As the city of Memphis celebrates its bicentennial, many of us will look back at our journey to this point—everything that has shaped the city to be what it is now. It’s vital that we understand how we got here, but it’s equally important to set an inclusive vision for a bright future. How do we seize upon our current momentum, and what can we do differently to make the right changes for the next century?
TEDxMemphis is hosting its annual conference on Saturday, February 2 at the new Crosstown Arts Theater to tackle “Ideas for the Next Century.” A lineup of 18 speakers from diverse industries and backgrounds will present inspiring talks throughout the day exploring the power of ideas to shape the future.
“TEDx conferences invite our city together to share forward-thinking ideas, and there couldn’t be a more perfect time than 2019 – Memphis’ bicentennial – to embrace the responsibility for our future. We are excited to bring another brilliant lineup of speakers to spark conversation, and hopefully inspire collaboration and action.” — Anna Mullins Ellis, President and CEO of New Memphis.
The program begins at 9:00 am and is divided into two sessions. Daily Memphian President and Executive Editor Eric Barnes will serve as emcee.
Morning Session Speakers – 9:00am – Noon
- Alex Castle: head distiller at Old Dominick Distillery
- Roquita Coleman-Williams: inclusion strategist for MATA
- Valerie Crabtree: Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- John Daniel: heart transplant recipient and Chief Human Resources Officer for First Tennessee Bank
- Clarence McFerren: educator and dancer
- Daphene McFerren: executive director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change
- Andy Nix: transit visionary and executive director of MyCityRides
- Amy Stack: director, integrated strategy & solutions at ALSAC
- Anasa Troutman: the first executive director of the historic Clayborn Temple
Afternoon Session Speakers – 1:30pm – 5pm
- Lilia Abron: civil and environmental engineer
- Mike Blumenthal: tech entrepreneur
- Brandice Daniel: founder and CEO of Harlem Fashion Row
- James Dukes (aka IMAKEMADBEATS): music producer and engineer
- Ethan Ferguson: student and entrepreneur
- Virginia Murphy: founder of Playback Memphis
- Zak Ozmo: music director and conductor
- Rosie Phillips Bingham: president of the American Psychological Association
- David Schwartz: professor and vice chair at UTHSC – West Cancer Center.
Learn more about each of the 2019 speakers here.
If you’ve never attended a TEDxMemphis conference, you can check out past speakers and watch their talks here to get a sense of what it’s like.
