In our previous updates, we laid out our foundation: the mission to deliver Inspiring Ideas for your professional development and our core theme of Igniting Personal Growth.

But a TEDx event is more than just a list of talks; it’s a living, breathing experience powered entirely by passion. If the mission is the blueprint, the people—our organizers, our volunteers, and our audience—are the architects.

Today, we want to introduce you to the dedicated volunteers who make this vision possible and define what the TEDxDuluth experience truly means for you.

Part I: The Duluth Difference—A Curated Experience

What sets TEDxDuluth apart from a lecture series or a standard professional conference? It is the careful, collaborative labor that ensures the entire day is focused on intellectual engagement and community connection.

1. Ideas are Just the Start: Speakers

We invest significant resources into the production quality of our stage. This isn’t just for the cameras—it’s for you. We design the visual and acoustic environment to ensure that every idea, whether big or subtle, is delivered with maximum impact and clarity. You will be sitting in a space optimized for singular focus, allowing the ideas shared to genuinely resonate without distraction.

2. The Power of Serendipity: Breaks

The true magic of TEDx often happens in the lobby. We intentionally curate our breaks to facilitate unexpected connections:

• Curated Spaces: We design interactive areas, thoughtful catering, and comfortable seating arrangements specifically to encourage conversation between attendees from wildly different disciplines.
• The Idea Exchange: The person standing next to you in the coffee line might be the CEO, the student, the artist, or the scientist who can help you implement the idea you just heard on stage. If you would like to meet the speakers after each session, you can buy a VIP ticket!

3. Lasting Value: Your Professional Toolkit

You will leave the event not just feeling inspired, but equipped. The ideas presented are selected because they are actionable. They are designed to fit immediately into your professional toolkit, giving you new frameworks for leadership, creativity, and resilience.

Part II: The People Behind the Ideas: Meet Your Organizers

TEDxDuluth is a labor of love run by individuals who believe in the Northland’s potential. We are volunteering our time because we are committed to seeing our community thrive through the power of shared knowledge.

Star – The Visionary and Event Strategist

Star serves as the overall event lead, focusing on our macro-strategy. Driving the event’s theme and speaker selection resonates deeply with the community’s needs and upholds the global standards of the TED platform. They are focused on the long-term impact of TEDxDuluth:

“We want to empower the community with an igniting toolkit that will transform into a flame of action, causing change in their life and their community!” – Star 

Kadie – The Outreach Lead and Experience Curator

Kadie is responsible for the quality control, logistics, and community engagement. Her passion lies in organizing the grassroots efforts that turn abstract plans into a tangible reality through curating the minor details to create impact:

“There are so many wonderful people living in Duluth and the surrounding areas, curating a new experience where we can all connect to share our stories, differences, and new ideas is something anyone could get behind.” – Kadie

Part III: Your Role – Completing the Circuit of Ideas

As organizers, we design the stage, but Ambassadors and Attendees complete the circuit. This is an invitation for you to move from an observer to an essential contributor.

The Call for TEDxDuluth Volunteers

The day of the event runs smoothly because of our dedicated Volunteer team. If you are passionate about community, professionalism, and seeing great ideas succeed, we need your help!

Volunteer roles are divided into key support functions:

• Registration & Welcome: Be the first friendly face, quickly checking in guests and distributing badges/event programs.
• Guest Experience (Ushers): Ensuring quiet and respectful seating flow inside the theater to protect the speaker’s focus and the video recording quality.
• Break Facilitation: Keeping the networking areas clean, energetic, and helping attendees connect during intermissions.
• Logistics Support: Assisting the production team with set-up, small errands, and managing backstage areas.

Volunteers receive free entry to the portions of the event they are not working, an official shirt, and a certificate of service for their professional portfolio. This is your chance to meet the organizers and speakers while supporting a world-class event.

The Call for Attendees

• Clear your calendars for February 6th, 2026, as this is an all-day event(9am-5pm), with the option to attend a singular session, attend 2 sessions, or attend all day!
• Buy tickets in advance to ensure your spot! More details to be released soon.

Ready to Act?

We are just days away from announcing our first batch of speakers and opening ticket sales! Don’t rely on luck—get the inside track.

Visit the official website to volunteer, rsvp, or join the email list for updates.

Check us out on LinkedIn @TEDxDuluth