TEDxStratford
x = an independently organised TED event
TEDxStratford
x = an independently organised TED event
TEDxStratford is a grassroots initiative, created in the spirit of TED’s overall mission to research and discover “ideas worth spreading.” TEDxStratford brings the spirit of TED to our local community through curated TEDx events. These events are organized by passionate individuals who seek to uncover new ideas and to share the latest research in our local area of Stratford and Perth County that spark conversations in our community.
At a TEDxStratford event, for two hours on an evening, there will be a suite of 3 short, carefully prepared talks that are idea-focused and cover a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration, motivation, and wonder – and provoke conversations in and around Stratford … conversations that matter.
You will hear from a diversity of voices from different disciplines about a broad variety of issues that affect not just Stratford, locally and globally, but similar communites across Canada.
Our TEDxStratford Speakers
Michael Moffatt
Paul Kalbfleisch
Michael Moffatt
Senior Director of Policy and Innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute
and an Assistant Professor in the Business, Economics and Public Policy group at the Ivey
Business School, Western University. https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/profile/mike-moffatt
The key to economic vibrancy for small cities - Child-friendly neighbourhoods.
A co
Senior Director of Policy and Innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute
and an Assistant Professor in the Business, Economics and Public Policy group at the Ivey
Business School, Western University. https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/profile/mike-moffatt
The key to economic vibrancy for small cities - Child-friendly neighbourhoods.
A combination of increased work-from-home coupled with increasingly unattainable housing in our larger cities creates an economic opportunity for smaller cities to attract and retain talent. The key to attracting young talent is, paradoxically, in creating great communities for children.
Anneke Smit
Paul Kalbfleisch
Michael Moffatt
is Associate Professor, University of Windsor, and the founder and inaugural Director of the Centre for Cities (C4C) at Windsor Law.
https://www.uwindsor.ca/law/asmit/#:~:text=Anneke%20Smit%20is%20Associate%20Professo
r,(C4C)%20at%20Windsor%20Law.
Want to Solve the Housing Crisis? Change the Entire System
The Housing Systems Innovation Lab t
is Associate Professor, University of Windsor, and the founder and inaugural Director of the Centre for Cities (C4C) at Windsor Law.
https://www.uwindsor.ca/law/asmit/#:~:text=Anneke%20Smit%20is%20Associate%20Professo
r,(C4C)%20at%20Windsor%20Law.
Want to Solve the Housing Crisis? Change the Entire System
The Housing Systems Innovation Lab takes a fresh approach to fixing housing production by focusing on systems reform. Canada’s current housing system isn’t working well for climate, public health, equity, or municipal budgets. As more funding flows to cities, simply expanding the current flawed system will worsen long-term problems. Instead, the Lab helps cities take control of planning and act like developers, ensuring housing is built at the right scale and speed. It uses tools like market analysis, early public input, better planning, and developer incentives to promote efficient, sustainable, and healthy growth. This approach also prepares cities to adopt innovations like modular housing, infill, and pre-approved designs.
Paul Kalbfleisch
Paul Kalbfleisch
Paul Kalbfleisch
Formerly the VP of creativity and brand strategy for Research in Motion, the company that
created the BlackBerry, Paul Kalbfleisch now consults on city strategies prioritizing economic,
social, and environmental benefits. He is the co-author of The JOY Experiments: Reimagining
Mid-Sized Cities as a Tool to Heal Our Divided Society. www.thejo
Formerly the VP of creativity and brand strategy for Research in Motion, the company that
created the BlackBerry, Paul Kalbfleisch now consults on city strategies prioritizing economic,
social, and environmental benefits. He is the co-author of The JOY Experiments: Reimagining
Mid-Sized Cities as a Tool to Heal Our Divided Society. www.thejoyexperiments.com
Changing cities is how we change the world.
Cities are the habitat of the human spirit, and we must design them in an integrated habitat
fashion because what we build today will define our cities and society for decades.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.
TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events bring people together to share ideas and bridge divides in communities on every continent. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze more than $3 billion in funding for projects that seek to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.
About TEDx
Experience the Best of TEDx
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. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TEDxStratford
Our Vision
Our Attendees
Our Vision
Our vision at TEDxStratford is to create a platform that brings together the communities from Stratford, Perth and Huron counties, and from across Canada to exchange ideas, learn from each other and create meaningful relationships.
Our Team
Our Attendees
Our Vision
Our team is made up of passionate and dedicated individuals who are committed to making TEDxStratford a success. We work to ensure that every aspect of the event is carefully planned and executed to as close to perfection as we can humanly do.
