Here's 2023's complete speaker line-up We hope you enjoy another great collection of TEDxOshkosh talks from the 2023 event, with the theme, Untamed Imagination.
Table of Contents: This Year's Talks
(Click/tap any speaker's name to scroll down to their bio and talk details)
Amanda Bauer-Frisch - In Defense of Participation Trophies
Participation trophies create an “everyone's a winner” culture, right? Not necessarily. This talk takes a different view, and proposes that the real value of a participation trophy lies in its ability to highlight the process, rather than just the end result. Backed by the speaker’s research in goal-setting, the talk explores how acknowledging small achievements magnifies the power of setting – and celebrating – goals along the pathway to a final outcome.
Amanda Bauer-Frisch Biography
Amanda Bauer-Frisch is a multiple business owner and advocate for personal growth and resilience, with a passion to improve the personal and professional lives of those around her. Drawing on her degree in public policy from UW-Whitewater, her 15-year career in human resources management, and her breadth of personal experience, Amanda Bauer-Frisch delivers a unique perspective on setting, achieving, and celebrating goals and achievements.
Keydi Bognar - More than a DREAMer: Overcoming unintended consequences from decisions about immigration
Countries throughout the world are obligated to make collective decisions to serve their citizens, and conclusions and rules about immigration have been brought to the fore in many countries around the world in recent decades. Such actions, however, can come with unintended consequences, or impact those who may not have been considered at the time the rule was made. This talk, by an immigrant who fell into one of those un-considered groups of impacted people, describes the consequences of such unintended consequences.
Keydi Bognar Biography
Keydi Bognar was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and immigrated to the United States with her parents at four years old. She is passionate about sharing her story and educating the community about the realities of living in Wisconsin as a non-citizen.
She is the co-director for Dreamers of Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that gives resources and scholarships to students like her throughout the state. Keydi received her associates degree in marketing from Gateway Technical College and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in law at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She is also the co-founder of Championship Digital Media Agency, a digital marketing company located in Racine, WI.
Keydi loves traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband and two-year-old daughter.
Mai Lee Chang - Artificial Intelligence That Helps Seniors Stay in their Homes
As the world's population of older adults expands, there is a growing need for care support, especially in light of increasing desire for seniors to age in their own homes. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to fill this gap, however, the biggest challenge to successful aging-in-place technology assistance has been a lack of adoption and acceptance.
Supported by large volumes of data, defining care support needs in the senior population, AI has the potential to provide personalized intelligent care to seniors, and to navigate the complex social and task-based demands coordinating a diverse network of caregivers to maintain meaningful quality of life for seniors.
Mai Lee Chang Biography
Mai Lee Chang is a postdoctoral researcher in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (School of Computer Science) at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research is part of the AI-Caring National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute that focuses on developing the next generation of personalized collaborative AI systems that improve the quality of life of aging adults living at home.
She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to her Ph.D., she worked as an engineer at NASA-Johnson Space Center. She received her M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and B.S. in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gina Glover - The Heart of Connection, in Ten Simple Steps
Humanity increasingly takes great pride in competition, individual performance, and do-it-yourself lifestyles, including contactless services. Yet, social disconnection has reached levels prompting the United States Surgeon General to equate it to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Most people have heard of the ‘ripple effect’ – the notion that even a small action has far-reaching effects, similar to that of a pebble being cast into a pond. This talk demonstrates the power of expanding connections with others, and how even the smallest action can make a difference.
Gina Glover Biography
Gina Glover is a speaker, coach and connector with a diverse background spanning more than two decades in northeast Wisconsin. She is working on her first book, a guide to help business professionals navigate job change.
In addition to growing her business, Gina is actively engaged in the local community, serving on the Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity board and mentoring entrepreneurs through Mid-Day Women’s Alliance. Gina is also on the board of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Speakers Association and was recognized in June with the chapter's Rising Star award.
In her college days at Ferris State University where she graduated with a degree in Printing Management, Gina became active in Toastmasters and remained active even after moving from Michigan to Wisconsin upon graduation.
