TEDxOkanaganCollege

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Nikos Theodosakis

  The InStill Life project invites students to explore and participate in real world issues by learning about the food we eat. Students use science, history, mathematics, art, technology, language arts, social studies and other subject areas to explore the interconnectedness of learning and the relationships between themselves and others around the planet. On a classroom map, photos and stories from around the globe bring the world to life as students bring life to the world, one loan and one person at a time.

• Ajahn Sona

  Green Monasticism • In 2008, practitioners from Catholicism and various Buddhist traditions met at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, the home of Thomas Merton. The theme was the Buddhist and Catholic response to the environmental crisis. Ajahn Sona attended the Gethsemani 3 Monastic conference in May 2008. The topic of the conference was "Monasticism and the Environment." A book entitled "Green Monasticism" was recently published featuring environmentally-themed essays by the some of the attendees of the conference, including Ajahn Sona.

• Dr. Merle Kindred

  Green Building: Beyond Bricks and Mortar - the Challenge of Change Her background is in education, theatre, and administration working in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, and India. Her dissertation for her doctorate in Rhetoric and Technical Communication focused on communication challenges involved in changing perception and use of energy in the residential built environment. Her Western case study revolved around her work based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in creating energy efficient houses for high latitude conditions. Her Eastern case study focused on the work of Master Architect Laurie Baker and the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD) in Kerala, India. She is currently serving in India as a Volunteer Communications Consultant with COSTFORD and has commissioned a prototypical energy efficient house in tandem with her Indian "family of friends." She continues to present and publish in both the West and East on matters pertaining to transforming our relationship to energy. A chapter on her work appears in a book being published this summer entitled 'Ecofeminism and Rhetoric: Critical Perspectives on Sex, Technology, and Discourse'.

• Dr. Jeanette Armstrong

  Spiritual Indigenization • An Indigenous author and activist, her published works include literary titles and academic writing on a wide variety of Indigenous issues. • She has a PhD from the University of Greifswald, Interdisciplinary in Environmental Ethics and Syilx Indigenous Literatures. She is an Okanagan Syilx culture and language specialist and traditional knowledge keeper.

• Douglas MacLeod

  Regenerative Design MacLeod has bachelor's degrees in Architecture and Science from the University of Toronto, a master's in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and is a PhD candidate in the Computational Media Design program in Environmental Design at the University of Calgary. A registered architect (California), he is a recognized expert in the areas of eLearning, sustainable design and in advanced technologies such as computer-aided design, social media, online knowledge management and virtual environments. His doctoral research is focused on the social construction of cyberspace. As Executive Director of the Okanagan Science and Technology Council (OSTEC) since 2008, MacLeod brings a strong portfolio of demonstrated knowledge and expertise in teaching, research and management. During his time with OSTEC MacLeod has built partnerships between industry, government and academic institutions to help Okanagan companies research, develop and commercialize new products and services.

• Sandra Oldfield

  Environmentally Friendly Makes Good Business A native of California, winemaker and owner Sandra Oldfield arrived at Tinhorn Creek from Santa Rosa, California in time for the 1995 crush. Since then she has taken the production from 1,000 cases to more than 35,000 cases. Now that the vineyards have reached full production, Sandra can focus her talents on the Oldfield Series, a premium line of wines created from the very best fruit that the mature vineyards have to offer. Sandra gained her early wine experience at Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma, CA. Before leaving California, Sandra had been studying enology at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis). She put her studies on hold while her time and energy went to getting the winery up and running. She then resumed her winemaking studies (along with studying Canadian history). Her efforts were rewarded in the spring of 2002 with a master's degree in Enology from UC Davis and Canadian citizenship in October 2002. Sandra, her husband, Kenn Oldfield, and their daughter Melody live in a house perched at the top of the Tinhorn Creek winery vineyards. "At Tinhorn Creek we have always been aware of the habitat around us and over the years have taken steps to help protect it. We are a carbon neutral operation and we conduct yearly audits on greenhouse gases. As well, we are saving thousands of dollars annually because of these initiatives."