Our Attendees
Our Attendees
Our Attendees
Our attendees come from diverse backgrounds, making TEDxStratford a melting pot of ideas and perspectives. We believe that our guests are the heart and soul of the event and we strive to make their experience unforgettable.
Our Impact
Our Attendees
Our Attendees
We measure our success not just by the number of attendees or the revenue generated, but by the impact that TEDxStratford has on our guests and the community as a whole. We are committed to creating a positive change and leaving a lasting legacy.
The TEDxStratford Team
Alan Kasperski
J-Craig Thompson
Alan Kasperski
Alan is a connector – of people, ideas, and things. From working in the PMO, to selling the first Dell PC in Canada, to managing an academic constitutional conference, to helping write policy for the City of Toronto, Alan has a keen eye for a good idea, for best practices. He believes in the power and efficiency of crowd intelligence an
Alan is a connector – of people, ideas, and things. From working in the PMO, to selling the first Dell PC in Canada, to managing an academic constitutional conference, to helping write policy for the City of Toronto, Alan has a keen eye for a good idea, for best practices. He believes in the power and efficiency of crowd intelligence and participatory democracy. He has been most at home for the last many, many years on a rugby pitch.
Geoff Love
J-Craig Thompson
Alan Kasperski
Geoff has been a resident of Stratford for 15 years and has the "claim to fame" as one of the innovators of the now world-wide blue box recycling program that began in our neighbouring municipality of Kitchener in 1981.
He has been a social entrepreneur and active in the environmental movement for 50 years, both in business and often as
Geoff has been a resident of Stratford for 15 years and has the "claim to fame" as one of the innovators of the now world-wide blue box recycling program that began in our neighbouring municipality of Kitchener in 1981.
He has been a social entrepreneur and active in the environmental movement for 50 years, both in business and often as a lead volunteer. His vision for TEDxStratford is that we create an on-going regular forum (that is also broadcasted world-wide through Tedx) to encourage positive ideas and actions in our community to help make our city an even greater place to live.
Dan Mathieson
J-Craig Thompson
J-Craig Thompson
Dan is a life-long advocate for the city of Stratford. He served five terms as Mayor while overseeing the strong growth and economic success of our vibrant Festival City.
Dan is Managing Director of Kari Management, a strategic advisory firm that provides clients with invaluable insight into the intersection of government and business.
Dan is a life-long advocate for the city of Stratford. He served five terms as Mayor while overseeing the strong growth and economic success of our vibrant Festival City.
Dan is Managing Director of Kari Management, a strategic advisory firm that provides clients with invaluable insight into the intersection of government and business. Dan is also CEO of Coriano Capital, making investments in various business sectors and real estate.
J-Craig Thompson
J-Craig Thompson
J-Craig Thompson
Craig Thompson has deep roots in the Stratford community going back to the early 1900s when his grandmother was in the first graduating class of the Stratford Normal School. His career started locally at CJCS Radio and the Stratford Beacon-Herald and his first documentary aired on local cable television.
Craig has over 30 years of filmm
Craig Thompson has deep roots in the Stratford community going back to the early 1900s when his grandmother was in the first graduating class of the Stratford Normal School. His career started locally at CJCS Radio and the Stratford Beacon-Herald and his first documentary aired on local cable television.
Craig has over 30 years of filmmaking and broadcasting experience and strong industry reputation in Canada and internationally. During the height of the pandemic, Craig expanded his focus to emphasize local stories with broader social implications while continuing to produce documentaries for Canadian and international audiences.
TEDxStratford Creative
Ballinran Entertainment is Southwestern Ontario’s leading film, television and digital media studio. Located in the heart of downtown Stratford, the company was founded 30 years ago by former journalist and foreign correspondent Craig Thompson. Our passion for illuminating extraordinary stories has taken us from local to global. We believe in the power of local stories and are dedicated to supporting community initiatives by delivering high-quality, impactful productions that engage audiences. A partnership with Ballinran Storefront Studios means supporting a local business committed to bringing your brand story to life. Learn more at: www.ballinran.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn
Our Title Sponsor
The BMI Group
BMI Group is rooted in the vibrant community of
Stratford, breathing new life into the city’s core through the
adaptive reuse of underutilized land and infrastructure. In
collaboration with a strong network of local trades and
professionals, we aim to have 1,500 BMI residences in
development in Stratford by 2031—representing a third of
the 4,500 homes needed to meet the city’s housing
demand.
Of our eight projects in Stratford, we’re especially proud to
present The Builders Block at 93 Trinity St. Transforming
the historic Krug Factory, The Builders Block is Stratford’s
largest adaptive reuse project, providing the city’s highest
concentration of residences within a single development
and highest ratio of affordable units as defined by
Canada’s Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Visit www.thebmigroup.ca to learnm more.
