HO SHIZZ! 

The long-rumored debut of TED Talks in Humboldt County is just around the corner, thanks to a kickstart from the Headwaters Fund! 

“TEDxEureka” is the newest franchisee of the hugely popular and widely mocked TED Talk empire, in which fashion-forward eggheads perform a kind of super-mega-Powerpoint about The Future in front a large crowd of aspiring nextification consultants. Sometimes they’re pretty good.

The very first TEDxEureka event will be held in … Arcata. In December.

Hey, do you want to TED-talk? Do you have a list of Five Ways That Drupal is Changing the Planet? Does your wave-powered hydroponics system produce enough tomatoes to supply all the marinara in Umbria, and with zero emissions?

Well, the TEDxEureka krew wants to hear from you! Soon! Press release and request for talk proposals follows:

Seeking Speakers for TEDxEureka – Proposals Due August 15, 2012

To promote our talented and innovative community in Humboldt County, a local TEDx event will be held on December 2nd, 2012 at the Arcata Theatre Lounge.

The organizers of TEDxEureka, are seeking speakers who can provide original content, demonstrate their passion and showcase the presentation skills that TEDx talks should have. The theme for this event is “I found it!”

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment & Design and the original TED talks focused on these elements. Now, however, cutting-edge thinking across multiple industries is appropriate for TED and TEDx. Organizers are looking for cool topics that showcase the kind of thinkers we have in Humboldt, and that provide some local flavor.

If you would like to participate, please send your initial indication of interest by August 15 to michael@tedxeureka.com and include your subject and the length of speech that you are targeting. TEDx talks should be between 3-18 minutes long. A small working group will vet the proposals, choosing which ones to move forward with and identifying mini-themes from the patterns they see in the proposals. The event itself will have a very restricted live audience but will be streamed locally. Speakers will be able to attend the entire half-day program free of charge, and they will be given preference if they want to buy an additional ticket.

TEDx talks are known for excellent presentations. Speakers are expected to give the talk of their life. The independently organized event, licensed by TED, will be professionally staged and speaking coaches will be provided to those who want them.

A Headwaters Fund mini-grant of $1,000 has been awarded in support of this program. Other local sponsors are being sought.

If you have questions, you may email Michael Kraft at michael@tedxeureka.com or call 445-1163.

The TEDxEureka Team: Michael Kraft, Ellen Johnson, Darus Trutna, Kathy Moxon, Mary Gelinas, Tim Trutna, Laura Montagna, Susan Seaman, Fawn Scheer, Peter Jermyn, Dawn Elsbree, Cedar Reuben