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Formerly known as TEDxNavesink, the annual TEDx Talk event will change its identity to TEDxAsburyPark on May 20; fittingly, the theme of this year’s conference that brings together a roster of leading thinkers in technology, science, gender, business, art, and local musicians.

The shift comes as the TEDxNavesink team partnered with Asbury Park boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette to expand the experience into an open mic event and behind the scenes Voice-style critique.

The event is dedicated to education, community, innovation, and ‘ideas worth spreading.’  Each year, a different theme is chosen to build a day of nonfiction theater.

Hundreds of business and nonprofit leaders, students from local universities and sponsors plan, manage and fund the all-day event, that has sold out each year since its 2012 debut.  

“Each year we discover and amplify local heroes and their ideas,” Founder Brian Smiga said. “A TED Talk is best at presenting a single, new ‘idea worth spreading,’ whether you perform a song, comedy, slides, or give a talk.” 

In a round robin scheduling style, the TEDxAsburyPark talks will feature unique perspectives on identity and its influence from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

“From a strong applicant pool, we have assembled an inspiring line-up,” said Jamie Sussel Turner, who leads the speaker selection committee. “Whether it’s through the lens of gender, race, class, arts, human study, technology, design or something more, TEDxAsburyPark speakers had a unique opportunity to work with an experienced team who will collaborate with them in uncovering the essence of their idea, and offer coaching so they can deliver the talk of their lives.”

Tickets are $45 via www.tedxasburypark.com, with $15 discounts available in honor of Mental Health Month – use code: mentalhealthmonth.  Tickets to join a lunch with the speakers are $18 and $12 for an after event cocktail party. Group discounts are also available. 

Below is a snapshot of the day’s roster:

Jim McGreevey of Woodbridge/Jersey City is a former New Jersey governor who is now the chairman of the NJ Reentry Corp, a Jersey City-based nonprofit that helps former inmates with job training, addiction treatment, and legal aid. McGreevey will share how his experiences working with the formerly incarcerated have helped to shape his own sense of self.

Dr. Kenneth Womack of Long Branch is a non-fiction author, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and an English professor at Monmouth University. His latest Beatles-related book project is Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin (The Early Years: 1926-1966). Womack’s talk will explore how Sir George overcame his challenges and how it relates to us figuring out our own crises.

Jasmin Singer of Santa Cruz is the author of the memoir Always Too Much and Never Enough (Penguin Random House Berkeley 2016). Her memoir talks about finding herself on the ropes of her weight-loss journey. Her talk draws ideas from her book: how do others shape our identity? How do our assumptions about others replicate in ourselves? And how do we come to the realization that we are able to live a meaningful life?

Kory Stamper of New York City is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, America’s oldest dictionary company, and an author. In addition to writing definitions, she appears in Merriam-Webster’s online video series at merriam-webster.com, and writes and speaks on the role of language and dictionaries in society. Her blog about dictionaries, Harmless Drudgery, has been mentioned in The Paris Review and The New York Times. Her debut book, Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, is being released by Pantheon/Knopf in the spring of 2017.

Jean Malpas of New York City is a certified psychotherapist and the director of The Gender Family Project of the Ackerman Institute for the Family, which provides comprehensive multidisciplinary services for gender-expansive children, transgender adolescents, their families, and communities. He recently appeared in National Geographic Magazine’s Gender Revolution February issue and on the companion NatGeo Channel documentary hosted by Katie Couric.

Patty Azzarello of Palo Alto and Ocean County is a CEO who dissects the facets which make her business successful. Through “unconstructed conversation,” she is able to make her business thrive through an interpersonal connection. She shares how true identity helps develop a trust so others can connect with you.

Mariah Fenton Gladis of Malvern, Pa, is a 36-year ALS survivor, advocate, motivational speaker, award-winning psychotherapist and the founder/director of the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training, in Malvern, PA. She focuses on inspiring others to create positive relationships for personal and professional excellence. Mariah is also the author of Tales of a Wounded Healer, an intimate description of her life and work.

Mileece I’Anson of Los Angeles and London is the founder of Children of Wild Designs, a program that integrates renewable energy, technology and art to create novel perspectives. I’Anson focuses on how to connect people with plants, peace and unity through interactive audio and imagery. Her work has been featured in The New York Times.

Dr. Heather Berlin of New York City and Long Island examines the relationship between the brain and mind, with a focus on borderline personality disorder. She looks at the neurological basis of identity, taking apart the stigmas that are often attached to mental illness. She has been featured on TEDxYouth at KC, the Startalk Panel and Lucid NYC. Heather is also the co-host of the PBS show “Science Goes to the Movies.”

Baba Brinkman of New York City and Long Island is a Canadian rap artist, playwright, and former tree planter based in New York City. He is best known for his “Rap Guide” series of science-based hip-hop albums and theatre shows, including Rap Guides to Evolution, Climate Change, and Religion.

