11 Ways to Get Inspired at TEDxNapaValley 2016

NAPA, Calif. - Feb. 19, 2016 - PRLog -- Do you know what a bank robber’s son, a visual effects professional and a Shaman have in common?  They are all speaking in Napa on Sunday, May 1st. Go Figure!  Actually, Go Figure! is the theme for the TEDxNapaValley live conference scheduled for Sunday, May 1, 2016, at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center in Napa, CA. Speakers at this popular annual event will offer insight into the expansive concept of “the figure,” one that reaches into almost every area of contemporary life, including science, the arts, creative entrepreneurship, and more.  The event will feature the following speakers.


Deni Ellis Béchard
Deni is a journalist, photographer, educator, activist, and award-winning author—as well as the son of a man who robbed fifty banks. In one of his books, a critically acclaimed memoir called Cures for Hunger, he shares his struggle to understand his father and the social conditions that led him to a life of crime. Deni’s unusual family experience shaped his commitment to causes that range from conservation to human rights to helping others view lawbreakers with more compassion and depth.

Flynn Coleman
Flynn is the CEO and founder of Malena, a company that supports economic development and human rights with innovative solutions, such as a proprietary crowd-funding platform and accessible global marketplace. She is also an international human rights attorney, author, social entrepreneur, athlete, and teacher of mindfulness and creativity. She was educated at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, UC Berkeley School of Law, and has spoken, written, and taught extensively on issues of economic development, innovation in social impact, and human rights.

Stephanie Der
Stephanie is a Napa resident interested in advancing gender and racial equity through popular culture. Her community “playshops” use the genres of fantasy, science fiction, and horror as tools for social justice and combating violence in its many forms. She believes that for many people of color these genres provide a powerful springboard for social change.

Talin Koutnouyan
Talin is a Producer at The Ayzenberg Group—the full-service advertising agency behind Mattel, Microsoft, EA, Disney, Sony, Warner Bros., Activision-Blizzard, Red Bull and Yahoo!—where she specializes in developing creative and strategic brand support initiatives for Microsoft devices. Early experiences at Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab fueled her passion for scientific precision and creativity, but also taught her the limitations of data and the critical importance of interpretation.

Vicki Lau
A visual-effects professional, Vicki has worked for studios around the globe on productions that include “The Walking Dead,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” among many others. Vicki has also thrown herself into the brave new world of virtual reality technology, working with VR startups and educational programs in creative and advisory capacities.

Brian Lohmann
Brian has been performing as a singer, actor and comedian since the age of ten. He has played nightclubs in North Beach, sung opera at Carnegie Hall, crooned with Bobby McFerrin, and coached actors on two Francis Ford Coppola films. He co-founded BATS Improv, the Bay Area’s most acclaimed and longest running improvisation school and company, and for the past decade,

Meredith McHenry
Meredith has been singing since she could talk. She spent her early years performing in church choirs and at home with a group that would rival the Partridge Family. In college, she studied classical voice but changed course at the eleventh hour to “go corporate,” where she stayed for eight years. She beat the odds to make an unexpected appearance on ABC’s short-lived singing show, “Karaoke Battle USA,” which jumpstarted her long overdue return to music.

Edi Osbourne
Accounting and Shamanism rarely appear on the same resume, but Edi is both a fully initiated shaman in the African tradition, and one of the top 25 Thought Leaders in the Accounting Profession for seven years running. She works as a speaker, author and trainer to help accountants become effective business advisors, blending data-driven support and consciousness work to help her clients succeed.

Paul Osincup
A specialist in conflict resolution, Paul works as a speaker and consultant, advising companies and educational institutions on issues that range from diversity and compassion fatigue to using humor in leadership. He is a former Associate Director of Conflict Resolution at Colorado State University and Associate Dean of Student Affairs at the Culinary Institute of America, where he resolved complex issues in a manner that both supported students and aligned with the institution's mission.  His experience as a stand up comic fuels his commitment to using positivity and humor to galvanize groups and ignite individual ambition.

Alex Regenstreich
Alex sees faces everywhere he goes—on doorknobs, cars, barns, handbags, and coffee cups. To spread the charming magic of his discoveries, he launched a book and a line of t-shirts and also developed a curriculum to help under-served children. Alex believes that finding faces in unexpected places helps us learn to see our whole lives with a fresh perspective. He currently teaches an iseefaces workshop at 826Valencia.org and facessf, a San Francisco non-profit aimed at helping the most vulnerable families in our community.

Shelby Scarbrough
Shelby is an entrepreneur with a distinguished public service career. In addition to launching many businesses, she worked with many U.S. Presidents, international heads of state, and even the Pope. She served as Global Board President for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and is co-founder of nCourage Entrepreneurs, a private angel fund that supplies early-stage funding to promising, innovative companies.

Ticket Information
TEDxNapaValley sells out every year, so be sure to purchase tickets early. To purchase tickets please visit: http://www.tedxnapavalley.org/tickets/

Early Bird General Admission: $95 per person(limited to the first 200 tickets)
General Admission: $125 per person
2016 TEDxNapaValley April 30^th Speaker Dinner: $100 per person (limited availability)

About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.