TEDxSomerville takes place March 30
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TEDxSomerville returns to the city on March 30, bringing the theme of “movement” to the event, asking those who participate and attend “What moves you?”

By David R. Smith

An illustrator, an economist and a nanny walk into Brooklyn Boulders…

No, it’s not the beginning of a joke; it’s just a sampling of the eclectic line up of the second TEDxSomerville, which will be held at Brooklyn Boulders (12A Tyler St.) Sunday, March 30. The event will feature entertainment, artists and more than a dozen speakers focusing on the theme of “movement,” in all its meanings, expressions and forms.

For event founder and TEDxSomerville Executive Director C. Todd Lombardo, the work he and the other 10 to 12 core volunteers put into organizing the event and selecting the speakers, it’s all about highlighting the talents of the people from the city he lives in and loves.

“Somerville has its own microcosm of amazing things,” he said. “We can use this as a platform to tell the world about the great things happening in Somerville.”

The nonprofit TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) organization started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

TEDx, such as this month’s event in Somerville, is a program of local events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. While the TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, individual TEDx events are self-organized (the “x” indicates it is an individual event not run by TED), although they are subject to certain rules and regulations.

For Lombardo, TED has been an inspiration for a decade.

“I became a fan in 2004,” he said, explaining that TED Conference attendees were given DVD sets of the talks before they were available online, as they are now.

A work colleague had one of the DVDs and suggested he watch a talk by humorist Ze Frank.

“It was hilarious,” he said of Frank. “I watched the video and was blown away. I wanted to know what this TED thing was.”

The conference talks began being posted online a few years later, and Lombardo quickly became an avid follower, as did many others.

“People suddenly knew all about it,” he said. “It was no longer just for people who attended; it was for anybody who can watch on the Web.”

Lombardo organized two such conferences during a year and a half stay in Madrid, Spain, before returning to Somerville.

He said the unifying theme for the upcoming TEDxSomerville event developed over time during discussions among the volunteers.

“The theme of ‘movement’ kind of bubbled up. There was no formal process; it was pretty organic” he said. “It can be broadly interpreted in so many ways.”

Those ways include exploring physical movement, or “movement” in the sense of people coming together to promote a common cause. At its heart, the theme asks the speakers a basic question: “What moves you?”

Selecting those speakers and coordinating the event is a time-consuming process, especially as TEDxSomerville is entirely run by volunteers.

“We had the call out for speakers for about a year,” he said. “We tweeted it out and put it on our Facebook page.”

A form on the event’s website that asked a few basic questions for potential speakers generated 63 responses. In all, Lombardo said they had between 70 and 80 respondents.

“Some were brilliant, some were self-serving,” he said, noting the latter category included people who seemed to be more interested in promoting a business or selling a product.

He noted that many of the suggested speakers did not recommend themselves. Yoga instructor Aaron Cantor, for example, was suggested multiple times by students of his. Other times, Lombardo said they reach out to people they have heard about it. Through whatever means the speakers connected with the event, Lombardo said the decision to invite them to participate is usually the result of a fairly simple experience.

“You talk them and start realizing they have a really cool story to tell,” he said.

Tickets to the event are $49 each, although Lombardo said there will be a limited number of “scholarships” available for those who cannot afford the tickets. Attendees who want to help further defray the cost of the event and increase the number of scholarships can purchase a “Super Awesome Ticket” for $98.

There are also about 80 spots open for people to watch a live stream of the event, although Lombardo noted it is not the same experience as being there, especially as the setting for the event, with its rock climbing walls, fits in well with the movement theme.

His hope for the event is that attendees take the ideas explored during the talks from off the stage and into their everyday lives.

“Hopefully this will stimulate some interesting debate in our community,” he said.

To order tickets, or for more information, visit tedsomerville.org and check out TEDxSomerville on Facebook and Twitter.

TedxSomerville speakers

Helen Adeosun is passionate about nannies, children, and their care. She firmly believes that nannies and caregivers have the power to grow communities and formed SitterCycle to improve that experience. She is a member of the International Nanny Association, Massachusetts Association of Professional Nannies,a former member of the DC Childcare Collective, and a member of the National Association for the Education Young Children. Helen holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an EdM. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As an author, painter, and singer-songwriter, Miranda Aisling spends all her time making things. This past year, Miranda captured her creative process in her new book, Don’t Make Art, Just Make Something: the process, struggle, and vital importance of getting started.

