By: Gurleen Aujla, Peak Associate
TEDxSFU returns for its 11th year at the Anvil Theatre on November 20. Independently run TEDx events are created in the spirit of TED, “a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks” focused on technology, education, and design.
The Peak spoke to Sara Milosavic, co-project lead about how the conference was organized.
This year’s theme, “Bloom,” centres around stories of resilience and growth in the face of adversity. It’s symbolic of a blooming flower, from its initial bud phase to the beautiful flower at the end of its journey. We often see the end result, but Milosavic said “we don’t necessarily see the struggles and the journey that it goes through.
This year has taught us that there’s a lot of growth to be done within each of us, and with the community as well, so that’s where the theme was inspired.”
The conference’s nine speakers all embody the theme in a variety of ways. This year’s panel includes Len Pierre, a Katzie Nation consultant and cultural knowledge keeper; Dinara Mukh, a women’s hormone health coach; Matthew Provost, SFSS vice-president and member of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot) Nation; Alexandra Kitson, postdoctoral fellow at SFU SIAT, and more.
These speakers were selected out of over 60 applicants partly due to their diverse interests. The conference organizers wanted to curate an event where there was something for everyone. From hearing about a relational trauma therapist smashing stigmas to learning about a company using robots to combat food waste, this year’s conference sets up individuals to discover what “Bloom” is for themselves.
Milosavic hopes audience members take away the message that we’re “in this together and that we’re all blooming as individuals, but also as a community.
This is really an opportunity to [ . . . ] open your mind to other possibilities and other perspectives on things that you might think are straightforward.”
Milosavic shared she’s really appreciated being able to rely on her team members. “Everybody has their strengths and one thing that I really love about TEDx and the team is that people come from all different backgrounds,” she said.
TEDxSFU roles are open to all SFU students and alumni of two years or less, depending on interests and time commitment. According to Milosavic, there is “a unique perspective from everybody that comes into creating this and every year it’s different because of that.” Hiring for the organizing committee begins in April. Interested students can sign up for notifications through the TEDxSFU newsletter.
All of the conference talks will be recorded and available to watch online. Follow TEDxSFU on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
