Theme: Imagining Our Common Future

“As democracies worldwide face mounting challenges, communities across the globe are mobilizing to reform systems and reignite civic culture. TED is excited to bring these voices together to spark a new kind of conversation with leading thinkers, practitioners, and communities around the globe – focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future.”

We will have 10 speakers - both locally and nationally - take the stage to speak on 10 different topics that impact Democracy.
Artificial Intelligence & Democracy
Supporting Veterans & Democracy
Public Education & Democracy
Citizen Engagement & Democracy
Media & Democracy
Civil Rights & Democracy
Health Equity & Democracy
Native Americans & Democracy
Multiple Perspectives of Democracy
Life After Elections in a Democracy

Henry's Garage
12 Garden Ave
Billings, Montana, 59101
United States

Bruce Schneier

Security Technologist + Author

Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a “security guru” by the Economist. He is the New York Times best-selling author of 14 books — including A Hacker’s Mind — as well as hundreds of articles, essays, and academic papers. His influential newsletter Crypto-Gram and blog Schneier on Security are read by over 250,000 people. Schneier is a fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow, and an advisory board member of EPIC and VerifiedVoting.org. He is the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc.

Dallas Knight

Female Combat Veteran + Author

Dallas Knight, an Army combat veteran at 19, seamlessly transitioned to civilian life and excelled as an Intelligence Analyst at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and exclusively appointed to the DEA. For 10 years, she disrupted narcotic operations and dismantled criminal syndicates. Beyond corporate success, Dallas is a dedicated advocate for justice as she actively pursues human traffickers and mentors survivors with Skull Games. She authored ‘Shattered Reflections,’ a personal memoir offering an unfiltered view of her military service and a reflective journey 20 years later. Dallas found the (not so) Average Jane platform to provide a safe space for healing, growth, and connection for female combat veterans. Dallas Knight’s story is one of unwavering commitment, from the battlefield to the boardroom, from combating crime to championing justice; and as an author and podcaster, she continues to inspire and empower others through her remarkable journey.

Erwin Garcia

Billings Public Schools Superintendent

Dr. Erwin Garcia’s impact as the superintendent of Billings Public Schools is marked by a dedication to enhancing opportunities for students across diverse backgrounds. During his tenure, BPS has pioneered the establishment of three public charter schools: the Billings Early College School, the Opportunity School, and the Multilingual Academy. These institutions are strategically designed to broaden access to college, career, and military pathways for all 17,000 students in the district. Additionally, Dr. Garcia spearheaded the implementation of the KindeREADy program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at equipping preschoolers in economically disadvantaged areas with the foundational skills necessary for academic readiness. Before his role in Billings, Dr. Garcia served as Area Superintendent in the Houston Independent School District.

Kari Boiter

Change Maker

Kari Boiter is an award-winning changemaker. With a wealth of experience in public policy and a fervent commitment to human rights, Kari has become a prominent expert on civic engagement, after helping author and pass historic reforms at the local, state, and federal level. She demonstrates a remarkable ability to navigate complex political landscapes while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. Kari’s strategic approach to advocacy has produced tangible results in several areas, from healthcare and civil rights to criminal justice reform. She has also proven to be a formidable, yet effective ally of unhoused neighbors statewide.

Lisa Remillard

Journalist + Social Media Influencer + BEONDTV Co-Founder

Lisa Remillard is a two-time Emmy nominated television journalist with a modern twist. Since 2020 she has blazed a new trail in the online journalism world by using her reporting skills and 20 years of broadcast news experience to craft unique, fact based and relatable short-form news stories exclusively for her 3 million loyal followers, subscribers and fans. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Reuters, NPR and Yahoo! She was also honored by NYU Journalism school and named to the Who’s Who Maker’s List of “Thought Leaders and Influencers of Tomorrow.” Lisa is the co-founder of BEONDTV a world-wide digital streaming platform for cool curated content. Through her company ProMedia Coaching, she uses her storytelling abilities and on-camera expertise to teach entrepreneurs, business owners and aspiring journalists how to tell their own stories effectively on camera.

