This Sunday, TED is coming to Corvallis. Since 1984, TED–short for Technology, Education, Design—has hosted some of the most famous and innovative leaders in a wide variety of fields, giving short talks about their work and ideas. In addition to their flagship event, the organization sponsors thousands of independently organized local editions in towns and universities all over the world. In 2015, Oregon State University hosted their own TEDx event, but Sunday evening’s event at the historic Whiteside Theater is the first one hosted and branded for the city itself: TEDx Corvallis.
The event’s two organizers, Connor Hastings and Iqmal Wolfenden, have assembled some of the city’s most active nonprofits and community groups to take part in an evening centered around the theme of community contribution. There is a strong focus on services for disadvantaged communities in the area, but the talks cover a wide range of topics, including diversity and inclusion, food and culture and music. Rather than issue an open call for speakers, Hastings and Wolfenden came up with the rough topics for the talks first, then pitched them to local experts.
“We just give them a general idea to start off with, and usually that’s enough for them to say ‘this is what I want to do’,” says Wolfenden. “And then it’s pretty much off to the races.”
TEDx Corvallis is divided into two series of talks. The first group of speakers kicks off at 6 pm, with representatives from the Corvallis Swing Society doing both a talk and a live choreographed dance, Stone Soup Corvallis, Madison Avenue Collective and Corvallis-based builder and remodeler Henderer Design + Build. The session ends with a talk by two members of Portland glam rock band Billy and the Kidz, who will also play a live set during the intermission.
The second session starts at 8 pm and includes speakers from First Alternative Coop, Growing Ancestral Roots, Maxtivity, the Willamette Valley Regenerative Landscape Coalition, OSU’s Forest Research Program and Jackson Street Youth Services.
The planning process has been a long road for the two organizers, from getting the license from the TED organization to lining up the Whiteside Theater to host and finalizing the speaker lineup and arranging all the details that go into a successful event. “It’s definitely been stressful, but it’s very exciting,” says Wolfenden.
Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Attendance is limited to 100 people, due to the Whiteside’s capacity, so if you want to make sure to get in, presale is recommended. Click here to buy tickets online.
By Ian Rose
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