David Orban of New York City and Milan explores the ways in which technology is shaping our everyday lives, and how society adapts to these advancements. David has been featured in TEDxAcademy.

John Werner of Cambridge is the vice president of Strategic Partnerships at Meta where he explores augmented reality. John is the recipient of the Loeb Fellowship at Harvard Graduate Study of Design. Additionally, he is the founder of TEDxBeaconStreet and on the board of advisors for TEDx along with a number of other TED affiliations. His work has been featured in dozens of TED talks.

Joe Primo of Morristown is the CEO of Good Grief in Morristown and Princeton. The organization assists hundreds of children and families each month following the death of a mother, father or sibling. He currently serves on the advisory board of Option B at the Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldman Family Foundation. Joe speaks about how grief is a process to embrace and creates a climate of hope and resilience.

Christine Zilinski of Red Bank is an award-winning salon owner, stylist, industry speaker, trainer, and leadership expert. Christine has built a strong foundation within the professional beauty industry by adeptly cultivating her skills as both a creative and technical stylist and an industry leader.

John Sitilides of Washington D.C. and Jersey City is a government affairs specialist who will share his insights on U.S. and global geopolitical decision-making that impacts markets in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, helping high-stakes investors, business executives and opinion leaders better understand and mitigate disruptive risk.

Rob Van Varick of Princeton and Philadelphia is a partner at Michael Graves Architecture & Design where he passionately believes design has the power to positively impact people’s lives. His mission is to apply the right blend of research, psychology, creativity and strategy so that root causes are identified, allowing the best solution to be designed.  

Justin Kamine of Bedminster has been at the forefront of sustainable, environmentally progressive technologies and food movements for the past 6 years.  His angel investments and entrepreneurial talents have led him to be deeply involved with growing technologies that are actively transforming the agriculture world, creating a more sustainable food supply chain and eliminating food and plastic waste.

Jenan Matari of New York is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Miss Muslim, a women’s empowerment website covering a wide range of topics from faith to food and fitness, to female/sexual health and dating, to politics and pop culture.

Avery Rose Puryear of Fair Haven is singer-songwriter and leader of the band, Avery Rose and The Thorns. A student at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Avery plays the piano, drums, saxophone, and bass guitar. She was accepted into the New York Grammy camp for songwriting and performs at the Stone Pony and The House of Independents.

Alexandra Lewis of Tinton Falls is a 14-year old poet who has been writing since she was 11 years old.  She’s written poems about topics such as equality, feminism, and freedom. At the age of 7, Alexandra joined the New Jersey Orators, a public speaking organization. Over the years she has won awards for Excellence and Honors, the highest awards at the NJ Orators competition.

Eric Burdge of Sea Bright is the owner of DRH Furniture, a woodworking business that specializes in 17th- and 18th-century-style handmade furniture. Burdge’s talk will focus on how there is hope for students who fall through the cracks of the school system and don’t seek a traditional four-year college degree.

Carl Perino of Point Pleasant is a middle school principal and will discuss how the drive to succeed for students has been at the forefront of our culture and how social media exposes our youth to external pressures that they are not equipped to navigate as they try and determine their own identity.   

Jess Fong of New Brunswick talks about straddling her identity, growing up as an Asian-American in the New Jersey suburbs. Through education and drawing from her personal experiences, she is able to bridge cultural gaps and open the minds of her audiences.

Rick Peterson of Belmar is the co-author of Crunch Time: How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most. He is known throughout business and professional baseball as a cutting edge peak performance coach. His track record on the field has been chronicled in Michael Lewis’ bestseller Moneyball. During his 15 years as a Major League pitching coach with the Oakland A’s, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Brewers, he coached Hall of Famers, All Stars, and Cy Young Award Winners.

Dr. Robin Hanson of Burke, Va. is a non-fiction author, Associate Professor of economics at George Mason University, and research associate at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute. Dr. Hanson will speak on hidden motives in everyday life and how an understanding of these motives can change how we view familiar social institutions.

Roy LaManna of Freehold is the CEO and co-founder of Vydia. Profiled by Forbes, The Huffington Post, International Business Times and more, Roy LaManna has become synonymous with the launch of visionary and inventive companies, propelling him as the go-to guy in the music video space. He will speak about how being a bad student can make you a great entrepreneur.

Sean O’Sullivan of New York is managing partner of SOSV, the world-leading “Accelerator VC.” With $300 million assets under management, SOSV backs more than 150 startups annually through its accelerators. Recognized in 2017 as the world’s #1 most active global early stage investor and the #2 most active global seed investor, SOSV’s accelerator model takes a small initial stake in startups and provides a framework and community where startups get further and faster than they could on their own.

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