In our previous posts, we outlined the TEDxDuluth vision: delivering Inspiring Ideas for your professional development through a focus on Igniting Personal Development. Now, we’re taking you to the core of that vision by sitting down with our organizer, Star Gump, to find out why they decided to bring a TEDx event to Duluth.

The interview revealed that this event is far more than a passion project; it is the philosophical and personal culmination of Star’s academic work, community service, and a hard-won lesson about the true meaning of balance.

(You can find the full audio recording and transcript of this interview at the bottom of the page.)

Part I: The Spark – Service Above Self

Star is a student at UMD, but their commitment to the community began long before college. It started with Rotary, the global service organization whose motto is “Service Above Self.”

Star was heavily involved in community work, including restructuring the Rotaract Club (the youth version of Rotary) at UMD. For a time, their service looked like many small, focused events—volunteering at local organizations like the Lake Superior Zoo. But, Star realized there was a way to create a bigger impact.

“I realized that if you only have a few people show up, that’s not making as much of an impact as one big event that brings the community together,” Star explained.

The goal crystallized: instead of many small efforts, Star wanted to create a singular, large-scale platform where local ideas could be amplified to inspire hundreds. TEDxDuluth became the logical next step—a mechanism to maximize the impact of ideas and elevate the community’s collective potential.

“TEDxDuluth is kind of an extension of that [community work] to put on one event that inspires many people. I want to bring professional development to everybody, not just the people who are in suits… [let’s]bring people’s personal growth into the picture as well.”

The event, therefore, is rooted in the belief that the greatest service we can offer the community is a dedicated space for profound thought and intellectual growth.

Part II: The Interdisciplinary Mindset: A Tipi of Ideas

What makes Star’s approach to curating the event so unique is their academic foundation. Star didn’t choose a standard major; they pursued an Interdisciplinary Studies degree at UMD called Creative Community Empowerment. This custom degree combines three distinct fields:

1. Philosophy: The “Why.” It drives the search for core meaning and challenges conventional wisdom.
2. Geographic Information Systems (GIS): The “Where.” It provides the technical skill to analyze the context—the community, the landscape, and the data.
3. Journalism: The “How.” It provides the structure for effective, concise storytelling and communicating complex ideas to a broad audience.

Star used the analogy of a Tipi to describe this work: you need all three poles (Philosophy, GIS, and Journalism) to hold up the structure of a truly powerful and well-rounded idea.

This interdisciplinary approach is the intellectual core of the event. It ensures that the talks you hear on February 6th will not be siloed—they won’t be pure business jargon, nor will they be solely academic theory. They will be connected and comprehensive, blending the “why” with the “where” and the “how-to-share.”

This is also how Star views diversity and inclusion through intersectionality:

“It’s the iceberg that we can see underneath… everyone’s a little blob [of experience], some of our experiences are the same, some of them are different, but they all work together to kind of build up society.”

This means TEDxDuluth will showcase ideas that come from complex, intersecting personal histories, not just visible demographics, making the conversations richer and more relatable to everyone.

Part III: The Personal Engine: Finding Balance After Burnout

The event’s theme, Igniting Personal Development, is incredibly personal to Star, stemming from a challenging experience with burnout and mental health. This is the authentic heart of the event’s mission.

Star shared a story from their freshman year at UMD, where they threw themselves into every opportunity—a classic example of confusing busyness with productivity.

“I signed up for not every club I was interested in, but a lot, and I took an active role in all of them,” Star recalled. This led to a serious burnout and going into inpatient care due to their Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which can be intensified by stress and overcommitment.

That difficult experience forced a necessary period of re-evaluation and growth, which led to Star being taught a vital concept that they now use to manage their energy: The Spoons of Energy.

The Spoons of Energy

The analogy is simple yet profound: you start every day with a limited number of “spoons” or units of energy. Every activity—a challenging work task, an intense conversation, even managing stress—costs a spoon. If you spend too many spoons too quickly, you crash.

The lesson? Intentionality over volume. You must strategically manage and conserve your spoons for the activities that provide the most personal and professional value.

This concept is why the TEDxDuluth theme focuses on the personal side of growth. Star wants every speaker to deliver an idea that helps attendees manage their own “spoons,” avoid burnout, and make smarter, more sustainable decisions—because that’s where true, long-term professional success begins.

Part IV: The Vision for Duluth: A Lasting Staple

What does Star ultimately hope to achieve for the community? They aim to establish a stable, central professional gathering—a fixture on the Duluth calendar that endures for decades.

Duluth is, as Star puts it, “the biggest small town,” a place where natural beauty draws people in and community keeps them here. But that community needs a central hub where professionals, students, and thinkers can consistently gather to exchange high-level, actionable ideas.

This event is Star’s contribution to strengthening the economic and intellectual roots of the Northland, signaling that Duluth is a place where innovation is not just happening, but is actively celebrated and organized.

The Ultimate Takeaway

When asked for a final thought, Star brought it all back to the most critical resource we have: time.

“If time is the meaning of life, then time is your life. Essentially if it is the meaning of life, how you spend your time is your choice, because sadly, death is inevitable.”

TEDxDuluth on February 6th, 2026, is an invitation to invest your time in a day that is truly about your choice—a choice to step away from the busyness and invest in ideas that will redefine your life.

Ready to Invest in Your Time?

We are just days away from releasing the full speaker lineup and launching ticket sales! Don’t miss the chance to be part of the inaugural TEDxDuluth experience.

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

Check us out on LinkedIn @TEDxDuluth For more insights into Star’s philosophy on leadership, inclusion, and the speaker selection process, listen to the complete audio  and scratch transcript