By Sarge Salman

2. FR OM THE CURATOR
In chemistry, collision theory teaches
that one must bring two atoms within
proximity of each other for a chance to
form a bond and share electrons. Proximity
is the prerequisite.
Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx program
is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to
stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are fully
planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.
We gathered on January 31 to induce
proximity and to celebrate the conviction
that knowledge should analogously be
shared. We do so as part of a global
movement that has been gathering
leaders, thinkers, and doers in over two
thousand cities since 2009. Our January
31 gathering was the 9,020th TEDx
conference to date.
P I O NEERS, O PIONE E RS!
The conference theme Pioneers, O
Pioneers! embodies the broad spectrum of
individual journeys and personal ambition
that shape our shared experience. And
the theme preamble recognizes the innate
drive to learn, to overcome challenges, and
to advance human ideals.
We celebrate those who harbor vulnerability. We seek out those who carry the creative
flame. We yearn for those who call deep on their courage to march, impatient, and
full of action. Pioneers! And we honor the cause that there is more to live, to do, to
experience, and to discover than what is known today.
Our speakers rose to the occasion, and
they shared their most compelling ideas.
We also unveiled two projects that expand
the “ideas worth spreading” mission by
leveraging Baltimore resources to tackle
“problems worth solving,” Projects CASL
and Calliope.
We remain grateful for the kind invitation
of Dr. Wilson, President of Morgan State
University, to return to his campus. And
we are thankful for the support provided
by Monica Lupton of the Murphy Fine
Arts Center, by Omar Muhammad of the
Entrepreneurial Development & Assistance
Center (EDAC), and their respective staffs.
The TEDxBaltimore team of volunteers
worked tirelessly to strive for a more
perfect community. The support of our
sponsors and the attendance of the
community elevated us toward that ideal.
And we proudly affirm that TEDxBaltimore
is unequivocal proof that given all the
resources endemic to Baltimore, we don’t
need to go far to go far!
On behalf of the TEDxBaltimore team,
Sarge Salman, PhD

3. THE
CONFERENCE
The TEDxBaltimore 2014 conference, once again held at the Murphy Fine Arts
Center, reaffirmed our commitment to Morgan State University.
We exploited the opportunity to craft a program comprising over 20 unique
voices spanning disciplines and geography, from fatherhood to manufacturing,
and from Austria to Detroit. And we augmented the experience by unveiling two
ambitious projects to tackle “problems worth solving.”
Conference talks: http://goo.gl/rHTnfP
Event pictures: http://goo.gl/BzicHh

4. AT A
GLANCE
1
4
20
∞
Stage
Sessions
Speakers & Performers
Ideas & Connections

5. ATTENDANCE
390
800
Complimentary passes
Paying Customers
197 (25%)
Early Bird
349 (44%)
Student
We exploited the break between Sessions One and Two to serve
locally sourced food, highlighting five food pioneers. The work of
these purveyors reflects traditional methods of our food heritage
pre-dating fast food. We served conference attendees foods to be
eaten in winter locally sourced then preserved, not simply freshfrom-the-garden produce.
Items served:
Goat Cheese Cheesecake & Herbed Chèvre
Charlottetown Farm
Original, Hot Chile, Chesapeake style & Maple Pepper Beef Jerky
Woodberry Kitchen
Roasted Winter Root Vegetables & Fruit Rolled in Spice Mix
Triple R Farms
Traditional Jams canned using French Method in Copper Pans
Max’s Degrees
German Baked Goods from Babett’s Bakery
Atwater’s
254 (31%)
General Admission
1190
Badges Issued
LOCAL FOOD
LUNCH
350 450
Vegan Box Lunches
Meat Box Lunches
26
Artisan Pizzas
from Touloulou

