TEDxSavannah, an independently organized celebration of ideas, based on the international TED talk phenomenon — is thrilled to announce the line-up of 14 talented, local speakers for TEDxSavannah 2026, which will take place on Friday, May 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fine Arts Auditorium at Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus, located at 11935 Abercorn St. in Savannah, Ga. Doors will open at 8 a.m.

The theme for the highly anticipated 15th annual TEDxSavannah event is Shaping the Future. Speakers will address the 2026 theme from a range of perspectives in inspired talks designed to resonate with the greater Savannah community.

TEDxSavannah received a record 296 speaker applications for the 2026 event and invited 30 applicants to pitch their ideas in person before selecting the final 14 speakers.

“We carefully selected a diverse group of local leaders for our landmark 15th annual event and can’t wait for them to share their ideas about the future on the TEDxSavannah stage,” said TEDxSavannah organizing committee member and former TEDxSavannah speaker Mickie McNamara. “We truly believe that ideas change everything and warmly invite members of the Savannah community to join us for an inspiring day defined by insightful talks and ideas worth sharing.”

2026 TEDxSavannah speakers include:

• Kate Blair — Executive Director, Brightside Child & Family Advocacy
• Dr. Maxine Bryant — Award-winning journalist and educator
• Tyler Cobbs — Founder, GoAssistantly
• Steve Curran — CEO, Khaki Consulting
• Jamey Espina — Vice President of Development and Community Services, Hospice Savannah
• Gracen Garceau — Savannah Country Day School student 
• Dr. SallyAnn Gray — Transition Specialist, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System
• Wade Herring — Partner, HunterMaclean
• Jason Marshall — President and CEO, Goodwill Southeast Georgia
• Kareem McMichael — Award-winning filmmaker, writer and media professional
• Olga Seredyuk — Executive Director, The Whitefield Center
• Geoff Thatcher — Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Creative Principals
• Dominique Treadwell — Founder and Chief Flavor Maker, Spoonlight Ice Cream
• Kimberly Waller — President and CEO, United Way of the Coastal Empire    

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

TEDxSavannah 2026 will feature thought-provoking talks as well as compelling live performances. Live talks will be filmed and posted on the TEDx Talks YouTube channel, which has more than 40 million subscribers, following the event.

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $70, which include seating, onsite parking, lunch, snacks, coffee and admission to the speaker meet-and-greet immediately following the main TEDxSavannah event. Special discounts are available for educators, students, nonprofits, active-duty military and first responders.

A limited number of VIP/Friends of TEDxSavannah tickets are also available for $125, which include priority seating, priority lunch access, lunch, parking, backstage access and a special VIP badge.

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

To purchase tickets or learn more about TEDxSavannah, please visit tedxsavannah.com or follow TEDxSavannah on Facebook, X or Instagram.

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