TEDxJacksonville to stream event live on YouTube

Millions from around world can tune into October event on TEDxTalks channel

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The independently organized TEDxJacksonville annual conference will go global this year.

The event, to be held Saturday, Oct. 24, at the WJCT studios will be streamed live on YouTube at YouTube.com/TEDxTalks, a channel with more than 2.8 million subscribers.

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TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading," usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert and Sir Richard Branson.

TEDx supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community. Since the program launched in 2009, nearly 50,000 Talks have been presented at more than 12,000 events.

The day-long Jacksonville conference, themed "Into The Machine," will be held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24. An audience of more than 300 will watch live talks and musical performances.

"We are truly humbled by the opportunity to share our conference with the world live on YouTube," said TEDxJacksonville co-organizer and executive producer Sabeen Perwaiz. "TED is a global phenomenon, and we are excited about TEDx's growth in Jacksonville. Our organization is grateful for the support and guidance we've received from TED staff and other TEDx organizers."

This year's TEDxJacksonville speakers include entrepreneur Peter Rummell, Jacksonville attorney John Phillips, former City Council president Kevin Hyde and Gainesville biologist Jennifer Adler.

Recognizing the global opportunity available through the YouTube livestream, TEDxJacksonville organizers have reached out to TEDx organizations to submit welcome messages of about 15 seconds in their native languages that will be broadcast at the conference.

General admission and student tickets are sold out, but Intellectual Catalyst tickets remain available. These high-tier tickets guarantee admission for one, funding toward scholarships for 30 students to attend the conference, recognition in the event program and an invitation to a private TEDxJacksonville Salon to be held in 2016.

The annual conference has sold out every year since its inception as TEDxRiversideAvondale in 2012.

Additionally, TEDxJacksonville is hosting two livestreams with free admission at two Jacksonville Public Library locations -- University Park Branch Library and Webb Wesconnett Branch Library.

Al Letson, performance poet, playwright and public radio host of the award-winning "State of the Re:union," and Hope McMath, director of The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, will return as co-hosts. Letson has served as a host each of the past three years and McMath is returning for her second year. McMath has also served as a discussion facilitator during this summer's TEDxTuesday series.

The conference theme, "Into the Machine," recognizes the essential engines of our future progress, as advances in manufacturing, communications, computer technology and processing power dramatically accelerate our world, fundamentally transforming our lives. TEDxJacksonville's "Into the Machine" invites attendees to explore machines and systems and to contemplate what role humanity will play in this new, second Machine Age.

Speakers:

Jennifer Adler of Gainesville -- Biologist and underwater photographer working on connecting Floridians with the limited underwater supply
Jim Barbaresso of Detroit -- Internationally renowned expert in intelligent transportation systems
Fatene Ben Hamza of Tunisia -- French-Tunisian business strategist who manages a coworking community of change-makers and entrepreneurs helping them make things happen after the Arab Spring
Peter Carney of Chicago -- Professional saxophonist and composer who developed a groundbreaking method for interactive learning
Tessa Duvall of Jacksonville -- Reporter for The Florida Times-Union who covers education, children and families
Rick DuCharme of Jacksonville -- Founder and Executive Director of First Coast No More Homeless Pets
Jordan Edelheit of Cincinnati -- Founder and co-organizer of TEDxOhioStateUniversity and co-organizer of TEDxMarionCorrectional, the first TEDx event held in a prison
Kevin Gover of Washington, D.C. -- Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and a citizen of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Tim Harris of Albuquerque -- Owner of Tim's Place and one of the first and only men with Down syndrome to own a restaurant; gained national acclaim via a viral video of his work at Tim's Place
Kevin Hyde of Jacksonville -- Partner and employment lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, former Jacksonville City Council President
Mark McCombs of Jacksonville -- Engineer, nonprofit founder and affiliate partner for FIRST Lego League North Florida
John Phillips of Jacksonville -- Attorney who has represented the family of Jordan Davis and other victims in several high profile cases; has been featured on CNN, HLN and most other national networks  
Peter Rummell of Jacksonville -- Real estate developer, entrepreneur and chief patron of One Spark, the World's Largest Crowdfunding Festival

Musical guests:

Canary in the Coalmine -- Jacksonville-based Americana folk band fronted by songwriters Jessica Pounds and Sandy Wicker
Complicated Animals -- Brazilian and American duo Monica da Silva and Chad Alger who fuse breezy indie pop and vintage Brazilian Bossa Nova
Ritz Chamber Players -- A trio from the Chamber Players will play at the conference:  violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins of New York, violist and violinist Orlando Wells of New York and cellist Tahirah Whittington of Chicago
Wise River -- A three-piece dream-pop/synth-pop band fronted by brother-sister duo John and Laura Shannon of Jacksonville


To watch the TEDxJacksonville conference live on YouTube, bookmark the website for Oct. 24: YouTube.com/TEDxTalks.

To learn more about TEDxJacksonville, go to http://www.TEDxJacksonville.com