Aaron Cantor is a proponent of physical intelligence and the creator of “Primal Practice,” a paradigm-shifting approach to mindfulness and movement training. He leads workshops around the world and makes his home at the Old Oak Dojo, an urban learning center in Boston.

Sean B. Cash is an economist with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University with expertise in economics and policy of food, nutrition, and the environment. His research focuses on how food, nutrition, and environmental policies affect both producers and consumers.

Matthew Dicks is the author of the novels Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Something Missing and Unexpectedly, Milo and the rock opera The Clowns. When he isn’t writing, he fills his time as an elementary school teacher, a wedding DJ, a minister, a blogger, a life coach and a storyteller.

Christina Economos, Ph D. is co-Founder and Director of ChildObesity180 and is an Associate Professor and the New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. As the principal investigator of large-scale research studies, her goal is to inspire behavior, policy, and environmental change to reduce obesity and improve the health of America’s children. At ChildObesity180 she blends scientific evidence and rigor with innovation and experience from the private sector to develop, implement, evaluate, and scale high-impact obesity prevention initiatives. She led the groundbreaking Shape Up Somerville study demonstrating that it is possible to reduce excess weight gain in children through multiple leverage points within an entire community.

Craig Foley is the chief of energy solutions for RE/MAX Leading Edge, and a co-founder of inCharge Energy. He is the architect of RE/MAX Leading Edge’s successful green brand and strategy.

His combination of real estate and energy management skills give him a unique perspective about sustainable energy solutions. He is the author of the first report on high-performance homes in Massachusetts which was published in February 2013.

Kevin Gendreau has worked as an animator/VFX supervisor on over 40 television and film projects, and was part of the Emmy-winning visual effects team on the TV miniseries “Dune.” He has also provided animation for planetarium shows, a Rolling Stones concert tour and the Jet Propulsion Lab’s “Moonrise” project.

Since 2005 Mimi Graney has served as the Executive Director of Union Square Main Streets, a neighborhood-focused economic development organization. Among her projects are the Union Square and Somerville Winter Farmers’ Markets, neighborhood advocacy on issues such as the Green Line Extension, zoning and urban design, as well as the co-working space called Design Annex. She’s perhaps most famous (or infamous) for the annual Fluff Festival, a madcap happening honoring the inventor of Marshmallow Fluff that’s become a quintessential New England event.

George Proakis, AICP, is the director of planning for the city of Somerville. He supervises the team that completed the 2012 SomerVision comprehensive plan. He is now coordinating the development of the new Somerville by Design neighborhood planning process that has created significant community participation in planning for Gilman Square, Magoun Square, Ball Square, Davis Square and East Somerville. He is working on zoning to conserve Somerville’s neighborhoods, enhance transit centers and transform Somerville’s old industrial districts like Inner Belt and Assembly Square while also protecting arts and maker spaces in Somerville.

A former therapist with a master’s degree in social work, Cortney Rowan has honed an empathy-driven approach to human-centered design that builds trust and gains access. Showing a talent for connecting with people from an early age, she has spent the last 10 years in management consulting addressing systematic challenges and helping companies manage their people through large-scale organizational changes. She is a senior design strategist at Altitude, Inc., a Somerville-based design and innovation firm where she regularly blends her talent for understanding people with her desire to build solutions that provide greater reach and impact.

Brynmore Williams is an award-winning filmmaker specializing in short-form documentaries. His interests lie in developing new ways of producing and sharing the stories we tell. He directs, shoots and edits most of his work and Unchastened is an example of his style of storytelling.

Bekka Wright is writer and illustrator of the Web comic Bikeyface. Through cartoons, Bikeyface is a witty, entertaining, and sometimes irreverent approach to bicycling for transportation. Inspired by her daily experiences biking in and around Boston, the Web comic ultimately aims to raise the profile of everyday bicycling and bring ideas to a broad audience.