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2022 Speaker Lineup

Allyson Tanzer

"10 Tools of Mountaineering"

Allyson is a project manager here in Spokane who loves spending as much of her free time outside as possible. In her talk, Allyson hopes to inspire other to seek meaningful experiences and grow in their relationship to the natural world.

Amy Cross

"The Art of Food Preservation"

Amy Cross is the founder + CEO of The Cross Legacy, an online community helping people make their grocery habits more sustainable and affordable. She hopes her TEDxSpokane talk helps relieve some of the stress that people commonly face in and around the kitchen.

When not answering questions and posting tips on social media, you can find Amy spending time in her garden or on a road trip with her husband.

Darin Watkins

"The Housing Crisis⁠"

Darin is a Spokane native, born and raised, and currently works for the Spokane Association of Realtors as the Governmental Affairs Director. What Darin loves most about TED Talks is the amazing platform for sharing critically important ideas from those who offer a new perspective.

Erahm Christopher

"How to Listen"

“My dream outcome for the talk is to inspire the audience to rethink what listening means and change how they do it in every aspect of their life.” – Erahm Christopher

Erahm is a film producer, social strategist, and entrepreneur from Montreal, Canada—and will be speaking at TEDxSpokane! He has been bringing his film and social change work to the Spokane community for the past several years and is thrilled to be back for TEDxSpokane.

J Mase III

"What Scammers Are Teaching Us"

J Mase III is going to reframe our idea of funding with his TEDxSpokane talk on what scammers are teaching us.

Originally from Philadelphia, J Mase III is an artist, author, and consultant in Seattle. His highest hope for his talk is that it would center on the folks who are most impacted by economic injustice.

Kris Kilduff

"Community Through Food"

Among other titles he holds, Kris is a local foodie, business owner, and humanitarian. Kris loves TED talks for the variety of subject matter they address and that they give people the chance to hear average people speak.

Mary Anne Ruddis

"How Grief Can Lead to Growth⁠"

Mary Anne is the Executive Director at Elevations, a Nonprofit Children’s Therapy Resource Foundation in Spokane Valley. What Mary Anne loves most about TED talks is the concise conveyance of ideas across a wide spectrum of topics.

Patrick Chester

"The Silent Addiction⁠"

Patrick is landscape architect in Bothell, Washington but spends as much time as he can traveling and spending time in Spokane. When not working on his TEDx talk, you can find him fishing, speaking to patients at treatment centers, or watching his boys play sports.

Sam Mansour

"Are You Financially Literate?⁠"

Sam is a CPA from Liberty Lake. In his talk, Sam will be giving us an insight to what Financial Literacy really is and how we can make positive changes in our lives by using it.

In his free time, you can find Sam training for Ironman, camping, cooking complex dishes, or spending as much time with his family as possible.

Sindhu Surapaneni

"You Can Do It!"

Introducing Sindhu Surapaneni, a strong, driven middle school student here in the Spokane Area. Sindhu’s goal is to help everyone realize that no matter your age: You Can Do It!

She hopes her talk at TEDxSpokane helps people realize their potential so they can help themselves and others.