TEDxMaui Returns to Maui Arts & Cultural Center this Sunday, September 28th

“We have two profound opportunities (at TEDxMaui): to learn and to connect” – Leslie Wilcox, President, PBS Hawai’i

Some of Hawai’i’s brightest and most innovative minds will take to the stage this Sunday during the 3rd annual TEDxMaui, a locally produced version of the world-renowned TED conference. TED, which stands for technology, entertainment and design, is a national nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TED holds an annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, that has featured speakers such as Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Sir Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Philippe Starck, Hillary Clinton, and more. TED talks have been viewed by millions of people worldwide.

See What the Buzz is All About

TEDxMaui takes place on Sunday, Sept. 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) Castle Theater. The event also includes an evening celebration with live music from 5:30-7:30 p.m. To get tickets contact the MACC’s Box Office at 808-242-SHOW (7469) or visit www.mauiarts.org.

Tuition for the daylong event is $100. A limited number of student and elder (over 65) tickets are available for $75. An ID will be required for age verification. TEDxMaui will be limited to 1,150 participants, with 100 spaces reserved for students and elders. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Anyone with a thirst for knowledge can have a profound experience at TEDxMaui,” said producer and co-founder Sara Tekula. “I believe in this community’s ability to make a difference in the world, both locally and globally, and this event is where change-makers get inspired and subsequently find one another.”

2014 Presenters

2014 presenters include:

• Svetlana Berdyugina, PhD – NASA astronomer, researcher of extraterrestrial life, physics professor, discoverer and artist.
• Dave Kalama – Maui’s own surf icon and big wave pioneer, world champion ocean athlete.
• Robert Cazimero – Legendary and award-winning Hawaiian singer, songwriter, pianist, kumu hula and contributor to the Hawaiian cultural renaissance.
• Taimane Gardner – Dazzling and innovative ukulele virtuoso and songwriter.
• Samuel M. ‘Ohukani‘ōhi‘a Gon, III, PhD – Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor at The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, world-renowned expert on Hawaiian ecology.
• Maya Soetoro-Ng, PhD – Award-winning peace, multicultural, and international studies educator and children’s book author. Co-founder of the community peace training program Ceeds of Peace with Kerrie Urosevich. Campaigner for her brother, President Barack Obama.
• Dr. Bradley Willcox, MD – World-renowned longevity researcher, physician, co-author of The Okinawan Diet Plan and The Okinawa Program.
• Lindsea K. Wilbur – Hawaii’s own futurist focusing on social invention and human-centered political design, organizer and traveler on the Millennial Trains Project with the Government Futures Lab.
• B.J. Fogg – Behavior scientist, expert on habit formation, founder of Stanford’s Persuasive Tech Lab, one of Fortune’s “10 new gurus you should know.”
• Edward Readicker-Henderson – Widely published vagabonding travel writer and contributing editor of National Geographic Traveler and ISLANDS magazines.

2014 TEDxMaui Presenters

You can also view a complete list of the presenters with short biographies and photographs on the TEDxMaui website.

TEDxMaui Sponsors

TEDxMaui is an annual nonprofit community effort driven by a team of volunteers, and made possible by the contributions – both cash and in-kind – from many generous local companies. This year, Rising Sun Solar/Sunrun took the lead as “Visionary” sponsors, with Whole Foods Market Kahului contributing at the “Innovator” Level, and with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Andaz Maui at Wailea, Grand Wailea, and Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa all providing Hospitality sponsorships to house off-island presenters.

In addition, at the “Groundbreaker” level, OluKai Footwear returns to sponsor TEDxMaui for a third year, alongside Hawai‘i Life, and Maui Nō Ka ʻOi Magazine. For a second year, Old Lahaina Lu‘au is sponsoring student scholarships for high school students. Because of their support, a scholarship program was developed allowing 50 high school students to attend the event with faculty advisors as a part of a customized curriculum. In addition to our sponsorships, over two dozen private donors have also contributed to make the event possible.

For more information about TEDxMaui, visit www.tedxmaui.com.