TEDx Sioux Falls announced Thursday the full lineup of speakers for its annual event, taking place April 17 at the Washington Pavilion.
Co-organizer and entrepreneur Thadeus Giedd, who was awarded the license for TEDx Sioux Falls in 2018, was joined in 2023 by Wendy Mamer, who said a record-breaking 178 applicants vied to be one of eight taking the stage next month.
“The number of applications we received this year reflects the community’s enthusiasm and commitment to sharing innovative ideas,” says Mamer, who works as a success adviser at Augustana University.
She and Giedd say they are addressing a few new topics this year, including gaming, immigration and caregiving.
“We have the utmost confidence that we have selected the right people to lead the dialogue,” Mamer says. “They each bring their own unique perspectives that will both influence and inform the audience, with the hope of igniting deeper curiosity and challenging long-held beliefs.”
The TEDx program is an offshoot of TED Talks that brings local, self-organized events to communities worldwide. All TED Talks are recorded and shared online for TED’s global audience, with the goal to share “ideas worth spreading.”
Here’s a look at who will speak and what they will speak about:
Educator Kade Wells
Educator Kade Wells will speak on video game Dungeons and Dragons as education and therapy.
He has been using D&D, game-theory and product-based, experiential learning in the classroom for over a decade and is training teachers at the University of Sioux Falls on a grad credit class that allows students to play D&D for continuing education credit.
“D&D is educational by the nature of its design,” said Wells, who plays D&D with his students on Friday nights. “Reading and understanding text are critical to playing the game. D&D also possess amazing therapeutic power. It’s been used in studies by many mental health specialists for everything from autism to trauma.”
Former police officer and detective Jon Carda
Titled “The Stories Crimes Tell: Listening Beyond the Evidence,” Jon Carda’s presentation will reveal his experience as a detective for the Crimes Against Persons Unit, where he investigated and conducted suspect interrogations on many cases of homicide, suicide, assault and abuse.
His focus for TEDx is on the art of listening and observing victims, witnesses and suspects to reveal evidence as a detective.
“Evidence can reveal the what, but only listening uncovers the way,” says Carda, who served as a city police officer for 31 years.
For audience members, Carda will demonstrate how the same listening techniques used in investigations can help navigate challenges and strengthen relationships in our personal lives.
Two-time cancer survivor Nick Wendell
Nick Wendell is the executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Technical Education and serves as the deputy mayor in Brookings.
For his presentation next month, he will share handwritten notecards and personal journal entries that help to reveal life lessons and the “tremendous opportunity” cancer survival can have to grow in confidence, resilience and empathy.
Law student Abiah George
As the youngest speaker for this year’s event, 19-year-old Northern State University student Abiah George will present on the “imperfect immigration system” and how the “land of opportunity remains a land of uncertainty for many.”
She is pursuing a psychology major and was recently accepted into law school, where she intends to go into immigration law.
eSports parent Hannah Boquet
Organizer and founder of SoDak Circuit, Hannah Boquet is excited to share the unexpected quality time that came with “caving to the pressure” from her three boys to play Fortnite with them.
What transpired was a respect for “an inclusive, engaging platform where kids develop problem-solving, leadership and communication skills,” as well as “strengthening family bonds and preparing for future careers,” Boquet says.
Sports entrepreneur Andrea Powell
As a former coach for athletes of all ages and current educator on “athletic identity,” Dr. Andrea Powell will talk about the struggle student-athletes sometimes have acclimating to professional careers. She recently founded ADAPT Retirement Coaching to provide education, community and support for those in “sports retirement.”
She is currently an assistant professor of exercise and sports science at Augustana University.
Healthcare specialist Lisa Groon
After losing her mother to Alzheimer’s, patient-centered advocate Lisa Groon has dedicated her work to redefining how we think about dementia care for our families.
“Alzheimer’s doesn’t take away dignity, we do,” says Groon, who has worked alongside health systems and community organizations to improve patient experiences and reframe how we approach aging. “But that means we can give it back.”
Recovering addict, author and speaker Dr. Melissa Dittberner
“Dr. Mo” is the executive director of Midwest Street Medicine, CEO of telehealth platform Straight Up Healthcare and co-author of “The Alcohol Reset.” Her talk is about enlightening the audience on street medicine, a healthcare approach that meets the unhoused community right where they are, providing acute care for substance abuse, infections and trauma.
Dittberner is an existing TEDx speaker, a prevention specialist and peer specialist in Sioux Falls and is in “long-term addiction recovery,” providing empathy for those in need of healing and empowerment.
If You Go
TEDx Sioux Falls will be 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Washington Pavilion. Pre-program entertainment starts at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $30 and available on the TEDx Sioux Falls website.
