Nov 29

Nov 29 Watch 8 local speakers present at Rochester's first-ever TEDx conference

The inaugural TEDxZumbroRiver conference was held this past May in Rochester. The event featured a lineup of a dozen speakers, with topics ranging from education to health care to humor. In an effort to showcase the ideas and talents of people from right here in Minnesota, organizers selected eight local speakers to present at the event.

Below are their presentations, courtesy TEDxZumbroRiver.

Chris Schad: The Incredible World of Native Prairies

Chris Schad is a Certified Master Naturalist and Past President of the SE Minnesota Beekeepers Association. In his talk, Chris discusses the big changes that occurred when he restored a small portion of his home property back to native prairie.

Julie Brock: Permission to Create a Failure Lab

Julie Brock, an Educator, encourages parents, students, and educators to get off the systematic grid and try a new approach to education that makes room for community partnerships and failure for positive change.

Dr. Victor Montori: The Proposal for a Patient Revolution

Dr. Victor Montori, an Endocrinologist and Health Services Researcher at Mayo Clinic, is a proponent of minimally disruptive medicine and is working to create a Patient Revolution.

Anthony Desnick: The Amazing Way Bicycles Change You

Tony Desnick, Director for Development and New Projects with Nice Ride Minnesota, makes the case that bikes are saving the world from itself. Bicycles really do change you and, in amazing ways, change the community around you.

Jim Maher: The Most Important Machine in the World

Jim Maher, a Scientist at Mayo Clinic in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, reveals in this talk what is "The Most Important Machine in The World."

Joyce Balls-Berry: Handling Challenges

Joyce Balls-Berry (aka Joy) is a Psychiatric Epidemiologist and Health Educator in the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science. In her talk, she discusses how to handle challenges even when life throws you a curve ball like being diagnosed at an early age with dyslexia.

Tori Utley: Why The Workforce Needs Recovering Addicts

Tory Utley, Entrepreneur and Executive Director of "More Than an Addict," gives an enlightening talk that sheds light on why recovering addicts really do make the best employees.

Randall Munson: Laugh. It Matters.

Randall Munson, a master magician, comic ventriloquist, emcee & professional clown discusses his first hand experience with laughter and when it matters most.

The Med City Beat was a proud sponsor of the 2016 TEDxZumbroRiver.