Explore ‘what’s next’ at TEDxRIT Feb. 23

A diverse set of speakers, including entrepreneurs, social activists and students, will inspire attendees at TEDxRIT, RIT’s independently organized TED event.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading,” usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less) delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

TEDxRIT will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, in MAGIC Spell Studios. This is the third year RIT will host TEDxRIT.

The theme for TEDxRIT 2019 is, “Not What If, What Next?” Attendees will hear from eight speakers, participate in three workshops and see two student club performers. There is also a networking session with a light lunch.

“We created this event to inspire students and give them an outlet to learn from each other and spread ideas within the community,” said Jasmine Ulger, a fourth-year accounting and management information systems major from Rock Hill, N.Y., and president of TEDxRIT. “We have had wonderful feedback every year and love putting on this event.”

Talks at TEDxRIT 2019 include:

• It is easier WHEN you think, by Mislav Horvatic, a fourth-year international business student from RIT Croatia. After going through a slump 10 years ago, Horvatic will talk about how he sought the help of motivational speakers and found what worked for him.
• Saving Lives as an Artist, by Fuad Zain, a medical illustrator and doctor. Zain will discuss how important medical illustration is in medical and scientific fields, including the importance of visual aids and hands-on learning.
• Take the Risk, by Kate Ten Eyck, a senior at Fayetteville-Manlius High School and an advocate for children with cancer. Kate will talk about her experience being in love with someone with a terminal illness and how it changed who she is.
• Web 3.0: The Blockchain Effect, by Justin Goldston, an expert on blockchain technology. Being a pioneer in the field of blockchain, Goldston will talk about how far blockchain has come and what little we still know of it today.
• The Power of Thought, by Harrison Canning, a second-year applied arts and sciences major at RIT from West Granby, Conn. Canning will be discussing what exactly BCI’s (Brain Computer Interfaces) are and how they are so important to the future of technology.
• The Difference Between Survivors and Thrivers, by Dorothy Anne, who runs a network for people with trauma. Anne will discuss her experiences working and researching many underprivileged communities around the U.S.
• The Future of Healthy Meat Alternatives and the Importance of 21st Century Tech + Agriculture, by George Zheng, an entrepreneur technologist and 2015 mechanical engineering technology RIT alumnus. Zheng will talk about how he started his company Leep Foods to tackle overconsumption in the meat industry and how switching to alternatives in meat will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a more sustainable future.
• Choosing Positive Energy, by Jim DiCicco, CEO of Kitu Life Inc., makers of Super Coffee. DiCicco will explain how important it is to act quickly and not wait for a moment to happen, including how that helped him go on Shark Tank to raise more than $19 million for his brand.

Due to license restrictions, TEDxRIT can only admit 100 attendees. Applications for the 2019 event are closed.

The entire event will be live streamed for people who are unable to attend in-person. To view the live stream, go to the TEDxRIT Facebook page at facebook.com/TEDxRIT.

For more information about TEDxRIT, go to tedxrit.org.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED’s annual gathering in Vancouver, Canada, TEDWomen and TEDGlobal conferences, and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world, then made available, free, on TED.com and other channels. 

TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators  from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; and the educational initiative TED-Ed.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED, on Instagram at https://instagram.com/ted and on Snapchat at tedtalkshq.