Speaker Rehearsal Blast!
by Colleen Faltus
Diversity. Innovation. Change. Collaboration. What do all of these things have in common? With a shared vision and passion for cultivating a platform of change, thought-provoking discussion, and actionable processes, TEDxBeaconStreet is the most diverse and innovative Tedx event in the nation. With such a potent platform, TEDxBeaconStreet provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity for audience members to engage in such meaningful discussion, collaborate with some of the nation’s brightest minds, and think progressively and radically about topics in STEAM, urban design, sexual violence, population and public health, and artificial intelligence, to name a few. With access to a diverse group of the nation’s most influential and brightest entrepreneurs, innovators, and game changers under one roof, audience members have such a rare and heavily sought after opportunity to experience the world of innovation through the eyes of those that are changing it. Here is a quick glimpse of Speaker highlights from the TEDxBeaconStreet Speaker rehearsal last week to tantalize the mind and keep that dinner table conversation interesting:
MEET KATIE BOUMAN:
Katie Bouman is presently a PhD student at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. Her research focuses on emerging computational methods to provide greater images for scientific exploration, such as blackholes. Now that is a mouthful but you can certainly look forward to an inviting and intriguing talk. With the most recent and popular discussions surrounding Elon Musk’s SpaceX interplanetary travel ambitions and the question of habitability on a rocky extrasolar planet called Proxima, many intriguing questions have been left unanswered, but Katie is ready to explore them. In this talk, the audience will be taken on their own exploratory, interstellar journey in understanding black holes. We’ll learn more about the significance of black holes and how close scientists have come to imaging such a black hole.
MEET SARAH BEAULIEU:
Poignant. Powerful. Necessary. Just as important as Sarah’s story about her sexual violence experience is the embedded significance of powerful, meaningful conversation and dialogue surrounding sexual violence. While Sarah takes the audience through her riveting experience as a sexual violence survivor, we also learn some powerful life lessons about dialogue associated with such a story. Sarah shares her own story to shed light on the imperative need to have open and honest dialogue about oftentimes difficult topics such as sexual violence. In this talk, Sarah will provide meaningful insight and strategies for handling such difficult and uncomfortable conversations with the hope of transparent communication, collaboration and support for the victims, family members, and friends.
MEET TOM BARAN:
Tom Baran is an MIT grad and the co-founder and CEO of Lumii, a Boston-based company focused on delivering hologram-like 3D experiences to the world of printed media. In this world of fast-paced digital technology, we can easily get lost in the shuffle of distracted conversation and mindlessness. However, this certainly does not have to be the case. We can use the potency of technology and collaboration to create more engaged and mindful individuals and communities. Enter the world of communal 3D print. In this talk, Tom dives into the technological and evolutionary steps leading up to 3D print and how this medium can bring communities together in the age of digital technology.
MEET KAREN FIRESTONE:
Have you ever taken a risk? From bungee jumping off of a bridge to investing your money in the stock market, risks are a natural part of life. However, your knowledge of that risk and the strategies you pursue to overcome it are critical to success. Join Karen Firestone, CEO of Aureus Asset Management and author of Even the Odds: Sensible Risk Taking in Business Investing and Life, as she helps audience members navigate the four tenets of risk taking that are critical to personal and professional growth.
MEET EMILY AVANT:
Emily Avant wasn’t always a STEAM enthusiast. In her talk, Emily brings us through her love-hate relationship with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) as a young girl and adolescent, how she worked through that relationship to become the legal technology counsel for Turner Broadcasting System. Thanks in part her work on such projects as CNN’s drone operations and the FAA Pathfinder Program, the explosion of the technology field is more prevalent than ever. With an increased interest in educating young girls about STEAM and an awareness of the need for more women in the technology space, Emily creates a space for realizing these goals. During this talk, Emily creates a pathway to inspire young girls to dream big and pursue innovative technological aspirations.
