Join us this year as we evoke PRESENCE at the 2017 TEDxColumbiaCollegeChicago conference on April 1, 2017 from 11:00am to 6:00pm at The Music Center at Columbia College Chicago.

Session 1

Internal Presence

MY FRIEND VEL

SPOKEN WORD POETRY

PETER KIM

STAND UP WITH COMEDY: EVOKING YOUR POWER THROUGH VULNERABILITY

PREVIOUSLY RECORDED TALK

ZAK EBRAHIM

I AM THE SON OF A TERRORIST. HERE’S HOW I CHOSE PEACE.

STEPHEN ASMA

CREATIVE IMPROVISATION AND THE SELF

KACY JOHNSON

UNCOVERING TRUE BEAUTY, ONE PORTRAIT AT A TIME

Session 2

Shine Your Own Light

JIM BACHOR

IMMORTALITY IS A TEAM EFFORT

PREVIOUSLY RECORDED TALK

JOHN LEGEND

"REDEMPTION SONG"

MJSC

DANCE GROUP

JOCELYN DELK ADAMS

STANDING IN YOUR AUTHENTICITY

RICH ALAPACK

Can we solve hard to talk about issues through public mantras?

Session 3

Helping Others' Lights Shine On

VOLKER ROSE

PICTURE THIS: A LOVE STORY THAT CONNECTED ART AND SCIENCE

PREVIOUSLY RECORDED TALK

DAVID BROOKS

SHOULD YOU LIVE FOR YOUR RÉSUMÉ.. OR YOUR EULOGY?

SANJANA KAnTAYYA

A SEAT AT THE TABLe

SAM TRUMP

MUSICIAN

INDIRA JOHNSON

THE POWER OF INDIVIDUAL ACTION: HOW ONE RIPPLE CAN CHANGE THE WORLd

LOUIS CARR

THE NECESSITY OF BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

My Friend Vel, Poet

Sam Trump, Musician

Mobolaji "Mo" Akintunde

We are thrilled to have Mobolaji "Mo" Akintunde as the host of our 2017 conference.

As CEO of [m] mobolaji, a brand innovation consultancy, Mobolaji Akintunde helps brands connect and adapt to today’s culture. He works with entrepreneurs and organizations to develop their branding, marketing, and technology strategies, and to launch new startup ventures. With his global perspective, the entrepreneurial-minded Akintunde has numerous speaking and training credits to his name, and is a recognized expert in communication related to entertainment, culture, arts and technology.

For almost two decades, Akintunde has been pairing big brands with artists and startups, recognizing opportunities for synergistic relationships between them. As Director of Marketing, he currently leads the sales, marketing, and brand development for PeopleVine, a B2C CRM-based engagement platform that helps brands personalize their customer experiences. Additionally, utilizing his vast network of celebrities and key decision makers, Akintunde hosts a live monthly talk show, Marketing Disrupted, where he sits down with prominent innovators to discuss how technology is disrupting the marketing landscape across various industries.

Over the next five years, he plans to expand his current work with Chicago's youth, training them to express themselves as powerful, authentic brands. His intent is to inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators to realize their fullest potential by breaking through both real and perceived barriers to their success.