TEDxSavannah, an independently organized, half-day celebration of ideas worth spreading based on the international TED talk phenomenon, will host its highly anticipated 12th Annual TEDxSavannah event on Thursday, May 25, 2023 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Auditorium at Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus, located at 11935 Abercorn St.

Highlights will include thought-provoking talks by 15 local speakers as well as high-energy live performances throughout the afternoon. All ticket holders are welcome to attend a complimentary After Party at the Armstrong Center, featuring food trucks and live music immediately following the main TEDxSavannah event.

“TEDxSavannah is a favorite annual event that offers inspiration from leaders across a wide variety of industries as well as amazing opportunities to network,” said TEDxSavannah organizing committee member Brian Judson. “We fully expect this year’s event to sell out and encourage everyone to purchase their tickets early, so they don’t miss out on this incredible event.”

The TEDxSavannah theme for 2023 is Connection. Speakers will address the theme from a wide range of perspectives that will resonate deeply with the greater Savannah community.

“We have an exciting line-up of engaging speakers, ranging from Savannah-area executives to published authors, preparing thought-provoking talks related to our theme of Connection,” said TEDxSavannah organizing committee member Rachael Tiede. “We’re thrilled to introduce our new half-day format and to celebrate our inspiring community at a fun-filled After Party this year.”

The 2023 TEDxSavannah list of speakers is as follows:

• Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda - Rector, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

• Kim Campbell - Senior Project Manager, Ethos Preservation

• Amy Capello - Certified Life Coach and Owner, Pure Joy Life Coaching

• Candicee Childs, M.D., MHA, NASM-CNC, NASM-CPT - Doctor and Author

• Brittany Curry - Graphic Recorder and Facilitator, InkyBrittany

• Marc E. Frischer, Ph.D. - Professor, University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of     Oceanography

• Whitney Lam Gilliard - CEO, Gilliard & Company

• Michael Hughes, P.E. - Principal and Project Manager, Thomas & Hutton

• Harrison Scott Key - Author and Savannah College of Art and Design Professor

• Jonalyn Lavarias - Yoga Instructor

• Trelani Michelle - Author, Oral Historian, Teaching Artist and Founder, Krak Teet

• Zoe Rinker - Executive Director, Savannah Tree Foundation

• Meredith Stone - Design Associate, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay and Real Estate Advisor, Vantosh Realty Group

• Erika D. Tate, Ph.D. - Founder and CEO, Bluknowledge, LLC

• Tricia Veldman, M.S., CCC-SLP - Founder and Speech-Language Pathologist, Georgia Speech Coaching

Full bios for the TEDxSavannah speakers, along with photos, are available at tedxsavannah.com.

TEDxSavannah received 115 speaker applications for the 2023 event. Each TEDxSavannah speaker is limited to a maximum of 12 minutes to present an interesting talk influenced by the theme and of interest to the Savannah community. Live talks will be filmed and posted on the TEDx Talks YouTube channel following the event.

Guided by a mission to share ideas worth spreading, TEDxSavannah welcomes the public to enjoy live presentations from area residents, TED Talk videos designed to spark deep discussion and live performances.

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $50, which include seating, onsite parking, snacks, coffee and admission to the After Party. Discounted tickets are available for educators, students and nonprofits for $40. VIP tickets are also available for $75, which include priority seating and a special VIP badge.

Groups of more than six attendees can receive a 10% discount on the price of their tickets by contacting Allison Hersh at [email protected].

To purchase tickets or to learn more about TEDxSavannah, please visit tedxsavannah.com.