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Big Kenny to Speak at TEDxNashville
03-03-2010
“BIG KENNY” TO SPEAK AT TEDxNASHVILLE’S INAUGURAL
EVENT
Limited Number of Tickets Available for
Art + Science: The Future of Health
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – March 3, 2010 – “Big Kenny,” half of the musical genre-bending duo “Big and Rich”, has been added to the diverse list of noted speakers for the inaugural TEDxNashville event to be held Sunday, March 21 at Montgomery Bell Academy from 1pm-6pm. Kenny, who is seeding various humanitarian efforts in stricken areas like the Darfur region of Sudan and Haiti will speak about how his personal philosophy and unique experiences drive his efforts to promote health-related projects all over the world.
Themed Art + Science: The Future of Health, TEDxNashville will assemble hundreds of Nashville’s brightest minds for a day of deep discussion, thought provoking video and live speakers presenting, in 18 minutes or less. The latest breakthroughs in health and wellness, including the influence of successful artists like Big Kenny and how their popularity can be leveraged to increase awareness of issues that impact the well-being of everyone, will be presented in the state-of-the-art facilities at Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 Harding Road.
"My mission is to highlight the good, inspire greatness, and encourage mutual responsibility for the betterment of humankind,” says Big Kenny. “I think TEDxNashville is a great place to spread those ideas and I’m excited about being a part of it.”
Through Kenny’s foundation, www.loveeverybody.com, he has funded philanthropic projects in the US and throughout the world. A key influence over this part of his life was Walt Ratterman who had been working in Haiti on behalf of Kenny’s foundation until he lost his life in the Haiti earthquake.
After the meteoric rise of “Big and Rich” which sold over 5 million albums and received numerous award nominations, Kenny sought to step beyond the creative rigidity superstardom can cause and release his second solo album, The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farmboy in November 2009 which resulted in a top 40 country single. “I wanted to write new music, explore new ideas – musical and otherwise - and do great stuff that would mean something to people, stuff I’d want to sing for the rest of my life. Stuff that I’d be proud to say I have done,” says Kenny.
Kenny manages his musical work from his “University of Creativity,” as he refers to his home recording studio. From there, he coordinates all his creative and philanthropic activities with a staff of ten, including some art students from Watkins School of Design, based in Nashville.
TEDxNashville follows the format of TEDx, the independently organized events that are an international phenomenon. TEDx events offer to spark a community-wide discussion of ideas that matter, free of any commercial, political or religious agenda.
TEDx events have sold out worldwide. With a limit of 350 participants, tickets are $20 and available now at www.tedxnashville.com. Below is a list of confirmed speakers for the TEDxNashville event:
2010 Confirmed Speakers:
Greg Barz is a Grammy® award-winning ethnomusicologist who specializes in music and medicine in sub-Saharan Africa. His book, “Singing for Life: HIV/AIDS and Music in Uganda” explores the use of music, dance and drama as a medical intervention in the fight against AIDS by communities in Uganda, East Africa.
Jason Dinger is the CEO of Dispensary of Hope, a not-for-profit network that since its inception two years ago has grown to provide more than 100,000 prescriptions annually utilizing more than 50 dispensing sites throughout the country to assist people without prescription drug coverage. Dinger will take us on a journey of what's possible when you reinvent the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Maureen Gannon, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and diabetes researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center whose research focuses on genes that regulate the formation of the pancreatic insulin cells and how these genes might be used to stimulate the production of new insulin cells in the body.
Donna Glassford is the Director of Cultural Enrichment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and producer of the musical “Hey Florence!” A humorous and inspiring speaker, Donna will discuss the value and importance of art in health care.
MAJ Scott Harrington is a brigade surgeon with the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division deployed to Eastern Afghanistan utilizing cutting edge medical care and village restoration.
Dr. James Hildreth is a top researcher for Nashville’s Meharry Medical College who made headlines last year when he developed an odorless, undetectable contraceptive cream that destroys the HIV virus and holds the promise of stopping the disease’s spread around the globe.
Melvin N. Johnson is the seventh President of Tennessee State University, appointed to the post in 2005. He will weave a story of his own personal journey and leadership in healthcare initiatives with world-changing implications.
Suzi Peel works with the UN Foundation and mHealth Alliance program, which delivers health information and education throughout India and Africa via mobile phones to reduce child and parent mortality rates. In her work she focuses on addressing all aspects of global public health that need special low literacy solutions.
Molly Secours is a writer, speaker, filmmaker and activist and a national figure in health care reform. The Nashville Scene has identified Secours as one of "Nashville's most influential public intellectuals.” With humor, compassion and clarity, Secours will share insights gained while battling stage IV uterine cancer and the physical, emotional and spiritual transformation that occurred unexpectedly as a result.
Minton Sparks is a storyteller, performer and mental health professional. Sparks is an adjunct professor of Psychology at Tennessee State University and shares her own brand of performance poetry nationwide. She will be performing a piece that explores the emotional landscape of the southern family.
Follow TEDxNashville on twitter at twitter.com/tedxnashville or on Facebook, facebook.com/tedxnashville
For the latest information, visit: www.tedxnashville.com.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a
four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those
world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference
invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their
talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included
Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson,
Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK
Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long
Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year
in Oxford, UK. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are
posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and
interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated
by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where
exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the
opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or
groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED
Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to
become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of
their remarkable projects and activities.
Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks,
or on Facebook at facebook.com/TED
TEDGlobal 2010, “And Now the Good News,” will be held July 13-16, 2010, in Oxford, UK. TED2011, "The Rediscovery of Wonder," will be held February 21-25, 2011, in Long Beach, California, with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs, California.
About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.
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For More Information Contact:
Kaleidoscope Media
615-321-3211
Angie Gore (angie@kaleidoscope-media.com)
Joseph Conner (joseph@kaleidoscope-media.com)