On a personal level, Gina is on a quest to run a race in every state in the U.S., and has already completed exactly half of them as of May, 2023. She is a parent of two juniors - one in high school and one in college. When she’s not speaking, running, or writing, you can usually find her in her garden, singing in her car, or traveling with her family and trying to keep their insatiable cat, Jinx, well fed.
Brian Kinghorn - Is TheDress Blue or Gold? The Psychology of Perception
In 2015 a random photo of a black and blue dress sparked an international phenomenon and debate that is still causing conflict today. In less than two days the Washington Post dubbed it the “drama that divided a planet”. Why had something that started so simply, made such a lasting impact on our collective psyches? It started with perception. The world seemed divided into two camps: those who saw it as white and gold and those who saw it as black and blue.
Most explanations of TheDress focus on the physiology of why people visually perceive the dress differently. Building on these ideas, this talk proposes the reason the photograph was such a viral phenomenon was related to egos. That dress photo may be very unsettling because it suggests the possibility that two people can be looking at the same picture on the same screen in the same room and one of them will see it as white and gold while the other will see it as blue and black; AND they both believe they are absolutely telling the truth about what they are seeing.
TheDress is a very real and very powerful indicator that what we perceive may not be reality or that our realities may be different from other individuals’ realities because of how we perceive the world around us. Faced with THAT reality; the recognition that others truly do see the world so differently than we do can help us to work together. Even if we never do see things from their point of view, let’s step back, take a breath, and try to meet them where they are.
Brian Kinghorn Biography
Brian Kinghorn is an Associate Professor of Curriculum, Instruction and Foundations at Marshall University. He has taught various psychology and education courses including developing and teaching a psychology of social media course. His areas of research include ways teachers learn science from their own teaching practice, methods for effective teaching, and the psychology of social media.
Brian earned his PhD in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University and earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He has published articles in Teacher Education & Practice, the APS Observer magazine, the APA’s Amplifier magazine, and The Conversation. He has presented research at meetings of the American Educational Researchers Association (AERA), the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Division 15 of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
Family is very important to Brian. He and his wife Leah are the parents of eight children aged 25 to 2 years old. Of all his accomplishments, he is most proud to be a husband and father.
Sadaf Lodhi - Sex Education for Doctors: Lessons from a Muslim Gynecologist
When a person has a sexual health concern, who is the most likely person they make an appointment with? A doctor. What happens if doctors were never taught sexual education in medical school or residency? What if the doctors are uncomfortable discussing the topic?
Discomfort surrounding discussions about sexual health as well as sex negativity are problems in the healthcare sphere. This talk discusses ways to better educate physicians surrounding sexual health and create a more sex positive environment that empowers and educates everyone - doctors and patients.
Sadaf Lodhi Biography
Based in New York, Sadaf Lodhi has over 20 years of experience as a practicing physician, is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is a life coach for women. She has a BS in Biochemistry with honors, from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Michigan State University.
Sadaf also holds a certification as a life and executive coach from Rutgers University, and additional certification in Sexuality Counseling & Education from the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
As a practicing OBGYN; sex counselor and educator; podcast host; and life coach, her mission has always been to empower and educate women. Through coaching, she helps women with sexual confidence so they can find pleasure in their relationships, and believes that all women, regardless of their backgrounds, have the potential to live life to its fullest.
Caitlin Looby - Rebuilding (or Building) Public Trust in Science
Public trust in science has hit a low point, and the best way to fix this is to start meeting people where they are. This talk proposes the solution that universities and other scientific institutions, and media outlets need to start working together to break down barriers and improve the relationship between scientists, journalists, and thus the public. On the whole, scientific institutions need to prioritize and incentivize scientists who actively engage in science communications efforts beyond a strictly academic focus. In order to better engage the general public, efforts must also be made to localize scientific research and show each community how it is impacting them.
