The first annual TEDx event in the City of Greater Sudbury is in the books and we’re already looking forward to the next one. But first, let’s tell you a little bit about how this one went.
After 10 months of preparation and a full day of rehearsal we feel like our vision for bringing the first TEDx event in Sudbury was executed wonderfully. Even more important though, was that everyone in attendence enjoyed themselves, were inspired by the speakers and took something away from the event. We feel confindent in accomplishing that.
Morning
Our attendees began filing in early, eager for their first local TEDx experience. While this event was dedicated to inspiring youth, people of all ages came out to enjoy some TED talks. Even though it was early in the morning our host, Stef Paquette, had no trouble getting everyone hyped up about the day ahead of them.
Tom Fortin: “We’re All Doomed”
Tom Fortin started things off talking about how we’re all doomed if we don’t start producing more things in Canada. The statistics he produced to support his claims looked like they could have come from an economics professor. He says buying more products that have been made in Canada is necessary in order to revive our economy. Ultimately though, he was optimistic about a change coming that will see more things we use every day being made here as well.
Boris Chan: “Stay Young and Work Different”
Boris Chan is a Principal at mobile app development company Xtreme Labs. He has seen a lot of success at an early age, which he attributes to his philosophy of staying young and working different. He says that staying young has nothing to do with your age though. To Boris, you’re never too old to think and work young. Some people don’t realize what they’re meant to do in their 30s and 40s, but if you have a vision at a young age he encourages you to do everything you can to pursue it.
Samantha Kuula: “Journey to Discovery”
Samantha Kuula works at SnoLab, and gave us a short history on this discovery of just about major invention that we use day-to-day. The focus of her talk was neutrinos, which were discovered right here in Sudbury. Even though a lot of people may not know what neutrinos are, it really is a significant discovery that helps put Sudbury on the map. Turns out we have more to be proud of than just being the nickel capitol!
Afternoon
Greg Baiden: “Teleoperations in Harsh Environments”
Dr. Greg Baiden presented us with the most head-turning display of the entire event. It’s a robotic machine he developed that can be controlled remotely, which makes it possible to explore harsh environments that human beings would otherwise not be able to navigate. He explained it in detail and mentioned that the robots he develops are so cutting edge that larger companies from around the world have attempted to steal his ideas and claim them as their own. We’re happy he has been able to avoid this and keep his inventions with us here in Sudbury.
Mike Prosserman: “Redefining Labels”
Mike Prosserman is better known in some circles as “Bboy Piecez”, as he is an accomplished breakdancer but also the founder of Unity Charity. He inspired everyone with his story of overcoming obstacles in his life. Not only was he bullied, but he used breakdancing as an outlet to escape which caused him to be diagnosed with the neck of a 70-year-old. He used the odds against him to stay motivated and become a world-champion breakdancer and the founder of a charity that encourages youth not to be defined by labels. He capped everything off with a quick, but stunning display of his skills as a breakdancer.
Eden Beaudin: “Literary Passion”
Eden Beaudin is the true definition of an inspiring youth. She’s a published author at the age of 12, and now a TEDx speaker. In fact, she said writing a book came easy to her. In an effort to encourage more people her age to develop a love for reading she founded a literary writing award and wants to see more youth follow in her footsteps. Having accomplished so much already, we can’t wait to see what else she is going to do in the future.
Terrance Galvin: “Innovation in Architecture”
Dr. Terrance Galvin is the director of the Laurentian University School of Architecture. Having started off as a designer, he explained that one of the first things he had to do when learning architecture is to forget everything he had learned. That’s literally what he was told by his mentors, as well as other mind-bending statements like “question your assumptions.” He gave a new perspective on the role of an architect that most people never get a chance to see. We’re confident that the new School of Architecture is in great hands.
Linsay Willier: “Dreams in Motion”
Linsay was by far the most interactive speaker of the day, as you can see her in this picture engaging the entire audience in a unique ice breaker. With this much energy and confidence on stage, you might never guess that Linsay Willier battled self-esteem issues throughout her youth. Did we mention that she was also a finalist on Canada’s Next Top Model? She explains how she gained her self-confidence through setting goals for herself and accomplishing them. To her, graduating University felt as good as being on TV. There was a lot less glitz and glamour but accomplishing a goal she set for herself was just as exciting for her.
Her message was to inspire youth to stay motivated. If you struggle with self-confidence, find what makes you happy, set goals around it and go after them. She closed the day with a self-esteem lesson for some lucky volunteers. They had no idea what they were in for, as she taught them how to display confidence through body language, and then had them strut their stuff in a runway walk across the stage. It was really a very enjoyable way to end the first-annual TEDx event in Sudbury and leave everyone wanting to see a bit more.
Entertainment
It wouldn’t be TED without entertainment, and we would like to thank all the excellent people who contributed their talents to entertain our audience throughout the day. Thank you to Justine Giles, Sudbury Youth Rocks, Ian Gibson, Y.E.S. Theatre and The Episode. You all helped keep the energy high throughout the day, we couldn’t have done it without you.
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