Bryant University will host the fifth annual TEDxBryantU conference on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 in Bryant’s Janikies Theatre. TEDxBryantU, an independently-organized, student-run initiative licensed by the TED media platform, offers an inspiring opportunity to listen to members of the Bryant community,  share new ideas about ways we can improve and better serve the world. 

“We hope that the audience learns more about how anyone is capable of doing anything with the right mindset,” says Co-Lead Director Alejandro Vaquerano ’23. “We hope that they learn more about themselves, the world around them, and what their seed of innovation is.” 

Registration is available here. For Bryant University community (students, alumni, and faculty) members the event will be FREE. Others will be charged $5 for admission. In the case that in-person attendance is limited due to prevailing COVID guidelines, registrations will be honored on a first come, first served basis. All audience members will be required to wear surgical (not cloth) masks indoors. 

Inspiring speakers
Organized under the theme of “Seeds of Innovation,” this year’s TEDxBryantU talks will offer innovative ideas, advice and mindsets that will help audience see the world around them in a new way. Featured speakers include three students, two alumni, a member of the Bryant faculty and two guest speakers, all hand-picked from a competitive applicant pool because of their diverse perspectives and passion to inspire others. 

“Bryant is an innovative community in and out of the classroom. We hope that the audience will hold on to what they hear at TEDxBryantU and understand that they are capable of capitalizing on their own ideas to turn them into innovations.”

“TEDxBryantU presents an opportunity for individuals from all walks of life to listen to a variety of accomplished speakers present innovative ideas that can result in drastic paradigm shifts and a call to take action,” says Lead Curator Kyle McPherson ‘22

The TEDxBryantU 2022 speakers are: 
Students

• Emily Grossman ’23 will discuss “Starting off Small”
• Nicole Craig ’22 will present “Being first: How to grow from a seed to an innovator”
• Alexandra Meise ’22 will discuss “A Deep Connection between Unlikely fields is at the core of what makes us human” 

Alumni

• Dustin Cabral ’09, Principal Consultant at Cleartelligence, Inc., will share his thoughts on “Why Data Visualization might change your life”
• Brooke Tomasetti ’15, Personal Finance Consultant and Owner at Money Life Mentor, will discuss how “Money is the key to freedom and independence”

Faculty

• Lecturer of Management Christopher Ratcliffe, Ph.D., will discuss “The artist as an innovator: How creative pursuits shape innovation” 

Guest Speakers

• Adam Alpert, Co-founder of Pangea.app, will present on “Dealing with Stress through stoicism
• Dan Vaquerano, a Field Sales Manager at Sunrun, will discuss “Innovation U: the power of the GIVE method”

By including a wide range of voices, TEDxBryantU highlights a variety of perspectives and ways to make a difference. “This event allows students and others in the Bryant community to be able to see what other students, faculty, alumni and others are working on,” notes Assistant Curator Martin Dale ‘22. “This can inspire them to explore different interests and to start working on something that they have wanted to for a while.”

Empowering innovation
TEDxBryantU first became a Bryant tradition when Samantha Scoca ’18, inspired by the University’s culture of innovation, applied for a TEDx license and formed a committee with five other dedicated students. Over the last four years, TEDxBryantU has sparked conversations that still continue today. 

In addition to Vaquerano, McPherson and Dale, this year’s TEDxBryantU is being organized by Co-Lead Director Margaret Salmon ‘23, Treasurer Taryn Walsh ‘23, Marketing Director Bailey Gifford ‘23 and Club Facilitator Catherine Papayannopoulos ‘22

They’re excited to contribute new voices to an already vibrant exchange of ideas. “Bryant is an innovative community in and out of the classroom,” says Papayannopoulos. “We hope that the audience will hold on to what they hear at TEDxBryantU and understand that they are capable of capitalizing on their own ideas to turn them into innovations of their own.”