One of the Categories on this website is TEDxFortWayne.  That’s because I want to do what ever I can to help support this local event as we prepare for the 3rd year of TEDx in Fort Wayne.

My involvement began a couple years ago when my friend Craig Crook hosted a meeting of Linchpins.

Linchpin was the latest book from Seth Godin at the time and at this meeting Craig announced that he was wanting to do a regional version of TED in Fort Wayne.

These type of TED events are called TEDx and you have to get permission, approval and agree to rules and guidelines to do this and Craig was able to pull it off with a few hundred volunteer hours from a host of folks who jumped in.

I was not one of them who was actively involved the first year in 2011 because as soon as I found out the date in May, I knew I had family commitments with my stepdaughter Abby graduating from Purdue the same weekend and also my daughter Rachael getting married at the end of the month.  In between my other daughter, Tiffany and her husband Jon were due to deliver their first child.

So I supported from the sidelines on Twitter and encouraging others to check it out.

TEDxFortWayne 2012 was a different story.  Last year I jumped in and was part of the curation team and we had a blast selecting speakers and videos.

The 2012 TEDxFortWayne theme was ReThink Fort Wayne.  After the event, videos from the event were posted online and I decided to devote 1 day each week to spotlighting a different TEDxFortWayne speaker or perfomer and featured them for 21 weeks on this website.

Now we are preparing for the 2013 TEDxFortWayne conference. Last week the following was announced:

TEDxFortWayne has announced plans to host an independently organized TED event on the campus of the Indiana Institute of Technology.

The event will take place inside the Andorfer Commons Theatre on April 27, 2013 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Organizers are also making a final call for speakers who want to share their ideas and spark them into action.

In 2012, speakers took the stage to “Re-Think” the use of technology, entertainment, and design for Northeast Indiana.

This year, speakers are encouraged to light – or “Ignite” – the fuse to the powder keg of innovation, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial spirit that lies just beneath the surface of Fort Wayne and surrounding communities.

The deadline for submissions is February 18th at 5PM Eastern Standard Time. Interested individuals my apply by visiting www.TEDxFortWayne.com and clicking on the “Speakers” tab.

Want to be involved?  Want to attend?  Want more info?  Contact me and I’ll be sure you are connected to the right persons for2013 TEDxFortWayne or go to the TEDxFortWayne website.