill Lynch, Computer Sciences Corp., and G.E. Capital. Mr. Daugherty holds degrees from Harvard University, Columbia University and Cambridge University, and was a Fulbright Scholar. He currently serves as Chief Investment Officer of the Holdings Investment Group, an investment he co-founded with Ms. Moira Forbes. Through his family office, he owns positions in several private companies and has co-authored two books, How to Build a High Performing Single-Family Office (available on Amazon) and Family Fortunes.
Craig Dykers
Founding partner of the architecture firm, Snøhetta
Betsy Fore
Three words to describe Betsy's TEDxFargo talk: Deep Inner Why
Betsy is a serial venture-backed founder, product leader and operator with over two decades of experience. She is an Investment Partner at two firms. She is the first Native American – Turtle Mountain Chippewa – to raise a Series A for her company. Betsy is a three time founder of two multi-million dollar brands and a non-profit, Natives Rising. Natives Rising is one of the largest communities of Indigenous Technologists and Indigenous Founders with members representing over two hundred tribes. Betsy is the Managing Partner at Velveteen Ventures, investing in children and planet for the next seven generations. She is also a certified coach, NLP and flow states practitioner.
Arianna Genis
Three words to describe Arianna's TEDxFargo talk: Latino, Power, Democracy
Arianna Genis is an organizer and strategist with a decade of experience in movement building and politics. She has delivered expectation-defying wins locally and nationally that advance equity and systemic change at organizations like Mijente, re:power, and TakeAction Minnesota. Arianna was part of the campaign team that won paid sick time for thousands of workers in Minneapolis; she led campaigns to elect progressive candidates of color into public office; and she oversaw North Carolina’s largest Latino voter mobilization effort in 2020.
Stacy Huston
Three words to describe Stacy's TEDxFargo talk: Intentional, Altruistic, Actions
Stacy Huston is the Executive Director of SixDegrees.Org, a nonprofit founded by actor and philanthropist Kevin Bacon that uses social networking to amplify the unsung heroes and causes in communities everywhere. With over seven years of experience in this role, she leads the organization’s mission to connect people to critical resources, share stories from changemakers, and leverage the power of celebrity to make a positive impact.
Ethelind B. Kaba
Ethelind's Talk Topic: A World of Good Enough's Fueling Innovation and Building Community Through Imperfection
Ethelind Kaba is passionate about many things and wears many hats with one purpose: to spark in others the same curiosity about the human condition that motivates her work and life. In her professional lane, Ethelind is the Executive Director of the Ann Bancroft Foundation, where she champions its vision—a world in which all who identify as a girl have a chance to live their dream and reach their full potential. She oversees and guides the organization’s efforts to expand investments, access, and opportunities for K-12 girls across Minnesota.
Joe Kirgues
Three Words to Describe Joe's TEDxFargo Talk: Workforce, Policy, Growth
Pranava Manthena
Three Words to Describe Pranava's TEDxFargo Talk: AI, Education, Change
Pranava Manthena is passionate about AI, business, and education tech. As a motivated high school student, he is driven to make a meaningful impact on the world while continually seeking new ways to learn and grow. He has achieved remarkable success in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) national competition, winning first place in his state and also earning first place nationally. At the age of 16, he founded a website design agency to further explore his interests in technology and business.
Maddy Matson
Three Words to Describe Maddy's TEDxFargo Talk: Uplift Rural Education
Maddy Matson is a rising junior at Swarthmore College, charting a unique educational path influenced by her upbringing in rural Gettysburg, South Dakota. Maddy began working multiple jobs at the age of 14, embodying the resilience and work ethic typical of rural America. In 2020 she received a full-ride scholarship to one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Maddy serves as the front-of-house manager at Sutton Bay, a private golf club where she navigates the dichotomy of catering to a clientele vastly different from the people in her hometown. Her work experience also includes four years as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), which has further enriched her understanding of dedication and community service.
Amanda Schneider
Amanda's TEDxFargo Talk Topic: Gen-Z and the Phygital Future
Amanda Schneider, LEED AP, MBA, is a trailblazing entrepreneur and founder of ThinkLab, acquired by SANDOW Design Group in 2018, where she still serves as President. A dynamic force at the convergence of design and business, Amanda stands out as a captivating thought leader and accomplished author, spotlighted in prestigious publications ranging from Forbes, the Huffington Post, Interior Design Magazine, and many other publications and podcast. Recognized as the compelling host of the acclaimed podcast “Design Nerds Anonymous,” Amanda seamlessly weaves together creativity and data, offering unparalleled insights that captivate audiences worldwide.
Nick Smoot
Three Words to Describe Nick's TEDxFargo Talk: Better is Possible
Nick is a globally respected culture first community and economic strategist. He is a 4x entrepreneur (3 exits), venture capital investor, real estate developer, and ecosystem builder. His work in startup ecosystems has been recognized by organizations like Google, Brookings, Milken Institute, and Bloomberg. He has been interviewed for Bloomberg West, BBC, USA Today, Entrepreneurship Magazine, and Fast Company.
He has developed national job strategies, award winning education/workforce training programs, and youth leadership development programs. Nick is a Milken Institute Young Leader and the founder/CEO of Innovation Collective. He has spent time in over 200 cities in the last decade working with government, education, industry, and in his words, most importantly the community as he focuses in on the reproducible art of community lead ecosystem development.
Derek Tournear
Three Words to Describe Derek's TEDxFargo Talk: Inertia, Disruption, Impact
Dr. Derek Tournear is the Director of the Space Development Agency (SDA). Established in March 2019, SDA is recognized as the Department of Defense’s constructive disruptor for space acquisition. SDA will quickly deliver much needed space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter to support terrestrial missions through development, fielding, and operation of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Before leading SDA, Dr. Tournear most recently served as Assistant Director of Research and Development for Space within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering where he was responsible for coordinating all DoD efforts in space and initiating programs to address critical gaps.
Vanessa Williamson
Three Words to Describe Vanessa's TEDxFargo Talk: Ugly Vegetable Certified
Vanessa Williamson, hailing from Eastern North Dakota, found her entrepreneurial spirit at Montana State University while studying Business and Marketing. Collaborating with her co-founder, another Vanessa, in the Farm to Market course sparked their delicious venture, Farmented Foods. Her passion for creating value-added products from “ugly” farm-fresh produce was ignited by the enthusiastic support of local farmers. Inspired by the potential to tackle food waste and promote sustainability, she leaped into the world of small-businesshood with the goal of making a significant impact on the food industry, one ugly vegetable at a time.