Attended by an estimated 1,000 people, the event is still growing and drawing new audiences, said Sean Creighton, license holder and co-chair of the sponsors committee for TEDxDayton.
“It’s just remarkable to think 10 years later, to have a new audience being introduced into this community experience,” Creighton said.
TEDxDayton was filmed on a set in front of a small audience and livestreamed in 2020 and 2021. Creighton said the in-person experience is “just different.”
“(The talks) can be seen all over the world,” he said. “We have videos of past speakers with millions of views on their talks, but to be here in person is just satisfying.”
Speaker Jyllian Bradshaw, an attorney practicing in labor, employment, and education, said that asking relevant questions, and considering what information would be admissible in court can help you “be an expert in spotting” lies.
“We dig through a mountain of trash information. We rummage out the facts that are buried among the mess, we dust them off, make them shiny, and hold them up in the light of the judicial system,” Bradshaw said in her presentation. “The term ‘fact’ is very different from the term ‘information.’”
Stories shared by speakers ranged from the lighthearted and funny to the visceral and harrowing. Scott Swanson, a retired Air Force officer, pilot, and acquisition professional, described how “remote warriors,” those who pilot international drone strikes while based in the United States, are the new front lines of warfare — and those struggling with the repercussions that may be hard to see. Sometimes, being on that front line means staring at a foreign country on a high-definition live feed, and counting the bodies left by a drone strike, Swanson said.
“Your mind thinks you’re there,” Swanson said. “In those long hours watching, you see things that can’t be unseen. War, by its very nature, is an ugly thing. The job of these remote warriors to stare at those ugly scenes.”
Being a TEDx speaker is an opportunity that is open to anyone with a good idea to share, said Luther Palmer, signature event co-chair and past TEDxDayton speaker.
“We don’t even ask you what your job title is,” he said. “We could have moms. We can have teachers, and we can have soccer coaches. We want a diversity of ages and backgrounds and cultures and personalities.”
Additionally, TEDxDayton organizers announced a new program to launch ideas from TEDxDayton beyond the round red carpet and into action. Called Share Forward, the initiative makes former TEDxDayton speakers available to individuals or small groups, including colleges, nonprofits, or businesses, to learn more about their topic, and may implement those ideas into the community. Participating TEDxDayton alumni will be available for 45 minute virtual sessions beginning in 2023.
Recordings of TEDxDayton talks will be available on YouTube later this year.
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