• Tracy Lydiatt

  Empowering Families to be Strategic about Going Green Tracy Lydiatt is an international expert and TEDx speaker on sustainability. In 2005, Tracy had a profound moment while working in the Arctic as a geologist that changed her career trajectory forever. Because of this, she is among the first graduates of the award-winning Masters of Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability program at Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden. She has lived and/or worked in Canada, USA, Mexico, Argentina, Singapore and Australia, giving her insider knowledge into what sustainability looks like for different people. She is a green families guru, sustainability advisor, author and educator passionate about empowering families while on their journey to "go green". Tracy's unique skills of synthesizing massive amounts of information combined with effective communication skills provide families the support they need to cut through the mountains of information on "going green". Her mission is to take the 'mental' out of environmental by using strategies in easy to understand language, empowering families to create healthy homes and strong communities without going broke or crazy in the process. Tired of feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by sustainability and "going green"? Your Green Family Blueprint by Tracy Lydiatt explains what sustainability means in simple language, recognises that each family is unique and provides four principles to cut through the mountains of information about going green. Families can now have an easy to use, fun guide packed full of useful information, tips and activities that provide a flexible way to green your family home within your own budget and timeline. It is a must read for anyone wanting to save money while creating a healthy future for their family!

• Bill Downing

  President Structurlam Products LTD, Forester The Future of Innovative Wood Products • Bill Downing is the President of Structurlam Products in Penticton, BC. Structurlam is a manufacturer of glue-laminated columns and beams, and a premier fabricator of heavy timber commercial structures. Prior to joining Structurlam, • Mr. Downing has a degree in forestry from the University of British Columbia, an MBA from the University of Washington and is a Registered Professional Forester.

• Gene Bretecher

  Foremost Banjo Player.... Gene Bretecher, long regarded as one of Canada’s foremost 5-string banjo players, has blazed a trail as one of the most innovative and influential banjo players over the past forty years. Manitoba’s former “Instrumentalist of the Year” has shared the stage with legends Flatt and Scruggs, Don Williams, Liona Boyd, Hank Snow and Roy Clark to name a few. Gene continues to play with world class musicians, performs with several bluegrass bands, solo artists and instructs privately and at music workshops.

• Henry Piovesan

  Piano .... Henry started playing piano in Ontario Canada at four years of age. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Music degree at Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, studying under great teachers such as Chuck Mangione, Mike and Pat Metheny, Gary Burton and Quincy Jones. After college and some time as a public school music teacher K to 12, he decided to pursue his first passion of performing live. He traveled to Florida, and had the good fortune to perform with various artists and bands such as Pat Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Banner Thomas (Molly Hatchet), George McKorkle (Marshall Tucker Band), Dan Toller (Allman Brothers) then formed the band “Formation” and toured extensively throughout eastern USA from NewYork to Florida.

• Dr. Andrew Hay

  The Centre of Excellence as a Teaching Tool Dr. Hay holds a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta and is a professional engineer registered in B.C. and Alberta. He has taught at the University of Alberta, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Okanagan University College. He has been involved in a number of technology-related associations including having served as the president and an executive board member of the Okanagan Science and Technology Council (OSTEC), a member of the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of B.C. (ASTTBC) Accreditation Board, the Airport Training Council, the National Committee of the Deans of Technology, and various international committees of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He is currently serving on the Technology Education Career Council for B.C. He continues to be actively engaged with students, through mentoring and assisting with instruction at Okanagan College in Mechanical Engineering Technology.

