As of December 1st, the TEDx event speeches from earlier this year at Minnetonka High School were posted to the TEDx YouTube page. I had the opportunity to host this event in October and thoroughly enjoyed the messages conveyed by the speakers. This was our 4th annual TEDx event, and the entire event revolved around the theme “Rewriting the Narrative”. The purpose of TEDx events is to bring together bright minds and give talks that are idea-focused, and on a wide range of subjects, to foster learning, inspiration, and to provoke conversations that matter.
Our goal with this theme is to inspire people to live confidently and independently from societal expectations. We invited speakers from across the country to share their ideas and stories relating to this theme. Below I linked some of our key speeches and listed introductions for each speaker.
Excuse Me Life, I’m Still Talking! | Rebecca Ward
Rebecca brings nearly 30 years of experience in trauma healing and recovery to her work as a coach, therapist, and consultant. She empowers the people she supports to reconnect back to the truest version of themselves—what she calls the Original Blueprint®. In keeping with Rebecca’s own Original Blueprint, she is a fierce advocate for human rights and climate change and is actively working to heal suffering on a global scale.
In addition to two bachelor’s degrees, Rebecca holds two master’s degrees in business and psychology from George Washington University and Marymount University, respectively. She’s a licensed therapist in California and a Certified Professional Coach. Rebecca is also a member of the International Coaching Federation and CA Marriage and Family Therapists Association.
Rebecca Ward brings nearly 30 years of experience in trauma healing and recovery to her work as a coach, therapist, and consultant. She empowers the people she supports to reconnect back to the truest version of themselves. She is a fierce advocate for human rights and climate change and is actively working to heal suffering on a global scale.
TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/v9kJiNJTnLM
Minnesota To Maine: A Solo Bike Trip And What I Discovered | Tracy Beckman
After serving four years in the army, Tracy Beckman was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature in 1987 and served twelve years, specializing in agriculture and small business policies.
Tracy holds a Masters’ Degree in public administration from Harvard JFK School of Government, and he was awarded a Bush Fellowship in innovative leadership from the Minnesota Bush Foundation.
He has also served as director of Government and Community Relations at Augsburg University, owner of a small-town hardware store, and in 1999, he resigned his state Senate seat to be Presidentially appointed as head of the Minnesota Farm Service Agency.
Two years later, however, he had to resign that position to become a full-time caregiver for a loved one who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In the middle of his caregiving journey, his family took over his duties, giving him the time for a 60 day, 1600 mile solo bike trip to Maine that gave him a new perspective on life. Tracy has been instrumental in leading several Alzheimer’s caregivers support groups. Tracy retired early to become a full time caregiver for his wife, Janel, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In the middle of his caregiving journey, his family took over his duties, giving him the time for a 60 day, 1600 mile solo bike trip to Maine that gave him a new perspective on life. Tracy has been instrumental in leading several Alzheimer’s caregivers support groups.
TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/yy7stRmtg7E
2M+ Followers: Authenticity Without Knowing Who You Are Yet | Ariana Feygin
Ariana Feygin is a 17-year-old chef, philanthropist, food content creator, and Minnesota’s first and only contestant on MasterChef Junior with Gordon Ramsay (televised on FOX). She is deeply committed to continuing her growth and development as a chef and has trained with the culinary teams at well-known and Michelin-starred restaurants across the country such as the French Laundry, Spoon and Stable, and 6Smith. Since competing on the show, Ariana has launched several entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives including an initiative to help restaurants introduce more creative and health-conscious dishes to their kids’ menus, a private dining experience which she auctions off at charity events, and more recently, sharing creative recipes with her following of over 2 Million on social media. Ariana has helped raise over $500,000 in support of many important causes such as pediatric cancer, juvenile diabetes, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, world hunger, and many others.
Touching people’s lives is what brings Ariana the most joy, whether this is through philanthropy work, posting uplifting content on social media, presenting on stage, or sharing a story at a private dinner. She is passionate about inspiring others (especially young people) to chase their dreams, persevere through all challenges and obstacles they face, and not let anyone or anything stop them from achieving their fullest potential. Ariana is a 16-year-old chef, philanthropist, food content creator, and Minnesota’s first and only contestant on MasterChef Junior with Gordon Ramsay. Touching people’s lives is what brings Ariana the most joy, whether this is through philanthropy work, posting content on social media for her 2 million followers, presenting onstage, or by sharing a story at a private dinner.
TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/it_G42AuLFM