TEDxRiverside Coming to Fox Performing Arts Center on October 16, 2014

Self-organized, non-profit event to bring the "Technology, Entertainment, Design" discussion to the community

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TEDxRiverside will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A wide-array of speakers, including a pair of prominent UC Riverside alumni, are scheduled to speak at TEDxRiverside on October 16, 2014 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside.

Nobel Laureate chemist Richard Schrock (’67) and Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Steve Breen (’92) highlight the speaking roster that also includes Grammy Award-winning singer Melissa Manchester, San Bernardino-based animatronics guru Garner Holt, former NFL player Kermit Alexander, and Riverside-native dancer and cystic fibrosis survivor Adam Young. A list of scheduled speakers appears at the end of this story.

Events like TEDxRiverside are local, self-organized programs designed to bring the “Technology, Entertainment, Design”-style presentations to a community. TEDxRiverside was conceived and is being organized by members of Leadership Riverside 2014, a 10-month program sponsored by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce that helps to develop the next generation of active leaders for Riverside.

“TEDxRiverside is the effort of a group of local community leaders who knew our community had a lot to offer and thought hosting a TEDx event would be a great way to promote the great works and potentially reach a global audience,” said Michael Pazzani, vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development at UCR and the organizing committee chairman. “The Leadership Class of 2014, with the help of many local sponsors, saw the importance to further the efforts in the region to promote arts and innovation. TEDxRiverside is a unique way to bring an entire day filled with exceptional speakers to one stage accomplishing this goal.”

Sponsors include the County of Riverside Economic Development Agency, Riverside Public Utilities, City of Riverside, Lexus of Riverside, Innovation Economy Crowd, MyLearningStudio.com and the University of California, Riverside.

“Riverside has joined the growing TED community to promote many of our own and the ‘ideas worth spreading’ right here in our community,” said Rebeccah Goldware, chief of staff in the Office of Research and Economic Development at UC Riverside and the Riverside TEDx organizer. “The breadth of information will span from local history to the future of artificial intelligence, all in one day.”

Tickets for the event, which includes a catered lunch, range from $99 for VIP seating, $75 for preferred and $50 for general admission. Individual tickets may be purchased online through Live Nation or in person at the Fox Performing Arts Center box office. Individuals interested in purchasing group tickets should contact the organizers via email.

Like all TED and TEDx events, TEDxRiverside is a non-profit event, with all monies from tickets going back into the event.

Pazzani said that approximately 500 local high school students will be invited to attend the conference as sponsored guests. “In an effort to excite and inspire these young people, we are attracting sponsors to underwrite the cost of them attending TEDxRiverside,” he said.

Scheduled speakers include:

Gregory Adamson, performance artist – “Banker-turned artist”;

Kermit Alexander, former NFL football player;

James Beck, founder of SerfBliss;

Gordon Bourns, chairman and CEO of Bourns, Inc.;

Steve Breen, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist;

Giovanni Dubois, founder of LAM;

Garner Holt, president, Garner Holt Productions – “Art and technology of animatronics”;

Sarah Horn, singer / voice teacher – “Surprising a Broadway Star”;

George John, CEO, Rocket Fuel – “Artificial Intelligence”;

Brian Levin, criminologist and attorney, Cal State San Bernardino – “Study of Hate and Extremism”;

Melissa Manchester, Grammy Award-winning singer;

Melinda Muganzo, CEO, Make Success A Mindset;

Gladys Muir, assistant professor of nursing, Pacific Union College – “Health/Med/Therapy”;

Sarah Mundy, Museum & Cultural Affairs, City of Riverside Harada House;

Jennifer O’Farrell, executive director, Big Brothers/Sisters, Inland Empire – “Human Trafficking”;

Sally Rockey, deputy director for the National Institute of Health;

Richard Schrock, Nobel laureate – chemistry – “UCR to Nobel Laureate”;

Adam Young, professional dancer – “Breathe – dance, addiction, and survival.”

Archived under: Politics/Society, Fox Performing Arts Center, michael pazzani, Office of Research and Economic Development, press release, Rebeccah Goldware, Richard Schrock, Steve Breen, TEDxRiverside

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