• Jan Vozenilek

  Midway Island Plastic Dead Zone For Kelowna BC - based cinematographer Jan Vozenilek, a journey that began with a surprising invitation has turned into a lifetime project and reels of stunning film footage. As part of a film crew who has traveled to the remote island of Midway Atoll in the North Pacific, Vozenilek is documenting an ongoing horrifically symbolic environmental tragedy that affects us all. In his TEDx talk, he will paint a vivid picture of a remote island covered in toothbrushes, cigarette lighters, combs and other swirling garbage. An island three kilometers long and home to millions of albatrosses who cannot distinguish between plastic trash and their traditional seafood fare. In this process, Vozenilek will pose bigger questions about what this tragedy means to society as a whole, and what can be done about it.

• Emily Chartrand

  The Road to a Plastic Free World - Lessons from Midway Penticton Herald March 2011 While many high school students are looking forward to spring break as a chance to kick back or perhaps even travel with their family to Europe, Mexico or some other exotic locale, Emily Chartrand is making plans to go a bit farther afield, at least in terms of distance from civilization. On March 20, 2011 the 17-year-old Penticton Secondary student joined world-renowned artist and activist Chris Jordan, filmmaker Jan Vozenilek and other artists as they journey to the Midway Islands to document the devastating effects of plastic pollution on the oceans. Chartrand is an anti-plastic advocate at the school, organizing events and seminars, even arranging for 1000 metal water bottles to be donated to students at the school to replace plastic ones. She is a co-founder of Plastic Free Penticton.

• Dr. Alan Ilicic

  Future Trends in Solar Energy A born and raised Vancouverite, Dr. Alan Ilicic identified his niche between science and conscience in the renewable energy sector. He is a recent engineering graduate from UBC specializing in electrochemical technologies such as fuel cells and batteries. Dr. Ilicic spent six months conducting research in Germany in 2008 and his work has been disseminated through peer-reviewed publications as well as international conference presentations. He is a newcomer to Penticton with a passion to advance the frontiers of renewable energy. The sun's brilliance, a symbol of life, has mesmerized habitants on earth for eons. In recent decades, renewable energy sources like solar energy have become increasingly relevant due to pollution and geopolitical issues plaguing conventional energy sources. While solar hot water and photovoltaic cells are well appreciated technologies, there exists a myriad of less frequently recognized solar technologies worth mentioning such as Fresnel lenses, solar balloons and Stirling engines.

• Dr. Sunndip Nahal

  Emerging Educational Models in a Rapidly Changing World Sunddip is extremely passionate and enthusiastic about making a positive change in education and it is evident in her work as a Board of Governor for Okanagan College, her classroom/online teaching experiences, educational consulting work, and in her newly co-founded school iLearn BC, an innovative school that embraces technology and utilizes a variety of delivery mediums to reach out to the individualized needs of students and help them learn in a fun, interactive and engaging way. As an educational consultant, Sunddip provides workshops, conferences, and training to teachers and educational leaders across North America in a variety of areas, including the 21st century learner, assessment practices, leadership, ESL teaching strategies, classroom management, and new teacher survival skills. Her doctoral research and published article recently won the Best Paper of Track Award in Education and Instructional Pedagogies at the Las Vegas AABRI Conference. Her timely doctoral research explored the disconnect between new teachers' expectations and the actual realities of the classroom, and has already made a significant contribution to changing and transforming new teachers.

• Robert Parlane

  Agent of Change Robert Parlane is an Associate with CEI Architecture, and Project Manager for the Centre of Excellence in Penticton. As a British qualified architect he has many years of experience in sustainable building design in the UK market, before joining CEI in Canada in 2009.

• Brenda Martens

  Beyond Sustainability Through Smart Design Brenda Martens has worked in the building industry for over 20 years, and is a practitioner, educator and advocate in the field of green building and sustainability. She has served on the on the Board of Directors of the Cascadia Green Building Council, is faculty with the Canada Green Building Council & UBC Continuing Studies and is a director and co-founder of the Open Green Building Society, an organization that open sources information about green buildings. In mid-career, Brenda became aware of the devastating impacts of development on the environment and determined that she could no longer engage in the standard practices of her industry. She will discuss the realizations that have come from efforts to reach beyond sustainability in design and construction.

