Local influencers share stories next week at TEDx Lakeland

A popular online speaking platform is coming for the second time to the Lakeland.

Local leaders, business owners, and influential people from the area will speak to high school students and all those who come to the second TEDx Lakeland conference next week in Bonnyville and Cold Lake.

Organizer Patty Srisuwan said it was a no-brainer to bring the speaking tour back to inspire adolescents.

“I think we had over a thousand students. Everyone really gave great feedback. That’s why I thought we had to bring it back this year. All the teachers and students came to me directly and talked to me. ‘You need to bring it back. Are you going to host it again this year?’ So here we are,” said Srisuwan.

Moments in Motion

Next Wednesday TEDx will begin at the Centennial Centre and run from 9:00am-12:00pm and on Thursday at the Cold Lake Energy Centre at the same time.

Different speakers will take the stage at each location including Jennie Hamel, Craig Konechny,  Nadine Friesen with musician Clayton Bellamy being the keynote speaker for both talks.

The theme is “Moments in Motion.”

“I think everyone has those moments in your life that change your life completely. I think we want to explore that and want students to start thinking about that. We want our younger generation to start thinking about those little moments or those people that come into our lives and change it forever,” she said.

“They can be bad moments, it doesn’t need to be a good moment, but it changed them in the right direction. I think that’s an interesting one to talk about.”

The TEDx conference tackles a similar theme to the film Srisuwan just completed with her husband Chris Cowden Moments in Spacetime where Srisuwan’s character faces challenges to her identity while growing new relationships.

“I think the whole reason I brought TedX to Bonnyville and Cold Lake is because I wanted to inspire and empower our youth and new generations,” she said.

“I think it’s important to watch live to have more of an impact and listen to their local leaders. I think that’s very important. It’s not someone they don’t know. There’s a story they don’t tell anyone anywhere. I wanted them to have those moments.”

The conference is free to attend and open to the public.