Caitlin Looby Biography
Caitlin Looby is a scientist turned journalist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She spent more than a decade hiking up mountains in tropical cloud forests to study microbes, soil, and climate change. Now she covers the Great Lakes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Before coming to Wisconsin, she taught science communication, developed workshops and trained scientists on how to engage with the public at the University of Minnesota. As a science writer, she’s written for radio, university media, national outlets, local outlets, magazines and paddling brands.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree in biotechnology from Kean University and a doctorate degree in biology from the University of California, Irvine.
Caitlin spends her free time outdoors, paddling, hiking, camping and playing with her two dogs, Odessa and Olivia. Fun fact: She’s lived in every time zone in the continental US.
Kary Oberbrunner - Blockchain: The Future of Intellectual Property Protection
For centuries, inventors and entrepreneurs have often been hesitant to share new ideas for fear of these ideas getting stolen. There is substantial value in sharing developing ideas to get feedback, and proof of concept, however, there's also a risk in doing so. The traditional ways of protecting intellectual property—copyrights, trademarks, and patents— are slow, expensive, and cumbersome.
This talk proposes another way of protecting intellectual property that's faster, easier, and cheaper all made possible through blockchain technology. Through the creation of tamper-proof, time-stamped, digital smart contracts, creators can now protect intellectual property with greater ease, flexibility, and speed. Blockchains enable a public ledger that's decentralized, distributed, and global to prove ownership. The result is a new world of innovation and abundance.
The system proposed in this talk not only allows those who have used traditional protection mechanisms like copyright to have a faster way to protect their property, it provides a much more accessible option for those who could not afford traditional methods of intellectual property.
Kary Oberbrunner Biography
Kary is dedicated to helping authors, entrepreneurs, and influencers publish, protect, and promote their intellectual property, setting free their world-changing ideas.
An award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and inventor, he’s been featured in Entrepreneur, CBS, Fox News, Yahoo, and many other major media outlets. Kary is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen books, and speaks internationally on a variety of topics including leadership, personal growth, human performance, blockchain technology, and entrepreneurship. As a futurist, he often consults on marketing, branding, intellectual property, and Web3.
Kary holds a number of earned degrees, including a BA, Masters in Divinity, and Doctorate in Transformational Leadership. He also serves as the Berry Chair of Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University, where he teaches on the topics of Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing.
He enjoys cycling, especially in the French Alps. He lives in Ohio with his wife Kelly and three children: Keegan, Isabel, and Addison.
Karen Schneider - The Power of the Printed Press in a Digital World
Is launching a printed local newspaper in today's digital world a sane choice? What about opening two, in the span of just 4 years? This talk, by a veteran of the news industry, and founder of two print papers in the last 5 years, proposes that it can be a very sane choice to bring back much of what has been lost in transition to digital news delivery. From the emphasis on local news, to the physical comfort and ease-of-use of a printed paper, and more, this talk has much to say about a paper renaissance in the news industry.
Karen Schneider Biography
Karen Schneider is the publisher of the Oshkosh Herald & Neenah News newspapers and co-owner with her husband, Jeff. She has worked on the business side of newspapers for over 25 years. Prior to launching the Oshkosh Herald in January 2018 she worked in various roles at the Arizona Republic/azcentral and as ad director at Arizona State University State Press student daily newspaper. In 2005 she opened a scratch insurance agency which she sold just prior to returning to her hometown of Oshkosh in 2012.
Returning to newspapers , she was general manager and ad director of the Oshkosh Northwestern and Fond du Lac Reporter markets until October 2015. After that, and before and launching the Herald she worked on the hub coalition, a partnership whose mission was to assist community members to achieve self-sufficiency.
On a personal level, Schneider has two grown, successfully adulting children in Phoenix and lives in Oshkosh with her husband Jeff and bonus daughter Riley.
Jordan Schroeter - Are We Asking the Disabled to be Better than the Rest of Us?
How do non-disabled people see the disabled? As strong, capable, and resilient people who overcome medical difficulties and trauma? As angelic people heroically coping with their disability? This talk explores the reality that the disabled – beyond their disability – are just as fallible as everyone else. It further examines the ramifications of typecasting people with disabilities as a source of inspiration, and the pressure for perfection such typecasting imparts on those with a disability, and offers a different, holistic perspective about the very human people who wear the label, “disabled.”