• Dr. Branko Kolarevic

  Performative Architecture Branko Kolarevic holds the Chair in Integrated Design and co-directs the Laboratory for Integrative Design (LID). Prior to his appointment at the University of Calgary, he was the Irving Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ball State University in Indiana. He has taught architecture at several universities in North America, most recently at the University of Pennsylvania, and in Asia, in Hong Kong. He has lectured worldwide on the use of digital technologies in design and production and has authored, edited or co-edited several books, including the recently published "Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture" (with Kevin Klinger), "Performative Architecture: Beyond Instrumentality" (with Ali Malkawi) and "Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing." He is the past president of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) and is the recipient of the ACADIA 2007 Award for Innovative Research. He holds doctoral and master's degrees in design from Harvard University and a diploma engineer in architecture degree from the University of Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia.

• Robert MacDonald

  Be a Gardener A typographer by trade, the professional career of Robert MacDonald has spanned a broad range of activities: publisher, producer, director, contributor, creator, mentor and information outfitter. He has substantial practical, hands-on experience in graphic and typographic design for print and interactive media, editorial development, advertising creative, copywriting, consumer and professional marketing, and business development. Robert has won writing, design, and production awards for print and digital media products he has initiated, or produced for clients. He has consulted at a senior level, and provided creative and management services, to museums and art galleries, government departments, education institutions, public service organizations and associations, publishing media and software companies, and enterprises in the travel, product distribution, packaged goods, professional services, software and technology sectors. Robert has lived in the Okanagan Valley for 12 years. He is an active community volunteer, and is currently a director and Treasurer of the Central Okanagan Hospice Association, a member of Vision North Okanagan and the Okanagan Media Alliance, the Publisher in Residence at Okanagan College, and the founding director of the Okanagan Institute. He is also learning to be a gardener.

• Stephen Joyce

  Breaking Down or Breaking Through 'Break Down or Break Through' features the Transition Initiative (TI). The TI model provides a road map for the creation of an energy descent plan for communities. It enables a community-based response to the three largest challenges facing our species: Peak Oil, climate change and economic inequality. This stage in human evolution can be viewed as a 'break down' or as an opportunity for a 'break through'. Never has our species had such a stark choice and never has our collaborative capacity been more put to the test. Stephen has addressed audiences on three continents and been the Keynote speaker for the Ideas Arabia Conference in Dubai. His book 'Teaching an Anthill to Fetch: Developing Collaborative Intelligence @ Work' became an Amazon and Canadian best-seller and has subsequently be translated into five languages. 'Teaching an Anthill to Fetch' has also become a core learning tool for a number of professional leadership courses across Canada. His experience and extensive research in the fields of social psychology; organizational consulting and group facilitation have gained him recognition as an expert in the field of collaboration and group dynamics Stephen's clients have included Fortune 500 companies, international conference boards, Federal agencies, provincial governments and professional associations. Stephen is a member of the steering committee for the 'Transition Initiative' in Penticton.

• Brian Hughes, Curator

  The TEDxOkanaganCollege project is the culmination several of Brian Hughes's passions. As a Board Member of Okanagan College's Board of Governors, he has had the opportunity first hand to watch a leading institution adapt to emerging educational needs on a practical basis. The construction of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies in Penticton was an especially satisfying development and it is an honour to be holding the first major conference in this cutting-edge building. The opportunity to bring together leading thinkers to ponder the future of human sustainability on this planet is particularly gratifying as it gets to the basic ethic and responsibility of living on this planet : How do we live the earth in better condition when we leave than when we came? For many years Brian has conducted Philosopher's Cafe's in which he has discussed important issues with guests in a cafe setting. It harkens back to the most basic interpersonal exercise of gathering around the campfire to listen to stories and the passing of wisdom through the generations