Paul Pope

Professor of Political Science, Public Policy, and Semiotics

Paul Pope is a Professor of Political Science, Public Policy, and Semiotics at Montana State University Billings where he has been since 2012. From 2012-2015 he served as the program coordinator for the Master of Public Administration program. From 2015- present, he has served as both the coordinator for the political science program and as the pre-law advisor. He received his BS in Political Science in 2003, a Master of Public Administration in 2005, and his Doctor of Arts in Political Science in 2008 from Idaho State University. His research interests are at the intersection of political behavior and linguistics. Dr. Pope has studied the dynamics of political and policy narratives, political discourse, and political semiotics as a method of analyzing and understanding political behavior and cognition. His research on January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol led to the development of his political behavioral theory, the Hero Fallacy Paradox.

Renée Crichlow

Family Medicine Physician + American Academy of Family Physician Commissioner for Federal & State Policy

Renee Crichlow, MD, FAAFP, practiced full-spectrum Family Medicine with Obstetrics for more than 20 years and is now the chief medical officer of Codman Square Health Center in Boston, a Vice-chair at the Boston University Medical School Department of Family Medicine, and a Lecturer at the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Crichlow has lived and worked in both rural and urban environments - at a federally qualified community health center in Billings, Montana, then to the University of Minnesota where she was the inaugural Mac Baird Endowed Chair for Family Medicine Advocacy and Policy. Dr. Crichlow’s Fellowships include a Fellowship in Health Policy through the Dept of Health and Human Services. She is a Commissioner for Federal and State Policy for the American Academy of Family Physician, and is the Immediate Past President of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the founder of The Ladder, a mentorship program for kids interested in health careers.

Ronnie Jo Horse

Citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation + Executive Director

Ronnie Jo, a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation in South Dakota and a descendant of the Northern Cheyenne Nation in Montana, serves as the Executive Director for various organizations, including the Western Native Voice Education Project, Western Native Voice Inc., Western Native Voice Action Fund, Western Native Voice Votes, and Western Native Voice LLC. She holds an Associate Degree in General Studies from Chief Dull Knife College, a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Montana State University- Bozeman, a Master’s Degree in Legal Studies with a focus on Tribal Policy, Law, and Government from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and a Masters of Public Administration with a focus on Nonprofit Administration at the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University. Ronnie Jo is also the 2023 USA Today’s Montana Women of the Year. Ronnie Jo enjoys traveling, sewing, and helping in her communities.

Sharon McMahon

Government Teacher + Author + Podcaster + Social Media Influencer

After years of serving as a high school government and law teacher, Sharon McMahon has amassed an audience of more than a million people, who rely on her for non-partisan, fact-based information. In a time where flashy headlines and false information often take the spotlight, Sharon is a reliable source for truth and logic. Sharon is the author of The Small and the Mighty, the host of the award-winning podcast, Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, and the founder of The Preamble, a newsletter about politics and history.

Yuliya Johnson

Journalist + Immigrant + Therapist

Yuliya Johnson was born in Prague, Czech Republic. Her dad was an officer, which is why they were stationed in several different countries: Czech Republic, Germany, Kazakhstan, Germany again, Russia, and Ukraine. Both of her parents are Ukrainian. At the age of 12, she became part of a young journalist club because she dreamed to be a journalist or diplomat. She was a journalist for 18 years, interviewing many people: soldiers, officers, politicians, artists, scientists, and president Yushchenko's wife and President Zelenskyy. She published three documentary books about soldiers and volunteers who were killed during the conflict in the East of Ukraine. She graduated with a MA in History and has a Bachelor in Psychology and Veterinary Medicine. For the last seven years, she has been working as a counselor and is interning at South Central Treatment Associates. She will graduate this October from Southern New Hampshire University with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.