I’m overdue in posting my thanks to every single person who made TEDxSanAntonio “Past Present Future” such a success: speakers, attendees, sponsors, volunteers – everyone. I’m overdue not just because I’m a procrastinator but also because it’s been hard to put my thanks into fewer than a thousand words. I’ll do my best here.
Speakers
We had an exceptionally competitive slate of applicants this year and it was utter misery for the Programming Committee (chaired by Angelica Mata Cordero) to settle on only 10 speakers plus alternates.
I know from years of experience as a TEDxSanAntonio volunteer that the process of making it to the stage is often a roller coaster of emotions and negotiations and frustrations and pleadings and successes. Here’s why I love each of you: you made your case, you did the work, and you brought your A+ talk to the stage and you CONNECTED with the audience.
To the speakers that made the stage,
- Jose Banuelos
- Melissa Guerra
- Natalie Hinkel
- Luke Horgan
- Deputy Chief Aristides “Harry” Jimenez
- Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH
- Joseph Smarro
- Doug Stevenson
- Gary Sweeney
- and our host, Rob Wicall
I say THANK YOU.
We will have videos of all 10 speakers posted as soon as possible, though I know it won’t be soon enough for anyone.
Attendees
This year we sold out the show. We had a wait list. Thanks to the hard work of our Vice President, Kelly Strait, we were able to meet you at the awesome and amazing Charline McCombs Empire Theatre – without Kelly’s work we never would have found our new home.
During the event and later, I got to meet literally hundreds of attendees and chat about their experience at the event. Here’s why I love each of you: you taught me so much about what TEDxSanAntonio meant to you, how we can make next year better, and gave me even more energy for keeping the faith. THANK YOU.
Sponsors
We had exceptional sponsorship support this year thanks to the work of our long time TEDxSanAntonio organizer, Susan Price and the outstanding team she’s assembled.
Our Genius-level Sponsors: the 80/20 Foundation, Geekdom, and Texas Public Radio along with nearly 30 other sponsors (each and everyone is listed here).
Here’s why I love each and every one of them: their support made it possible to put on the show at all, their support made it possible for us to offer the lowest price tickets of any of our Main events in many years, and their support helped us connect attendees and speakers with the coolest commercial and non-profit partners of the TEDxSanAntonio community. THANK YOU.
Volunteers
I had the good fortune to open the show and recognize the TEDxSanAntonio leadership team. It was a humbling experience. There’s an old saw about standing on the shoulder of giants, but honestly, I’m humbled to merely be in sight of these people and the teams they’ve built.
Here’s why I love each and everyone of them: without them there would be no us. THANK YOU.
Here’s everyone:
Organizing Leadership
- Chris Sandoval (me!): TEDxSanAntonio Licensee; President, Fiesta For The Mind
- Kelly Strait: Vice President, Fiesta For The Mind
- Wayne Lieby: Treasurer, Fiesta For The Mind
- Angelica Mata Cordero: Secretary, Fiesta For The Mind
- Susan Price: Founding Organizer; Director, Fiesta For The Mind
- Jon Stovall: Creative Director; Director, Fiesta For The Mind
- Tiara Payton: Operations & Logistics & Volunteers Committee Chair
- Colleen Baker: Marketing, Social, Communications Committee Chair
- Chris McDermott: Technology Chair
- Darrin Wylie: Production Committee Chair
Programming Committee Volunteers
- Tony Bowie
- Matt Eng
- James Lancaster
- Heath Henderson
- Ana Calhoun
- Emily Noll
- Colleen Baker
- Drew Galloway
- Alberto Garcia-Jurado
- Lisa Phillips
- Dana Martinez
- Anne Sheldrake
- Kelly Strait
- Chris Sandoval
Production Committee Volunteers
- Scott Felton, Stage Manager
- Danny Owen-Kohutek, Camera Guru
- Clayton Price
- Charles Mims, MVP Photographer
Marketing, Social, Communications Committee Volunteers
- Dana Martinez
- Brian Swain
Partnerships & Sponsorships Committee Volunteers
- Rosalinda Oranday, Committee Co-Chair
- Melissa Burnett
- Laura Burress
- Louise Craig
- Raul Otto Jimenez
- Cora Lonning
- John Thornton
Creative Committee Volunteer & 2018 Event Theme Art Director
- Alejandro Pérez–Segnini
Operations and “Day of” Volunteers
- Lisa Aguayo
- Jewell Allen
- Devlon Bradley
- Crystal Felix
- Chris Flores
- Angelita Guajardo
- Derek Guajardo
- Kevin Hernandez
- Phil Kang
- Juliana Kang
- Nicholas Lauricella
- Veronica Sawyer
- Matthew Shaddock
- Alexander Villagomez
- Michelle Villagómez
- John Weinbrecht
- Kevin Williams
Thanks to each and everyone of you, I love you!