6. VIDEOGRAPHY
By Open Range Video LLC
2
Terabytes
RAW VIDEO FOOTAGE
5
Cameras
2 UNMANNED
3 w/ OPERATORS

7. SPEAKERS

8. SESSION ONE
SESSION TWO
Decisions & Outcomes
SESSION THREE
Our Shared Experience
Guest Hosted by Derek Braun, a geneticist on the
faculty of Gallaudet University
Our Potential
Neighbors & Neighborhoods
What do you want to be
when you grow up?
Public Service Lawyers as
Pioneering Advocates
Experimental Music
RickGeritz
HabenGirma
✉
✉
THUS
rickgeritz@tedxmail.com
habengirma@tedxmail.com
SESSION FOUR
✉
thus@tedxmail.com
An Interview with Pug
from the Documentary
“12 O’Clock Boys”
Pug
✉
pug@tedxmail.com
Understanding
Chess Mastery
Rethinking Foster Care
The Bitter Reality and
Failure of Drone Warfare
Our Neighborhoods
JenniferShahade
MollyMcGrathTierney
MedeaBenjamin
ElijahMiles
✉
✉
✉
✉
jenshahade@tedxmail.com
mollytierney@tedxmail.com
medeabenjamin@tedxmail.com
elijahmiles@tedxmail.com
Going from Point A
to Point B
Tackling Ethnic
Health Disparities
The Return of Skilled Labor
Manufacturing to Detroit
Fatherhood as an
Anti-Poverty Strategy
TysonSanford-Griffin
LisaCooper
JenniferGuarino
JosephJones
✉
✉
✉
✉
tysonsanfordgriffin@tedxmail.com
lisacooper@tedxmail.com
jenguarino@tedxmail.com
josephjones@tedxmail.com
Giving Voice
to Sexuality
Sometimes It’s Not
Enough to be a Pioneer
The Secret Identity
of an Adopted Child
ChrisKraft
NickCienski
CatharineRobertson
✉
✉
✉
chriskraft@tedxmail.com
nickcienski@tedxmail.com
cathro@tedxmail.com
Economic Lifespan
of a Dollar
The Global TEDx Community
MargaritaAnderson
NikiErnst
✉
✉
maggieanderson@tedxmail.com
@TEDXMAIL.COM
Baltimore’s
Urban Soil
CherylCarmona
✉
cherylcarmona@tedxmail.com
To encourage connections between speakers
and attendees, we initiated Project TEDxMail.
The conference program included a Name@
tedxmail.com email address that forwarded all
correspondence to the speaker’s private email
Session Three was ended with a surprise demonstration of a
fused glass-metal technology: an underwater LED-lit red X. The
light fixture was designed by Aric Wanveer and Tim McFadden
of Zero Gravity Creations. TED is supportive of innovative
product demonstrations and we anticipate incorporating them
in subsequent conferences
nikiernst@tedxmail.com
Performance
TokyoCigar
✉
tokyocigar@tedxmail.com

9. 2013
298
Tickets Sold
ATTENDEES
730
Badges Issued
2014
800
Tickets Sold
1190
+168%
+63%
Badges Issued
650
Confirmed Attendance
938
Confirmed Attendance
+44%

10. 31
Academic Institutions
Represented In Audience
American University
Maryland Institute College of Art
Community College of Baltimore County
Morgan State University
Drexel University
New York University
Elon University
St. Johns College
Gallaudet University
St. Timothy’s School
George Mason University
Stevenson University
George Washington University
Towson University
Georgetown University
University of Baltimore
Goucher College
University of Delaware
Guilford College
University of Maryland
Howard Community College
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Johns Hopkins University
Ursinus College
Loyola University Maryland
We also hosted ten Volunteer Maryland
Coordinators and fifteen Notre Dame
Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps.
9:00am
Vassar
Ms. Sahar D. Sattarzadeh led a delegation
of eighteen members of her SO 105: Social
Problems & Issues course from Montgomery
College - Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.
Most of the students are first-generation
college students, comprising a diverse
spectrum of socioeconomic classes, racial/
ethnic/national identities, education levels,
ages, and household structures.
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg Villanova University
Maryland University of Integrative Health
Virginia Commonwealth University
11:30am
21
TEDx Organizers in Attendance
TEDxAdamsMorgan
TEDxMidAtlantic
TEDxAdo
TEDxPhiladelphia
TEDxAmericanUniversity
TEDxPhoenixville
TEDxBergenCommunityCollege
TEDxPSU
TEDxChesterRiver
TEDxRockCreekPark
TEDxGallaudet
TEDxSalzburg
TEDxGeorgeMasonU
TEDxUMBC
TEDxGeorgetown
TEDxUMD
TEDxJohnsHopkinsUniversity
TEDxVillanovaU
TEDxKhartoum
TEDxYouth@RMHS
TEDxLancaster
REMOTE VIEWERS
The TEDxBaltimore livestream website received 1,207
visits throughout the day. Top viewing countries were:
1. United States of America
2. Canada
3. Brazil
4. Lithuania
5. Gernmany
6. United Kingdom
7. Italy
8. Mexico
9. Columbia
10. Lebanon
2:15pm
Entrepreneurs
6
7
AccelerateBaltimore
2014 Winners
Venture For
America Fellows
3
12
University of Baltimore
Entrepreneurship Fellows
Open Society Institute – Baltimore
2013 Fellows
4:00pm

11. Problems
Worth
Solving
The global TEDx mission is “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Yet there are
challenges in this world that will not succumb to a great idea. Solutions
must be developed and deployed to defeat them. We call these
opportunities “Problems Worth Solving.”
Leveraging the Baltimore talent pool and ample local resources,
members of the community collaborated to develop two ambitious
solutions to problems worth solving. They were unveiled at
TEDxBaltimore.

