
Brian Smiga
“Our goal is to bring world-leading TED talks to Monmouth County in an all-day live event that inspires us to learn and think about the future of our home on the shore.”
What is TEDxNavesink?
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, live speakers combine with TEDTalks video to spark deep discussion and connection.
These local 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.
Check our upcoming events here.
Rediscover our previous events here.

What is TED?
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started in California 29 years ago, TED has grown to support world-changing ideas with many initiatives.
At a TED conference, the world’s leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. TED speakers have included Jane Goodall, Richard Dawkins, Eve Ensler, Dan Pink, Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, Elizabeth Gilbert, Benoit Mandelbrot, Isabel Allende and Gordon Brown. Three major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Vancouver, Canada, simultaneous with TEDActive, in Whistler, BC; and the TEDGlobal Conference takes place each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.
On TED.com, talks from TED conferences are shared with the world for free as TED Talks videos. A new TED Talk is posted every weekday. Through the Open Translation Project, TED Talks are subtitled by volunteers worldwide into more than 90 languages. Through our distribution networks, TED Talks are shared on TV, radio, Netflix and many websites.
The TEDx initiative grants free licenses to people around the world to organize TED-style events in their communities with TED Talks and live speakers. More than 5,000 TEDx events have been held, and selected talks from these events are also turned into TED Talks videos.
The annual TED Prize grants $1 million to an exceptional individual with a wish to change the world. The TED Fellows program helps world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. TED-Ed creates short video lessons by pairing master teachers with animators, for use in classroom instruction or independent learning.
TED Talks - Learn more at www.ted.com
2015 Core Organizers

Donna Steinhorn
Chief Experience Officer

Gail Woods
Chief Curator

Corinna Thuss
Special Events Manager

Jennifer Hom
Marketing Analyst; Curation Manager

Brian Murphy
Project Manager

David Spelman
Artistic Advisor
Amy McDonagh
Project Manager

Brian Smiga
Chief Organizer

Vidar Brekke
Chief Information Officer

Brian Reynolds
Chief Marketing Officer

Elizabeth de Quillacq
Director of Volunteers and Interns

Tracey Abby-White
Assistant Curator
2015 Volunteers

Jennifer Townsend
Speaker Curation Intern

Angela Ramos
Stage Management Intern

Jordyn Magenheim
Tech Design Intern

Rachel Dean
Social Media and Writing Intern

Stan Green
Coordinator with Monmouth University

Tedi Pascarella
Content Production Intern

Robin Milne
Polymer Clay Artist, Instructor, Demonstrator

Audrey Ardine
Social Media and TED-Ed Volunteer

Larissa Trovamala
Stage Management Intern

John Shammas
Introducing TEDxSelfie 2.0
2014 Organizers



Gail Woods
Chief Curator





Donna Steinhorn
Chief Experience Officer

Erika Casriel
Erica Casriel: “Remapping the Self: Neuroscience Gets Personal”
How self, previously thought to be the single “man in the machine” is being reconsidered as not just a single conductor, but a small orchestra of collaborative psychological functions.

Vidar Brekke
Chief Information Officer


Brian Smiga
Chief Organizer

Elizabeth A. Urbanski
Elizabeth A. Urbanski

Tracey Abby-White
Assistant Curator

Brian Reynolds
Chief Marketing Officer

David Spelman
Artistic Advisor