Jordan Schroeter Biography
30 years old at the time of this talk, Jordan was born and grew up with the neuromuscular disease, spinal muscular atrophy. It is a disease that causes muscles to become progressively weaker over time. That disability, however, has by no means left him sitting on the sidelines. He is a speaker, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and Pastor.
Jordan has a Bachelor’s degree from Concordia University, and a Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Studies & Counseling from Liberty University. In his non-professional life, he loves watching his favorite sports teams, going to the tavern with friends, singing karaoke, and playing board games on Friday nights.
Cody Schuhart - Nothing Matters, so Everything is Possible: How Nihilism Can Save a Life
(NOTE: This talk includes a discussion of suicidal ideation. If you are struggling, please seek professional help.) What if nothing really matters? If one finds truth in that, is there any point in going on? Perhaps if nothing matters, then anything can be possible? This talk takes a philosophical position that there is potential freedom for those who feel lost, trapped, or in a void, when they see their situation from a new vantage point.
Cody Schuhart Biography
Cody was born and raised in Northeast Wisconsin, and has found careers in both the automotive industry, and now healthcare. He actively pursues new challenges and adventures in his journey to get every ounce of living he can out of his day-to-day life.
Estelle Song - From Soundwaves to Brushstrokes: Predicting Art Taste from Musical Preference
This talk delves into the intriguing realm or art preference and its predictability. Can we truly anticipate people’s preferences for art? Are there interconnections between different art forms and our preferences? Could our art preference stem from a generalized preference for interesting artworks, rather than merely seeking inherently harmonious pieces? How does our familiarity with art stimuli impact our preference for harmonious art? Furthermore, we investigate whether people who pursue uniqueness and gain pleasure from intellectual challenges have a preference for complex and unconventional art forms.
The talk explores the answers to those questions, and the answers carry significant implications as we strive to develop personalized recommendation systems, leading individuals to art that they would deeply connect with. As we bridge the subjective nature of art with objective cues from our unique personalities, we unlock a new way of experiencing art.
Estelle Song Biography
Currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, Estelle’s research focuses on the intersection of art cognition, preference, viewing experiences and personality. Her particular areas of exploration include the prediction of art preferences based on individual preferences for harmonious art; the impact of film music on audience perception and cognition of film information; the optimization of work performance through background music. Her research findings have far-reaching implications, ranging from the creation of personalized user art preference profiles to the development of innovative strategies for effective advertising.
Estelle holds a B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science from East China Normal University, Shanghai, China, and an M.A. in Social Psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY. She has published her works in journals such as Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, and Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. Furthermore, Estelle has presented her research at conferences including the International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition - European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music; and has had her work accepted as poster at the 2022 Society for Music Perception and Cognition Conference. Beyond her academic pursuits, Estelle has been a pianist for more than 20 years.
Juliëtte Sterkens - Hearing Loss: Beyond Hearing Aids
For most of us, it is not a matter of if but when we will lose some of our hearing. Yet, we do not give hearing loss or hearing aids much thought until it happens to us or someone we live or work with. It is then that we find out that hearing aids are incapable of restoring hearing to normal, especially in acoustically challenging situations. The good news is that modern technology continues to bring us new, sometimes hidden, and often unknown features that can help those with hearing loss overcome more of their hearing challenges.
Juliëtte Sterkens Biography
Juliëtte Sterkens, AuD, is an audiologist with forty years of experience in hearing rehabilitation turned consumer advocate with the Hearing Loss Association of America. She has published numerous articles and lectured internationally to consumers, audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and venue operators. Topics include living well with hearing loss, hearing accessibility, and hearing loops. Her work has led to hundreds of hearing loop installations in Wisconsin. She has received numerous awards for her efforts, including the American Academy of Audiology Presidential Award. She serves on the board of HEAR in the Fox Cities, a non-profit that helps pay for hearing aids for children in North-East Wisconsin.
She enjoys gardening, traveling worldwide to observe solar eclipses with her husband, and visiting her family and son in the Netherlands and daughter in Australia.