12. PROJECT CASL
Each TEDx conference, organized through a license agreement from TED,
has come to symbolize a vision that embraces people and ideas to craft
a compelling local narrative about our shared future. And TED magnifies
the effort through the Open Translation Project (OTP) where one thousand
volunteers translate talks into 104 languages.
On January 31 we launched Project CASL, envisioned in the same spirit
as the OTP program, to augment the conference experience in a very
special way. For the first time, deaf attendees will sit in the audience and
stream the sign language interpretation on an iPad we provide, as remote
deaf viewers enjoy the talks on the projectcasl.com website. The CASL
technology platform is merely a web browser that broadcasts the signs of
interpreters.
The unveiling of Project CASL was marred by the failure of the audience
iPad system. The technically feasible platform was deployed without on-site
testing. However, a redundant system design allowed the simultaneous
interpretation for home viewers to proceed unimpeded. And a planned
backup plan allowed stage interpretation for our deaf guests.
This ambitious partial failure brought to light the strengths and liabilities of
every system component, human and electronic. We are capitalizing on this
knowledge to develop the second coming of Project CASL, which will offer
remote sign language interpretation for citywide venues while creating
hundreds of new interpreting job opportunities.
PROJECT CALLIOPE
In 2015 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will lift restrictions on the
commercial use of drones. Our drone incubator, known as Project Calliope,
will stand at the forefront developing the next generation of civilian drone
technology and companies. With all the resources available in Baltimore,
we are confident Baltimore can become an epicenter for drone technology
development.
Drone technologies in development include remote sensing and navigation
applications for agricultural and other civilian uses.

13. “The openness of the event is really great - everyone seemed engaged.”
“I thought that the whole event was superbly organized. They lost the
letter J badges when I arrived and one volunteer personally found me
to give me my badge later on. The food was great, the staff helpful, and
everyone there was enthusiastic to network and talk.”
“I enjoyed the speakers offered, and I thought the breaks were ample,
which allowed lots of time for networking. The programs and other
materials provided were excellent, and TEDx staff were very helpful
about providing directions and other logistical assistance.”
“I had detailed information about where the venue was, how to get
there, where to park, and speakers ahead of time. That worked well.
The convenience of the parking was awesome.”
“It seemed to be well organized. The sessions flowed without incident
and the volunteers were very helpful. The starbucks coffee was a nice
touch as well. Oh, and as a vegetarian, I loved that there was a vegan
lunch option. Also, mingling with the speakers during breaks was
wonderful.”
“It made you feel like it was a large organization with a hometown
appeal.”
“I liked having speakers familiar with and local to Baltimore. It creates a
sense of community pride which we can all appreciate.”
“The whole event felt well planned, the speakers were great, and it was
awesome getting to meet so many people.”
Feedback
“The excellent speakers were so inspiring and generated such energy in
the audience that the day just flew by.”
“Flow was good, talks were great...I left feeling uplifted, renewed and
inspired to incite change.”

14. SURVEY RESULTS
SPONSORS
We remain grateful for the support of our financial and in-kind
sponsors. Their contributions exemplify the community support that
motivates us.
BRILLIANT
GOOD
AVERAGE
POOR
This Event (overall)
30%
58%
9%
3%
Speakers & Theme
35%
55%
7%
3%
Onstage Host
24%
35%
28%
13%
Food
14%
31%
36%
19%
Venue
42%
42%
14%
2%
LENGTH
JUST RIGHT
TOO LONG
TOO SHORT
This Event (overall)
49%
51%
0%
Talks and Sessions
84%
16%
0%
Breaks
85%
13%
2%
Would you attend another TEDx?
96% 4%
YES
NO

15. Visual Design
A 2-year commitment for graphic design students. First
year: serving as Junior Designer in support of the Senior
Designer with tasks relating to branding, graphics, and
multimedia. Second year: promotion to Senior Designer,
responsible for the entire TEDxBaltimore visual experience
(branding, advertising, printed program, animations, etc.).
Japheth Crawford served as the inaugural Senior Designer,
he is being succeeded by Crystal Dimeler.
Stage Management
The Master Puppeteer, aka stage manager, carries the
soft power and deft stringmanship required to serve as
gatekeeper to the stage, keeper of the schedule, shepherd
and therapist for speakers, whispering appropriate
encouragements. All stage activities fall under the purview
of the Master Puppeteer.
Rebecca Wolf, Production Coordinator & Resident Lighting
Designer at Towson University will serve in this capacity,
and we look forward to recruiting students to the effort.
Production Assistant
A planned internship for Morgan State sophomore
Devonte King to document TEDxBaltimore using miniature
GoPro cameras.
The Journey
Ahead
The Proximity Foundation, based at Emerging Technology
Centers (ETC) in Highlandtown, is an organization to
be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code. The foundation will serve as home for
all TEDxBaltimore activities. And the development and
deployment of Problems Worth Solving projects will anchor
a vibrant innovation hub in the City.
Stop by for a visit!
Emerging Technology Centers (ETC)
101 N Haven St, Suite 301
Baltimore, MD 21224
And don’t forget to join the discussion online:
@TEDxBaltimore
www.facebook.com/groups/TEDxBaltimore

16. DESIGN BY JAPHETH CRAWFORD & CRYSTAL DIMELER