Speakers announced for TEDxGraceStreet

What’s next for RVA? An upcoming TEDx event will address that very question.

September 16, 2013; 6:39 AM • by RVANews staff

Update #1 — September 16, 2013; 6:37 AM

Organizers of TEDxGraceStreet (see below) have announced the speakers for the upcoming event who will discuss topics related to the future of Richmond:

• Laura Browder
• Domenick Casuccio
• Ross Catrow
• Marc Cheatham
• Christy Coleman
• Giles Harnesberger
• Elsie Harper-Anderson
• Damon Jiffetts
• Bryce Lyle
• Mike Mackenzie
• Prabir Mehta
• Angela Patton

TEDxGraceStreet takes place on September 20th from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Richmond Times-Dispatch building at 300 E. Franklin Street. Tickets are $25.

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Original — September 12, 2013

Richmond will get its second official TEDx event next Friday. TEDxGraceStreet will showcase around a dozen local speakers that will discuss various urban issues under the theme: “What’s next for Richmond.” A full list of speakers will be announced on Friday.

The half-day event takes place from 8:15 AM – 12:15 PM on Friday, September 20th inside the Richmond Times-Dispatch building at 300 E. Franklin Street. Only 100 tickets are available at $25 and will be made available online during three upcoming lots.

Here’s the release:

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TEDxGraceStreet, an independently organized event and part of TEDCity2.0, a day-long TED event for urban innovators, organizers, stewards and builders, will be held from 8:15 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. on Friday, September 20, 2013 in downtown Richmond.

On September 20, 2013, TEDxGraceStreet will join hundreds of other community-driven, self-organized TEDCity2.0 events around the world – including the official TEDCity2.0 event at the TimesCenter in New York City. TEDx communities worldwide will envision the cities of our future and share big ideas about collaborative action and sustainable solutions.

During the half-day TEDxGraceStreet event, participants will hear from a dozen local speakers on a range of urban issues focused on the theme of “What’s next for Richmond”. Speakers are set to be announced by September 13, and will bring perspectives on arts and culture, education, urban planning, civic engagement, social justice and economic development – the engines that drive growth and change.

Why TEDxGraceStreet? Well, TED asked that the TEDCity2.0 events have specific geographic names, for starters. The TEDxGraceStreet event will happen in the Richmond Times-Dispatch building between East Grace Street and East Franklin Street in downtown Richmond.

“I wanted to call this event TEDxGraceStreet because I think Grace Street is representative of what’s happening in Richmond now: a rebirth that’s full of energy and optimism happening right alongside profound poverty and inequality,” says Wren Lanier, a web developer and co-organizer of the event. “It’s easy for events to showcase the first, and much more challenging to be honest about the second. I think TEDxGraceStreet will be a place where we can do both and explore how to bridge the divide and create more opportunities for everyone.”

“When you combine TEDxGraceStreet with literally dozens of community conversations happening in Richmond this year, it’s clear there is real energy for connection,” says John Sarvay, a local consultant and co-organizer of the event. “We saw a chance to elevate some new voices, and spark new conversation about Richmond’s future.”

As a first-time TEDx licensee, the TEDxGraceStreet event is limited to 100 participants. Tickets for the event will be sold online in three lots, starting September 12 at 8:00 a.m. A small number of tickets will be distributed to local nonprofits and organizations to share with members of their communities. Ticket sales will be announced at tedxgracestreet.com and via the event Twitter handle @tedxgracestreet.

“The hardest aspects of organizing this event – a four-week planning window, limitations on audience size, limited budget – are exactly the reasons a handful of us decided to go for it,” says Sarvay. “Once we received our approval from TEDx in late August, we decided to keep it simple. We have a great venue with free parking, amazing local speakers and a small audience with a huge passion for Richmond. We’ll keep the emphasis of the day exactly where it belongs — the ideas, passions and beliefs of individuals optimistic about Richmond’s future.”

September 16, 2013 6:39 AM 2 1 update