Theme: The Quest for Excellence

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, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. 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).

Romance Theater
2 E Main Street
Rexburg, Idaho, 83440
United States

Andra Hansen

BYU-Idaho Faculty, Department of Communication

Andra is a faculty member in the Communication Department at Brigham Young University-Idaho, where she has been teaching for eight years. Andra has designed persuasion, media law, moral reasoning and advocacy classes and have received an excellence in teaching award. Prior to coming to BYU-I, Andra spent 13 years teaching writing, business and professional communication and literature classes at Idaho State University. Her areas of expertise include political rhetoric, persuasion, mediation, negotiation, advocacy, and critical thinking. She is currently a lead faculty member of the Organizational Communication and Advocacy emphasis within the Communication Department at BYU-I.

Bill Crawford

BYU-Idaho Faculty, Department of Business

Bill Crawford graduated from BYU with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to fly Air Force fighters and bombers before studying entrepreneurship and finance at Harvard Business School, where he received an MBA in 2006. He has worked in sales, marketing and product development for Ventana Medical Systems, Inc, an award winning fast growth medical device company acquired by Roche in in 2008 for $3.4 billion. He currently teaches entrepreneurship and marketing at BYU-Idaho.

Cameron Codd

OB-GYN at Seasons Medical’s Women’s Center

Cameron Codd, DO is an OB-GYN at Seasons Medical’s Women’s Center. Originally from Lethbridge, Alberta Dr. Codd pursued his undergraduate degree in Zoology and Business at Brigham Young University. His medical training took him to A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Kirksville, Missouri. He later completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Akron General Medical Center where he also served as a faculty member at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr. Codd and his wife, Beckie, have five children. They are actively involved with competitive swimming, dance, music and birding. They especially enjoy hiking and the outdoors. Dr. Codd was selected as a 2012 ‘Honorary Resident in Minimally Invasive Gynecology by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. His residency training emphasized minimally invasive surgery including robotics.

Geoff Thomas

Madison School District Superintendent

Dr. Geoff Thomas is a life long educator serving as classroom teacher, coach and mentor before assuming administrative responsibilities. He has worked as a Superintendent for nearly 20 years. In 2015, Dr. Thomas was selected by his peers as the Idaho Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Thomas is a passionate advocate for public education and an outspoken critic of excessive standardized testing, high stakes testing and other so called “Reforms.” He is married to Janalee his wife of 32 years. They are the proud of parents of five children and two amazingly talented and precocious grandchildren.

Gracie Marsden

Student at BYU-Idaho

Gracie Marsden is a Junior studying Philosophy here at BYU-Idaho. A proud Asian-American, she was born in Seattle but raised part of her life in Taiwan. She served a Mandarin-speaking mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Vancouver, Canada. She claims to have a black belt in jiu-jitsu but no one really believes her. Gracie began with a dream to become a veterinarian, then a writer, then a concert pianist, then a hobo. Currently her dream is to get her PhD in Ethics and to become a Professor of Philosophy. She is a huge advocate for education and women’s rights. Her hobbies include playing tennis, studying Philosophy, and sounding smarter than she actually is. She is very passionate in the journey of truth-seeking, and is trying to enjoy being proven wrong as part of her coming to truth. So far, her attempts are futile. Her greatest fears include insects of any kind, death by fire, and being called to serve in the Nursery.

Nathan Gwilliam

CEO of Elevati

Nathan Gwilliam is CEO/Founder of Elevati, the parent company of adoption.com. As a college student, Nathan spent almost two years as a missionary in Brazil. Nathan fell in love with the street children of Brazil and vowed to do something to make a lasting difference in their lives when he returned. So, Nathan created a thesis on how to use the Internet to help children through adoption. That thesis won multiple business plan competitions, and adoption.com was born. As CEO, Nathan grew adoption.com to become the world’s most-used adoption site.