TEDxFoggyBottom Conference Returns with Theme ‘Two Steps Forward’

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The student-run TEDxFoggyBottom organization will once again convene innovators, intellectuals and doers for its annual all-day event Saturday starting at 10 a.m. in Dorothy Betts Theatre.

Under the theme "Two Steps Forward," which focuses on nonlinear progress-especially relevant to students entering an unknown job market, a total of10 speakers from various industries will discuss their journeys from roadblocks to top problem solvers in their respective fields.

Many of Saturday's speakers come from the startup space.

"When you're starting a business, there are lots of hurdles, so we've pulled a lot from that space for this conference," said George Washington University sophomore public health and Spanish major Caroline Connell, who is the TEDx Foggy Bottom chapter's operations director.

Students involved, including those on the organization's executive board, choose a theme at the start of each school year and solicit speakers who have an interesting or meaningful story to share while reflecting and aligning withTED's mission of spreading ideas.

"There was a recurring pattern when deciding this year's theme-many of the ideas had a focus on hope during times that maybe aren't so hopeful," Connell said. "We thought 'Two Steps Forward' really captured that well, highlighting progress during times of hardship. pushing a theme that highlights progress in those moments really resonated with us, and we hope it resonates with our audience as well."

Started in 2011 by a few GW students, TEDxFoggyBottom has now grown into one of the largest student-organized TEDx events in the United States and around the world. More than 50 GW undergraduate students work together to bring in world-class thinkers to inspire and collaborate with not just GW students, but the entire Foggy Bottom and D.C. communities.

In the years since its inception, TEDxFoggyBottom's attendance has more than quadrupled, and its talks have been featured on TEDx Editor's Picks, Upworthy and have garnered more than 12 million views on YouTube.

It is part of a larger grassroots initiative of TED, the global media organization that hosts conferences and shares free, online videos featuring speakers who share insight from experts in diverse fields for educational purposes.

"Both the students within the organization and the students who attend-and GW as a whole-really reflect the same principles that the Foggy Bottom community values," Connell said. "I think that's allowed for great growth and really interesting conferences year in and year out."

There are four working groups-Experience, Content, Operations and Community-that collaborate to put on the annual event at GW. Collectively, they raise their own funds, meet weekly throughout the year and go to work on their respective tasks such as finding speakers, editing drafts, selling tickets or attracting community partners.

Speakers give their talks one at a time and in a back-to-back format, which Connell said keeps the audience motivated and engaged hearing such impactful stories one after another.

"I always find it really eye-opening, especially as an undergraduate, to hear so many different stories," she said. "It puts a human face behind big titles."

This year's lineup includes Tony Keith Jr., an award-winning poet; Aleksandr Yampolskiy, co-founder and CEO of SecurityScorecard; Cassandra Dahnke, president and co-founder of the The Institute for Civility; Doug Holladay, author of the bestselling book "Rethinking Success;" Glenn Kirschner, who served in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and whose cases have been made into major motion pictures; Joe Wang, a technology executive and vice president of sales at Tektronix; Kristin Moore, senior scholar and past president at Child Trends; Elizabeth O'Donnell, founder and executive director of Aaliyah in Action; Natasha Latouf, NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow; and Nathalie Blais, founder and CEO of Coach Academy.

In addition to the speakers, the annual TEDxFoggyBottom event also hosts exhibitions from local nonprofit organizations that set up shop outside the main conference space in the University Student Center. The entire day is designed around helping people learn and discover something new as students can network with these organizations and partners.

"I think it's really valuable for students to see what's out there-to understand different life experiences, career paths and the stories behind them," Connell said. "You never really know which talk is going to resonate with someone or how it will impact them, but I think the TEDx space really creates an environment where ideas can spread, grow and genuinely resonate. That's what we're hoping for again this year."

Ticketsare still on sale and can be purchased at the door on Saturday.